Timber connection behaviour characterisation based on similitude laws

Abstract

Testing a full size structure requires very expensive means. Therefore, an alternative approach consists of testing a representative scaled down model, whose design is based on similitude laws. The aim of this article is to establish similitude factors in order to predict the full scale behaviour of timber connection from 1/2 and 1/3 reduced scales behaviour. Ultimately, similitude factors are applied to timber construction which depend on joint behaviour. These similitude factors were evaluated from experimental tests on connections and then compared to the theoretical ones. Due to distortion similarities, disparities have been observed between experimental and theoretical similitude factors.

Keywords:

• Timber construction
• frame connections
• reduced scaled experiments
• similitude laws
• uncertainties

Acknowledgements

The authors also acknowledge the French National Research Agency (ANR), the Equipex XYLOFOREST (ANR-10-EQPX-16) where the experiments are carrying on.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MC] [email protected], upon reasonable request.

Notes

1 CoV is the Coefficient of Variation defined as the standard deviation to the mean ratio

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the agency for ecological transition (ADEME) and Professional Committee for the Development of French Furniture and Wood Industries (CODIFAB) for financing this work.