Effective lateral resistance of combined timber joints with nails and bolts

An experimental study on combined steel-to-timber joints with nails and bolts is conducted in this study. Principal results are as follows: The initial stiffness and effective allowable resistance of combined joints depend obviously on clearances in predrilled bolt-holes. The combined joints with nails and bolts have high potential of energy capacity to resist strong earthquake forces. There are upper limits of clearances in predrilled bolt-holes that allow advantages of considering the synthetic resistance of combined joints in practical structural design. Combining the joint components with appropriate design will give higher performance against strong earthquakes increasing the safety margin and energy capacity until the failure. The combined joints should be designed under the restrictions of particular specifications in closed design systems because the advantages of combining the joint components are influenced obviously by various actual conditions, which are too difficult to consider in detail in open design systems.     

Development of LVL frame structures using glued metal plate joints II: strength properties and failure behavior under lateral loading

In past years high priority was given to developing a seismic design for wood structures, including research on the response of wood structures to earthquakes. In this study a new type of portal frame with relatively large span was developed for the traditional Japanese wooden houses with large openings at the front to strengthen the structure. Stainless steel plates coated with zinc and glued with epoxy adhesives on laminated veneer lumber (LVL) members, composed of Douglas fir veneer and bonded with phenolformaldehyde resin, were used. The connection between the frame's beam and columns and between the columns and groundsills was mechanical, with bolts. The subject of this research was to analyze strength properties and failure behavior of glued LVL metal joints used as structural components and to evaluate the response of LVL portal frames under cyclic lateral loading. The results show that portal frames using glued LVL metal plates have a good multiplier for the shear walls and may be applied to traditional Japanese structures. The equivalent viscous damping provided good energy dissipation in the frames. The joints displayed good mechanical behavior during tests; moreover, the structures demonstrated high strength, stiffness, and ductility, which are necessary for a seismic design.Part of this paper was presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kouchi, April 1997; and at the 5th world conference on timber engineering. Montreux, Switzerland, August 1998     

Stress distributions and failure types of curved laminated veneer lumber for use in furniture under loading

To control reliably the suitable use of curved laminated veneer lumber (LVL) as a structural member of furniture, stress distributions and failure types of curved LVL made from massion pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) and fast-growing poplar (Populus euramericana CV. I.) were investigated under end-pull, end-thrust, and transverse loading. The results are summarized as follows: In curved LVL of two wood species, absolute values of the maximum axial stress ( _A) occurring at the convex surface are smaller than those ( _B) that occurred at the concave surface. The differences between these values decrease with an increase in the radius of curvature. With end-pull loading, there were mainly splitting failures at glue lines near the centroidal axis. With end-thrust loading, there were more fibrous fractures on the tensile side and crushing failures on the compression side. With transverse loading, curved specimens of massion pine exhibited mainly splitting failures. In contrast, for curved LVL of fast-growing poplar, fibrous fractures occurred mainly on the tensile side. Absolute values of _A and _B significantly increased with an increase in the radius of curvature. In contrast, absolute values of the maximum radial stress ( _R,) decreased with an increase in the radius of curvature. Absolute values of _A, _B, and _R of curved LVL of massion pine were larger under end-thrust loading than under end-pull and transverse loading. Conversely, absolute values of _A and _B of curved LVL of fast-growing poplar were small under end-thrust loading. However, absolute values of _A and _B of curved LVL of two wood species under end-pull loading were almost similar to those under transverse loading.Part of this study was presented at the 10th annual meeting of Chugoku Shikoku branch of the Japan Wood Research Society, Miki, Kagawa, September 25, 1998 and the 4th Pacific Rim Bio-Based Composites Symposium, Bogor, Indonesia, November 2–5, 1998     

Estimation of stiffness and strength in timber knee joints with adhesive and verification by experiment

The use of adhesive joints is gradually increasing, especially those with glued-in steel rods (GIRs). There are, however, some problems with the design methods when used for moment-transmitting applications. In this article, design methods for GIRs and cross-lapped glued joints (CLJs) are proposed. For CLJs, we made a hypothesis that both rotational deformation of CLJ and stress of the glue line occurred with bending and shearing deformation of the timber. Using this hypothesis and Kelvin’s theorem, a mechanical model of CLJ is proposed. For GIRs, the axial stress component of the rod and the lateral stress component of the rod were taken into account using the theory of a beam on an elastic foundation. From the comparisons between calculations and experimental results, it was recognized that the stiffness and strength of CLJs and GIRs could be predicted precisely using our proposed models.     

Quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics analysis of splitting failure in moment-resisting dowel joints

This article addresses the splitting failure of moment-resisting dowel-type fastener joints, in which the failure may be attributed to the perpendicular-to-grain loading of one single dowel located close to the end of a beam. A quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics model based on beam on elastic foundation theory is applied. A simple approximation suitable for practical design is also proposed. Model predictions of the influence of edge distances and end distances are compared with test results.     

Deflection of wood under intermittent loading

Summary The study of intermittent loading of wood described in an earlier publication was extended to explore the effects of shorter cycles. For stresses below about 50 per cent of the modulus of rupture the principle of superposition provides a fair indication of expected deflections when the environmental conditions are constant. It is shown how, under this principle, the peak strains are limited to fractions of the creep strain at constant load, the excess after the first peak being dependent on the proportion of time under load in a cycle. Consequently, when the intervals between loads are considerably longer than the duration of loads, cumulative effects are negligible.The authors wish to acknowledge the advice and help received from Messrs L. N. Clarke, R. Donaldson and F. Peplar on instrumentation and data-logging, the contribution by Mr. J. J. Mack to the planning and execution of the short-cycle tests and the preparation of the statistical analyses by Mr. P. PahlAt the time of the study this author was working with the CSIRO, Australia, under a fellowship provided by the Japanese Government     

Bending moment resistance of corner joints constructed with spline under diagonal tension and compression

We determined the effects of the penetration depth and spline material and composite material type as well as joining method on bending moment resistance under diagonal compression and tension in common wood panel structures. Composite materials were laminated medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particle board. Joining methods were buttand miter types. Spline materials were high density fiber board (HDF).The penetration depths of plywood, wood (Carpinus betolus) and splinewere 8, 11 and 14 mm. The results showed that in both diagonal compression and tension, MDF joints are stronger than particle board joints,and the bending moment resistance under compression is higher compared with that in tension. The highest bending moment resistance under tension was shown in MDF, butt joined using plywood spline with 8 mm penetration depth, whereas under compression bending moment resistance was seen in MDF, miter joined with the HDF spline of 14 mm penetration depth.     

Relationship between fracture toughness and acoustic emission during cleavage failure in adhesive joints

Summary Fracture toughness in mode I was determined for wood bonded with various adhesive systems. Tapered double-cantilever beam (TDCB) specimens were used, with attached transducer connected to instrumentation for monitoring acoustic emission. Adhesives used fro bonding the TDCB specimens included urea-formaldehyde resin, phenol-resorcinol resin, and emulsion polymer isocyanate, among others. Test parameters measured included critical load for cleavage fracture and number of events (stress waves) emitted, from which fracture toughness and cumulative count of acoustic emission were computed. It was found that there was a well defined, linear relation between fracture toughness and cumulative counts of acoustic emission per fracture area. The fracture toughness values of systems containing polyvinyl acetate and of epoxy resin were larger than those of thermosetting resins such as urea-or phenol formaldehyde. The high fracture toughness imparted by polyvinyl acetate was attributed to viscous movement of linear molecular chain segments, as compared with the more brittle behavior of the crosslinked molecular structure of such resins as ureaformaldehyde.     

