Recipient Organization
PATHHOUSE LLC
3530 N VANCOUVER AVE STE 330
PORTLAND,OR 972271798
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project is responsive to the NIFA program priority of agricultural-related manufacturing technology. Through the proposed research, PathHouse will develop an innovative design and manufacturing process to build affordable net-zero housing modules that can be transported over long distances, stored for extended periods, and assembled in a fraction of the time of conventional construction. The novel design also makes extensive use of large-format, structurally engineered wood products such as Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), that will increase the utilization of forest-grown material. PathHouse housing modules are assembled in a high-volume manufacturing facility, available on-demand, fully waterproofed, and ready for immediate occupancy upon installation. ?
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
Proof of concept work is needed to ensure the innovative designs and complex structural and envelope material interactions of the PathHouse modules can withstand loads unique to our product as we have defined it. Each material performs a critical function for life safety or occupant health. Structural and envelope approaches, as with a typical architectural project, will be developed for strength, durability, performance, and site-installation efficiency. A PathHouse module, however, must also be optimized for high-volume manufacturing, and subjected to loads during transport and storage that are not fully addressed in established building industry standards and test methods. To commercialize our concept, we need proof that the design can withstand these loads and remain safe for future occupancy. The success of the overall project is determined by our ability to optimize key connections and wall assemblies, demonstrate their safe application in occupied buildings, and make them efficient and viable on the factory floor to keep costs low for commercialization. Just as importantly, from a product development and commercial viability standpoint, the results will also inform the business's approach to shipping and installation protocols, customer support, and warranty periods.The objective of the grant research is to develop a design and manufacturing process for a rapidly-produced and highly deployable affordable mass timber modular housing platform by:Establishing a mass timber panel structure and building envelope system that can, without additional bracing and detrimental impact on performance, withstand the dynamic torsional loads that the modules will be subjected to during transport and installation.Determining viable strategies to achieve interior material durability during long-term storage in a range of climate conditions without added heat, ventilation, or air conditioning.Preparing an approvals plan for all necessary tests, certifications, and inspections.Mass timber panels are relatively new on the market, with a limited range of published values and off-the-shelf connections. We must determine the strength, durability, and resilience of transporting and storing fully finished mass timber housing modules. This initial round of finite-element computer modeling and physical testing will provide an empirical assessment of the performance and durability of our modules by testing how they withstand transportation- related torsional structural loads and intense, long-term weather exposure. This is a vital precursor to future refinement of the designs and proceeding into the more costly final approvals processes.
Project Methods
Structural and accelerated weathering tests will be carried out by the TDI team at OSU. Although exact testing regimes will be finalized based on the previous work of the design team, the tests will follow the general procedures outlined below:Monotonic and cyclic testing of the corner assembly connection will be performed by bracing the assembly to the Emmerson Lab's strong floor and testing it using a linear actuator to apply force to the connection. Sensors, such as string potentiometers, Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDT), and load cells, will be used to measure the displacement and the force applied to the specimen. Specific configuration of the different connection tests will be designed once materials and components have been finalized by the design/structural engineering team.Accelerated Weathering: Corner assemblies of approx. 3x3x3 feet in dimension will be tested in OSU's Multi-Chamber Modular Environmental Conditioning (MCMEC) unit in OSU's Green Building Materials Laboratory. The MCMEC comprises 3 chambers that are linked together, with each chamber being approximately an 8' cube. Partition walls may be removed between adjacent chambers in order to expose test specimens to differing conditions (temperature, moisture content, UV, moisture spray) on different faces (Kropat et al., 2020). A box assembly (test specimen) of structural mass timber-based multi-material panels will be mounted in chamber 1 and screened off from the adjacent chamber such that the insides and outsides of the assembly are exposed to differing moisture content and humidity regimes, representing indoor and outdoor conditions. Moisture spray will be applied to the outside of the assembly and repeated for various temperatures and relative humidities. The interior of the assembly will be checked visually for leaks at predetermined intervals. A time-lapse camera will also be set up and a dye will be applied to the inside of the panels as an indicator of moisture penetration. Moisture probes will convey the moisture gradient to automated data loggers.TDI researchers will compile and analyze the data collected during the tests, and discuss recommendations with the design team based on the results.