Experimental and numerical evaluation on the behavior of single-shear timber connections using lag screw

Abstract

In current design procedures, the capacities of single-shear timber connections with lag screws are determined based on their governing failure modes, which are assumed to occur independently. In this study, the capacity and failure modes of single-shear timber connections with lag screws are evaluated experimentally and numerically. Six specimens of Red Meranti wood and lag screws with different penetration lengths are tested to obtain their lateral load capacities and failure modes. Nonlinear 3D finite element analyses using Abaqus are conducted to simulate the test condition. The experimental and numerical results are evaluated in terms of connection failure modes and capacities. Moreover, the result will be compared with NDS 2018 predictions. The study results show that the connection capacities between experimental tests and numerical analysis are similar if the minimum penetration requirement of NDS 2018 is satisfied. It can also be seen that the dominant failure modes, both from experimental and numerical results, match with those predicted using NDS 2018, although they are slightly combined with the other failure modes.