OptWood database application

Abstract

New European standards require a significant improvement of finger-joints (to make them consistent) in wooden lamellas. Industries have to look for new solutions to strengthen finger joints. Among other techniques such as modified glues, the optimization of the finger-joints profile geometry is one means to achieve better connection in wooden constructions. OptWood aims to develop a computational method to perform profile optimization for finger joint geometries. Currently finger-joints are mostly investigated using experimental methods and commercial finite element packages. These previous work focuses on the characterization of existing finger-joints. In this project advanced mathematical algorithms and simulation models will be developed that allow the optimization of finger-joint geometries taking into account both existing and newly developed European standards and production cost efficiency. A prerequisite for any optimization is a fast numerical solution technique for the direct problem which can be effectively solved using the fast boundary element method. A short term objective is the development of mathematical methods for optimizing the profile geometry so that the stress distribution is homogeneous. The research project is a joint effort between St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences Research Ltd. and Holzforschung Austria1 and focuses on combining fast boundary element methods and stochastic optimization techniques to minimize the stress distribution in finger joints. The mid-term objective is the development of software for multi-objective optimization together with industrial partners. Long-term objectives are the use and application of the developed software for engineering parts in wooden constructions. This joint effort between both institutions requires shared databases, where members can access and contribute new results and parameters about the finger-joint simulations. That's why OptWood web site is necessary. A platform where the new results can be stored well structured and organized. But it should be a secure place where only a restricted number of persons can access and modify the information in it, and this is possible with a typical user names and passwords database. In this web site there is also an area to visualize the information stored. The shared data should also be accessible to web applications that make quickly simulations over the web. It should allow the OptWood investigators to compare short numerical results quickly without downloads or computationally demanding simulation programs. All the code developed about OptWood web application is included in Appendix I and Appendix II. They are also all the code is also included in the webapplication.zip file, this file is available in the electronic version of the project.