Experimental and analytical behaviour of light gauge steel-fast growing timber composite shear connections

Abstract

The shear performance of screw connections plays an essential role in the steel-timber composite (STC) members and structures. Plenty of monotonic push-out tests on the screw connections have been conducted, but there has been lack of cyclic tests for steel-timber screw connections. Seven groups of quasi-static tests on light gauge steel-fast growing timber screw connections are reported to research seismic performance, load capacity and failure modes. The use of fast growing timber is found not to degrade the hysteresis performance and increasing the diameter of self-tapping screws contributes to a significant improve in connection performance. Rope effect analysis and parametric analysis are further carried out based on ABAQUS finite element software. Furthermore, the applicability of Foschi and Folz theoretical model to the nonlinear load-slip behavior of the specimens is investigated, and the theoretical fitting results are in good agreement with the experimental results, and it is a meaningful study of the application of timber design experience to light gauge steel-fast growing timber composite structures.