Experimental Testing and Analytical Modeling of Glulam Moment Connections with Self-Drilling Dowels
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 5
Abstract
An experimental and analytical study on rotational behavior of glulam beam-column moment connections with self-drilling dowels (SDDs) is conducted. Connection properties including strength, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation were experimentally evaluated by testing seven full-scale connection specimens with and without self-tapping screw (STS) reinforcement along timber perpendicular to grain. All the connections showed high initial stiffness and high moment capacity when compared with the test results of bolted connections reported in the literature. The unreinforced connections had relatively low ductility due to timber splitting despite the increased fastener edge distance. The STS reinforcement effectively reduced the timber splitting tendency and encouraged the yielding of more SDDs, leading to slightly increased moment capacity, but significantly improved ductility. A modified analytical model (MAM) is then proposed to predict strength and rotation of the SDD moment connections based on force and moment equilibrium of the glulam members. Improved prediction accuracy is achieved for the SDD moment connections when compared with the past analytical methods.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank QuakeCore, the Natural Hazards Research Platform in New Zealand, University of Canterbury, Techlam, and Timber Connect Limited for partially sponsoring the project. The authors appreciate the technical support provided by Professor Roger Nokes and technicians Russell McConchie, Alan Thirlwell, Michael Weavers, and Dave Carney from the University of Canterbury.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 5 • May 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 20, 2020
Accepted: Dec 2, 2020
Published online: Feb 24, 2021
Published in print: May 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 24, 2021
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