Constitutive and numerical modelling for timber-metal connections under large deformations

Abstract

Computational modelling of complex timber-metal connections undergoing large deformations is crucial for the design of safe and robust multi-storey timber structures. Accurate simulation through large deformations requires constitutive models that suitably capture the full post-elastic behaviour of materials. Post-elastic behaviour of timber is particularly challenging to model due to strong anisotropy and material non-linearity in the post-elastic regime. Efficient simulation of complex connections requires advanced numerical modelling techniques to expedite explicit solution in the finite element domain. In this study, a suitable constitutive model for ductile metal components through large deformations, including consideration of stress localisation and triaxiality post-necking, is described. Some existing constitutive models for timber are discussed, and new constitutive models capturing both ductile and brittle failure modes are presented. A new formulation of the Hoffmann yield criterion with isotropic hardening for explicit solution is presented, and new VUMAT user subroutines for explicit solution in ABAQUS for Hoffmann, Sandhaas, Gharib, Hill-Gharib and Hoffmann-Gharib models are developed and made available for the benefit of other researchers. A benchmarked numerical model incorporating advanced modelling techniques to improve computational efficiency without compromising accuracy is presented for a complex timber, aluminium and steel dowelled beam-column connection tested shear and moment dominated testing. The simulation results compare favourably with experimental results in the literature, demonstrating that the proposed constitutive models and numerical modelling techniques provide realistic predictions of behaviour, including failure mode, and thus have the potential to support the design of complex timber-metal connections through large deformations under quasi-static and dynamic loading.