Fatigue of structural plywood under cyclic shear through thickness I: fatigue process and failure criterion based on strain energy

The fatigue behavior of plywood specimens under shear through thickness was examined on the basis of strain energy to obtain common empirical equations for the fatigue process and failure criterion under various loading conditions. Specimens were cut from commercial plywood panels of 9-mm thickness. Loading conditions were set as follows: a square waveform at a loading frequency of 0.5 Hz, a triangular waveform at 0.5 Hz, and a triangular waveform at 5.0 Hz. Peak stress applied was determined to be 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 of static strength, that is, stress levels of 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9. The stress-strain relationships were measured throughout the fatigue test, and the strain energy was obtained at each loading cycle. Loading conditions apparently affected the relationship between stress level and fatigue life. On the other hand, the relationship between mean strain energy per cycle and fatigue life was found to be independent of loading conditions. Mean strain energy per cycle obtained as the fatigue limit was 5.85 kJ/m³ per cycle. Assuming that the accumulation of strain energy is a fatigue indicator, the fatigue process and failure criterion for the plywood specimens under the three loading conditions were commonly expressed by the relationship between cumulative strain energy and loading cycles.     

Shear resistance and failure modes of nailed joints loaded perpendicular to the grain

Shear tests were conducted on nailed joints in wood that were loaded perpendicular to the grain; these joints had 21 specifications depending on different combinations of wood species, nail dimensions, number of nails, and edge distances of the main members, and their effects on the shear resistance of the nailed joints were also investigated. The nailed joints with CN75 nails had higher initial stiffness than the joints with CN50 nails, provided the initial stiffness of nailed joints connected with 3 or 5 nails was not always a simple product of the number of nails and the initial stiffness of nailed joints connected with a nail, and instead depended on the combination of wood species of the main member and nail dimensions. When the edge distance decreased, the maximum load and energy capacity decreased, thereby affecting the energy capacity. The maximum load of the nailed joints with CN75 nails may be smaller than those with CN50 nails depending on the combination of wood species and nail dimensions. When the edge distance of the nailed joints was less than 26 mm, the energy capacity of the nailed joints with CN75 nails was less than or similar to those with CN50 nails.     

Estimation of yield and ultimate strengths of bolted timber joints by nonlinear analysis and yield theory

A finite element nonlinear analysis was conducted on bolted timber joints under lateral loads parallel and perpendicular to the grain. The results obtained from this analysis were compared with the experimental results and calculated values based on the yield theory. The analysis and experiment were performed on double shear bolted joints parallel and perpendicular to the grain with steel side plates and a slotted-in steel plate. It was found from the analysis that the yielding of wood and bolt occurred before the overall yielding of the bolted joint. Shear strength of bolted joints calculated from the yield theory using the embedding yield strength of wood and the yield moment of the bolt showed comparatively good agreement with the shear strength evaluated by 5% offset of the load–slip curve in the experiment and analysis. The shear strength of the bolted joint calculated from the yield theory using the embedding ultimate strength of wood and the ultimate moment of the bolt agreed quite well with the shear strength evaluated by the maximum load up to 15mm slip in the analysis. The former, parallel and perpendicular to the grain, were 11% and 34%, on average smaller than the latter in the experiment.Part of this paper was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Gifu, April 2002; the Annual Meeting of Architectural Institute of Japan 2002, Ishikawa, August 2002; and the World Conference on Timber Engineering 2002, Shah Alam, Malaysia, August 2002     

Impact of cyclic compressive loading and moisture content on the mechanical behavior of Aucoumea Klaineana Pierre

The mechanical behavior of Aucoumea Klaineana Pierre (AKP) under progressive static and cyclic compressive loading at various moisture content (MC) stages is investigated herein. This tropical species, also called Okume, originates from the Congo Basin, particularly Gabon. The experimental device used is composed of an electronic testing machine, a system yielding the corresponding MC, and AKP wood samples. In all, 15 AKP samples were loaded in statics, at different MC levels, until the first cracks led to characterizing the mechanical behavior of the species in static compression along the longitudinal direction. Next, seven samples of AKP were gradually loaded at distinct MC values, with five under cyclic longitudinal compression. Results show that under a static longitudinal compressive loading, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of AKP decreases as sample MC increases. For the cyclic compressive loading after the first cycle, sample MOE increases with both the intensity and number of loading cycles as well as with the permanent deformation of each cycle. Moreover, it can be observed that within the plasticity domain, the impact of MC variation on the mechanical behavior of AKP is negligible.     

