Effect of Loading Rate on Nailed Timber Joint Capacity

Abstract

The present study addresses the loading or deformation rate effect on the yield loads of nailed timber joints. Four different types of joints, which differed with respect to the thickness of the members and the angle of load to grain, were tested. The bearing strength of the wood and the bending strength of the nails were also tested in order to analytically verify the dynamic ultimate capacity of the joints. All tests were run with deformation rates from static loading values up to approximately 1 m/s (40 in./s). The pilot study results show that the strength of the nailed joints can be expressed in terms of the deformation rate. A logarithmic expression for the strength of the joints was obtained from regression analysis of approximately 200 results. The values obtained analytically agreed well with the experimental ones for the various joints tested.