A three-dimensional finite element model for locally reinforced timber joints made with hollow dowel fasteners

Brittle premature failure caused by splitting parallel to the timber grain is a common failure mode in glulam joints made with solid dowel type fasteners. It is thought that this problem can be alleviated by using hollow steel dowels as the fasteners and reinforcing the timber locally in the area of the joint. In this way, by varying the wall thickness of the dowels and the thickness of the reinforcing members, a chosen combination of strength and stiffness should be attainable together with a ductile failure mode. In this paper, three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models are developed to simulate (i) the structural performance of a timber joint made with a single hollow steel dowel and (ii) a moment transmitting joint made with a number of the dowels, each type being locally reinforced by densified veneer wood. The models incorporate suitably defined elastoplasticity and orthotropic elasticity and also allow for large deformations of the joints as well as for frictional contact between the timber and the dowel. They are calibrated against physical test data from joints loaded to failure.Key words: glulam, densified veneer wood, resin injected, hollow dowel fastener, moment transmitting, ductile failure, finite element.