Cyclic Behavior of Bolted Glued-Laminated Timber Brace Connections with Slotted-In Steel Plates
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper presents the experimental results of a study investigating the behavior of bolted glued-laminated (glulam) timber brace connections with slotted-in steel plates under monotonic and cyclic loading. A total of 12 brace specimens with one or two slotted-in steel plates and two different bolt sizes were studied with the aim to determine the ductility of the connections and brace assemblies. The use of self-tapping screws as perpendicular-to-grain reinforcement to prevent splitting and enhance brace ductility was also investigated. The results of the study showed that both connections in a brace can experience significant plastic deformations if the connections exhibit a postyield hardening response. In braces with connections that exhibited postyield softening, plastic deformations were limited to one of the brace connections, resulting in lower brace ductility ratios. The use of self-tapping screws was found to be effective at preventing splitting and increasing the connection yield and ultimate strengths, while also increasing the brace ductility when compared with an identical connection without reinforcement tested under cyclic loading.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge funding provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Technical assistant in the execution of the laboratory experiments from Justin Bennett, Zena Lauzon, Jared Mason, and Jodie Goodwin is also acknowledged.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 7 • July 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 20, 2023
Accepted: Feb 5, 2024
Published online: Apr 29, 2024
Published in print: Jul 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Sep 29, 2024
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