Creep-rupture life of Douglas-fir under cyclic environmental conditions

Summary Small beams of Douglas-fir were subjected to constant loads and the time to failure was investigated while the specimens were subjected to cyclicly varying conditions of relative humidity and temperature. At a given load level, periodic variations in environment led to significant reductions in the average time to failure. The extent ofthis reduction was primarily related to the range in integral moisture content attained by the specimens.

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Zusammenfassung Douglasien-Stäbe wurden einer konstanten Dauer-Belastung unterworfen und die Zeit bis zum Biegebruch gemessen. Während der Versuchsdauer wurden relative Luftfeuchtigkeit und Temperature zyklisch verändert. In einem bestimmten Belastungsbereich führen derartige periodische Änderungen der Umgebungsbedingungen zu einer signifikanten Verkürzung der Zeitdauer bis zum Bruch. Das Ausmaß der Verkürzung hängt in erster Linie mit der Größe der sich in der Probe einstellenden Gesamtholzfeuchtigkeit zusammen.

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Paper presented at Session 3-Anatomy and Fundamental Properties-of the 21st Annual Meeting of the Forest Products Research Society, July 3, 1967, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.     

Strength performance of mortise and loose-tenon furniture joints under uniaxial bending moment

We determined the effects of adhesive type and loose tenon dimensions （length and thickness） on bending strength of T-shaped mor- tise and loose-tenon joints. Polyvinyl acetate （PVAc） and two-component polyurethane （PU） adhesives were used to construct joint specimens. The bending moment capacity of joints increased significantly with increased length and thickness of the loose tenon. Bending moment capacity of joints constructed with PU adhesive was approximately 13% higher than for joints constructed with PVAc adhesive. We developed a predictive equation as a function of adhesive type and loose tenon dimensions to estimate the strength of the joints constructed of oriental beech （Fagus orientalis L.） under uniaxial bending load.     

Bending creep behavior of wood under cyclic moisture changes

This study examined the bending creep behavior in the longitudinal direction of six species under cyclic moisture content (MC) changes. For each species, tests were made at 20°C with five cyclic relative humidity changes between 65% and 95%, beginning from moisture adsorption. A load corresponding to 25% of short-term breaking load of the species was applied to the radial section of each specimen with four-point bending. The effect of MC change on instantaneous compliance was also investigated under the same condition. The quantitative relation between mechano-sorptive (MS) compliance and MC change was examined, and the material parameter KM for the relation in specific sorption was determined. Results indicated that the total compliance in the six species with different behavior increases with sorption time. As an integral part of total compliance, instantaneous compliance changes linearly with MC and influences to a greater or lesser extent the total compliance behavior. In general, with increasing MC change, the MS compliance linearly increases during the first adsorption and all desorption and decreases slightly during subsequent adsorption. The material parameterK _M varies markedly not only with species but also with specific sorption. The first adsorption causes the largest deformation, followed by desorption.This paper was presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society in Shizuoka, Japan. April 1998     

Fracture behaviour of laminated veneer lumber under Mode I and III loading

Mode I and Mode III loading experiments were performed on side grooved CT specimens of two types of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). Steady state crack propagation was maintained in order to detect complete load displacement diagrams. Fracture behaviour and influence of fiber orientation were studied and all important fracture mechanical values (stiffness/compliance, microstructural damage, crack initiation energy, specific fracture energy etc) were determined. Much higher crack initiation energies and specific fracture energies resulted in mode III loading than in mode I loading for both material types. Under external mode III loading, crack initiation occurs in mode III and crack propagation however takes place under mode I owing to crack surface interference. The influence of fiber orientation on fracture mechanical properties of LVL was discussed. Received 15 September 1999     

Heating and temperature distribution under cyclic deflection in the non-linear region for wood

Summary Temperature distribution during a fatigue process was examined under cyclic deflection in the non-linear region. The cyclic deflection caused a remarkable and local rise in temperature by the heating due to viscosity of air-dried wood. The appearance of the peak in temperature versus the logarithmic cyclic number was explained on the basis of viscosity change due to moisture movement and vaporization by heating during the fatigue process. The change of the temperature distribution was related to the heat transfer and the heat capacity of wood.