Mechanical performance of pre-fabricated metal dovetail connections for Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structures

Abstract

The performance of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structures is usually dominated by their connections. In this paper, a prefabricated connection, named metal dovetail connection, was proposed for CLT structures. Such connections were inspired by traditional mortise and tenon joints, and can provide quick assembly for orthogonally adjacent CLT wall panels. Monotonic and cyclic loading tests were performed to investigate the withdrawal, push-down, and shear behavior of the proposed metal dovetail connection. The failure modes of the connection are reported, and the load resisting parameters (i.e., stiffness, load resisting capacity, ductility) were derived and compared. The connection strength was further predicted through analytical approaches, and the overstrength factors were evaluated. The overstrength factors of the connection were respectively 1.86 and 1.54 under push-down and shear loading scenarios.