Experimental Study to Single Shear Kapur Connection and Comparisons with European Yield Model

Abstract

Timber has long been regard as a common material used in construction since it is renewable and environmental friendly. However, very few publications in determining the load-carrying capacity of the tropical species with regards to the wood dowel connections are published. Since the existing theory in predicting single shear strength was developed mostly from the European and softwood timber, therefore this study is comparing the experimental to the load-carrying capacity calculated from the European Yield Model (EYM). This study determined the comparison of experimental to the theoretical on the influence of different end distance on single shear dowelled connections for Kapur species. Kapur is one of the tropical hardwood species and commonly used for construction purposes. The experimental 5 % offset and ultimate load–carrying capacity for the single shear strengths of 2.5D and 5D have been determined and compared to the value calculated theoretically using the EYM. Results show that the 5 % offset yield and ultimate strength capacity of 2.5D is 23 % and 20 % lower compared to the 5D respectively. The experimental 5 % offset yield of the 2.5D and 5D has also shown to be 75.52 and 81.06 % respectively higher than the theoretical. However, the experimental failure mode of the connections was found supported the theoretical expected failure mode. The dowels found to yield in bending at two plastic hinge points per shear plane and associated wood crushing. The EYM has successfully predicted the failure mode behavior however does not accurately predict the load carrying capacity of the single shear strength of the selected timber species.