1 Snap-fit Joints- CNC fabricated, Integrated Mechanical Attachment for Structural Wood Panels

This paper describes the design and potential applications of CNC fabricated snap-fit joints for cross-laminated veneer lumber panels (LVL). These joints are new to the building construction sector, but commonly used in other domains such as the automotive or consumer electronics industry. We explain our application of existing knowledge about the de-sign and dimensioning of such joints, as well as several adaptations that we have made in order to optimize the connectors for the jointing of struc-tural wood panels. This was necessary due to the materials and fabrication processes in timber construction, which are different from those in the sec-tors of origin of the snap-fit joints. We propose applications, including two case studies with physical prototypes: 1. a box girder prototype on which we introduce the combination of snap-fit joints with shear-resistant tab-and-slot joints and test the mechanical performance of the joints. 2: A double-layer arch prototype with non-orthogonal, 5-axis CNC-fabricated joints.