SPIDER

CONNECTOR
CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT BEAM
SUPPORT - SLAB - SUPPORT

Rotho Blaas srl

I-39040 Cortaccia (BZ) - Via Dell’Adige 2/1 Tel. +39 0471 81 84 00 - Fax. +39 0471 81 84 84 info@rothoblaas.com - www.rothoblaas.com
CONCEPT AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS

INTRODUCTION

With the SPIDER Connector punctual supported CLT flat slabs with a span length of more than 5 m can be realized without any
binding beams. The system generally has two functions: reinforcement in the area of the support and suspension of the CLT flat
slab by means of radial arms and fully threaded screws. Furthermore it transmits the vertical load of the support from the top of the
building to the ground floor without stressing the CLT perpendicular to the grain. Hereafter the system and the labratory tests of
the University of Innsbruck are presented.

SPIDER CONNECTOR - COMPONENTS

The SPIDER Connector is composed by the following main elements:

• TOP PLATE: receiving the vertical load from the upper support;
• HEART OF STEEL AND CANTILEVER: suspension and reinforcement of the CLT flat slab;
• LOAD CONDUCTION: load transmission of above supports and adjoining floor load;
• BASE PLATE: load transmission to next support.
The entire system can be mounted easily from the top and is loadable immediately.
It is possible to integrate the SPIDER Connector in the floor structure because of its low construction hight and it is thus protected
from the exposure of fire from the upper floor. By the use of the connector the lower wooden surface of the cross laminated timber
ceiling can remain visible. Furthermore all steal parts are also encapsulated in case of fire from the bottom floor by the CLT slab and
the timber support.

800

65

65

80
Ø 800

Figure 1: main dimensions of the SPIDER connector

COMPARISON OF SYSTEMS: WITHOUT REINFORCEMENT - CLT REINFORCED BY FULLY THREADED SCREWS (VGS) - SPIDER CONNECTOR

Figures 2 and 3 compare the performance of the SPIDER Connector System with already existing design variants:
1. Unreinforced: load transfer purely through the load capacity of the CLT panel perpendicular to the grain;
2. Reinforced perpendicular to the grain: maximum number of fully threded screws on the cross section;
3. SPIDER Connector: combination of support, suspension, reinforcement and load transmission.

FEd = 108 kN FEd = 192 kN FEd = 1600 kN

support support ped = 10 kN/m2 support

CLT 200 mm slab 200

support support support
VGS SPIDER

1 2 3

Unreinforced Reinforcement with VGS SPIDER Connector

200 200 200

ATIMBER = 400 cm2 ATIMBER = 400 cm2 ATIMBER = 318 cm2

FRk = 170 kN FRk = 300 kN FRk = 650 kN
FRd = 108 kN FRd = 192 kN (+78 %) FRd = 400 kN (+280 %)

Figure 2: comparison of the performance for different versions (schematic drawing)

800

700

600

500
Load [kN]

400

300

200
SPIDER Connector
Reinforcement with VGS
100
Unreinforced

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Deformation of the entire system including bending and shear deformation of the slab [mm]

Figure 3: comparison of the performance for different versions, load-displacement curve

ASSEMBLY OF THE SPIDER CONNECTOR SYSTEM

The simple on-site assembly of a point supportet CLT flat slab with the SPIDER Connector System is carried out in the following
steps:
• positioning the supports with the pre-assembled SPIDER components base plate and load conduction;
• installation of the CLT elements above the rows of supports;
• lifting the CLT elements between the rows of supports (possibly scaffolding or shiplap);
• mounting and screwing SPIDER Connector from the top floor;
• bending and shear stiff connection between the CLT panels;
• installing the top supports for the next floor directly on the top plate of the SPIDER Connector.

Figure 4: assembling the SPIDER Connector system

SPIDER

1,25 - 3,50 m

CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT BEAM

The SPIDER Connector System makes it possible to build point supported flat slabs of cross laminated timber with service loads of
10 kN/m2 and spans of 5 to 7 m.

qed = 10 kN/m2

5-7m

5-7m

5-7m 5-7m

EUROPEAN TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT (ETA)

A European Technical Assessment with the OIB in vienna is planned for the SPIDER Connector for 2018.

In collaboration with the timber engeneering unit at the University of Innsbruck:

Maderebner Roland, Maurer Bernhard, Flach Michael, Philipp Zingerle.