FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF STEEL-TO-TIMBER JOINT IN TENSION WITH ANGLE TO GRAIN

摘要

In this study, the behaviour of dowel-type steel-to-timber joints loaded in tension, with an angle to the grain, is analyzed experimentally and numerically. Two main types of failure are observed in the experiments such as wood splitting and embedding. The experimental results are used to validate a three-dimensional (3D) non-linear finite element model. The non-linear model uses the Hill criterion to manage the plastic yielding of the wood materials. A failure criterion is used to manage the damage evolution in wood, which is based on the interaction between shear stress parallel to grain and tension stress perpendicular to grain. Besides, the models incorporate the contact and the geometric non-linearity. Also, the crack initiation and growth are modelled, using the element removal controlled by the stress checking. The comparison with experimental results shows that the numerical model is in good agreement with them. The model can predict the ultimate load, identify the location of the initial cracking and simulate crack growth.