Determination of the Stress Distribution in Timber Elements Reinforced with Self-Tapping Screws Using an Optical Metrology System

Abstract

The use of self-tapping screws with continuous threads to reinforce and join timbers in addition to glulam elements represents an effective, simple and economic method. The high withdrawal resistance of the screws as well as its continuous bond with the wood enables an effect similar to steel reinforcement in concrete structures. Within the framework of a research project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) at the Chair of Structures and Structural Design in cooperation with the Institute for Building Material Research of the RWTH Aachen University, several tests have realized to investigate the bond behaviour, the force transfer and the anchorage length of the screws. Herewith the stress distribution will be determined with an optical 3D field measuring system, based on the digital image correlation (DIC) method, which measures the strain by observing the surface of the test specimens. To ensure the accuracy of the measurements for a wide measuring field of wood surface, a comparison study was conducted involving traditional electrical sensors (i.e. strain gauges and LVDTs). The results of this study, which confirm the accuracy regarding the determination of stress distribution for small deformations on the wood surface with optical 3D field measuring system, will be presented in this article.