Engineering of a super-long hanging bench fabricated partially from thermally modified timber

Author: James Whiteley and Diederik Veenendaal

Date published

3 October 2022

Price

Standard: £9.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

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Engineering of a super-long hanging bench fabricated partially from thermally modified timber

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Author
James Whiteley and Diederik Veenendaal
Date published
3 October 2022
Price

Standard: £9.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

The Structural Engineer
Author

James Whiteley and Diederik Veenendaal

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 100, Issue 10, 2022, Page(s) 22-26

Date published

3 October 2022

Author

James Whiteley and Diederik Veenendaal

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 100, Issue 10, 2022, Page(s) 22-26

Price

Standard: £9.95 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

The design fabrication and installation of one of the longest single-span swinging benches of its kind in the world.

Introduction

This case study outlines the engineering design, fabrication and installation of a bespoke 7m hanging timber bench. Challenging constraints arose from the variety of thermally modified timber used in the bench’s construction. Summum Engineering engineered the bench, which was installed in Soldatenbos National Forest, Belgium in August 2021. It hangs from two silver maple trees with a view over an adjacent field. The Dutch practice RO&AD Architects provided the architectural design and intent, working for the municipality of Nijlen in Belgium, which acted as the client.

Swinging benches are commonly associated with North America. The longest multi-span swinging bench, located in Louisiana, USA, is 18.25m, with individual spans of around 3.6m. At 7.1m, it is thought by the authors that the bench presented in this article is the longest single-span swinging bench of its kind.

Additional information

Format:
PDF
Pages:
22-26
Publisher:
The Institution of Structural Engineers

Tags

Timber Project Focus Issue 10

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