Prof.dr.ir. J.W.G. van de Kuilen

After graduating I became a researcher at the TNO Timber Research Institute in Delft. At this institute, research has been performed into windows, doors, façade elements, timber frame housing and glass fibre reinforced glued laminated timber. After 12 years at TNO with research in structural timber engineering on multi-storey buildings, timber sheet pile walls, timber joints and many other timber structures related research. During this period he did a part time ph.d. at Delft University of Technology, studying the influence of climate and load on the creep of nailed, toothed-plate, split-ring and tube fastener joints as well as on the lifetime of timber joints. In 2000 he became member of the staff of Delft University of Technology for timber and timber structures. From 2002 – 2006 he worked part-time in Italy as a post-doc researcher on a machine strength grading project for spruce and larch and on service life modeling of timber structures. Besides Delft University, since 2006 he also works as an associate researcher of the Italian National Research council.

Education

Education in timber structures starts in the second year of the Bachelor study for Civil Engineering, which continues in two specific Timber and Timber Structures courses (4 ECTS each) at Master’s level. In addition, special focus is also given to a design project in timber structures (3 ECTS) and the application of timber in structural waterworks and fatigue.

Research

Research in the field of timber and timber structures is performed in specific subjects such as machine grading, performance of timber and timber joints in structures (strength and stiffness, creep, damage accumulation, service life modelling), new fastener techniques and structural optimization. Scientific research is performed in order to understand the behaviour of wood in the supply chain and when it is applied in structural applications. Currently, there are five ph.d. projects running, covering this chain. Together with the industry new products and applications are developed. In recent projects, Dutch grown timber is analysed for civil engineering applications in bridges and structural waterworks, a machine strength grading project with stress wave analysis and X-ray has been performed in close cooperation with machine manufacturers in the Netherlands and Italy. Examples of projects with students are for instance the behaviour of steel fasteners in timber joints, gluing options for hardwoods, structural behaviour of movable façade elements, the mechanical properties of larch and the development of design tools for timber grid shells.

He has been an active member in a number of COST Actions, including COST E55 ' Modelling of the performance of timber structures’, COST E29 'Innovative timber and composite elements / components for buildings' and COST E53 – Quality control for wood and wood products.

Activities and committees:

NEN 351 01 003 Dutch committee for Design of Timber Structures - Scientific secretary
NEN 353 01 Dutch Timber Committee – KVH Quality requirements and grading standards
NEN 353 01 03 Dutch Timber Committee – KVH Timber for waterworks
NEN 351 01 006 Dutch committee for terminology

Europese committees:

COST E5 Timber Frame Housing Systems (MC-member, Action finished)
COST E8 Wood Mechanics (MC-member, Action finished)
COST E24 Reliability based design of timber structures (MC- member)
COST E29 Innovative Timber & Composite Elements for Buildings (MC-member, WG1 chairman)
CEN TC 124/WG2 – Structural Timber
CEN TC 250/SC5- Part 2 Timber Bridges - National technical Contact

Publications

Kuilen, JWG van de (2008).
Creep of timber joints. Heron, 53(3), 133-156. (TUD)

Kuilen, JWG van de, & Montaruli, NE (2008).
Timber structures service life modelling. In A Nil Turkeri & O Sengul (Eds.), Durability of building materials and components 11 - globality and locality in durability (pp. 1541-1549). Istanbul, Turkey: Istanbul Technical University. (TUD)

Kuilen, JWG van de, Montaruli, NE, Weersink, RGJ, & Meerstadt, Th. (2008).
Service life analysis of marine structures of tropical hardwoods. In s.n. (Ed.), Medachs08 - Construction heritage in coastal and marine environments; damage, diagnostics, maintenance and rehabilitation (pp. 1-8). Lisbon, Portugal: LNEC. (TUD)

Kuilen, JWG van de (2007).
Service life modelling of timber structures. Materials and structures, 40, 151-161. (TUD)

Kuilen, JWG van de (08-22-2007).
LuxLAM. no NL2000379. (TUD)