A stronger home can begin with the structure already standing.
Existing timber homes in storm- and earthquake-prone regions present a substantial opportunity for practical reinforcement. For owners, the challenge is straightforward – strengthen the building while keeping disruption, alterations and cost under control.
TurnKey-Innovations is developing a cable-bracing retrofit system for existing timber buildings, combining a connection between structural reinforcement with supplementary ground anchorage.
Steel cables connect selected structural members through guide and load-distribution plates to ground anchors positioned outside or just beneath the building footprint. A central tension-balancing assembly is designed to evenly distribute forces through the connected cable network, helping the structure respond moncoque-like to external loads as an integrated unit.
The development focuses on adapting this arrangement to existing homes, with accessible connections, controlled pretension and limited intervention in the building fabric wherever possible.
While cable reinforcement and structural tie-downs are of course established engineering principles, TurnKey-Innovations’ development work focusses on the particular balancing mechanism, cable arrangement and installation method, with performance ready to be tested and verified through engineering analysis and shake table testing.
Installation in existing homes
The system is designed for adaptation to existing timber-frame construction, including conventional 2-by-4 wall framing. Where wall cavities and access permit, cables and selected components can be incorporated with limited local opening and reinstatement.
Each installation is adapted to the building’s condition, framing arrangement and ground conditions. Cable routing, connection details and anchor capacity are determined to suit the structure and the intended loading.
Principal advantages
- Retrofit reinforcement that makes use of the existing timber structure.
- Supplementary ground anchorage.
- Stronger connections between key structural members.
- Components designed for straightforward assembly and adjustment.
- Limited intervention where suitable access and wall cavities are available.
Main components
- Steel cables with locking and tensioning fittings.
- Central tension-balancing assembly.
- Structural anchoring plates.
- Cable-guide and load-distribution plates.
- Ground anchors.