Mechanical Behavior and Modeling of Dowelled Steel-to-Timber Moment-Resisting Connections

Abstract

This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of dowelled steel-to-timber moment-resisting connections. Two configurations of joints were tested, and the experimental results were used to validate a three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element method (FEM) model. The model uses the Hill criterion to manage the plastic yielding of timber. The brittle character of timber in shear and tension perpendicular to grain is managed through the damage evolution based on the Hoffman failure criterion. The numerical model represents with good accuracy the behavior observed during experiments. The analytical model based on the theory of plastic limit analysis was evaluated through the application to the tested connections.