Stability Capacity of Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Assemblies

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the critical buckling load and lateral bracing force of metal plate connected wood truss assemblies. Material property tests—including the modulus of elasticity of dimension lumber, flexural stiffness of plywood panels, and load-slip relationship of nail connection—and full-scale tests of individual trusses and truss assemblies were conducted. The critical buckling load and lateral bracing force were recorded. The continuous lateral bracing, the load sharing and distribution effects, and the residual deformation at the metal plate connections were studied for their influence on the system’s stability performance. The adequacy of the 2% rule of thumb, which is used by some design engineers for lateral bracing system design, was also discussed by comparing to the test results of the lateral bracing forces. The generated database can be used as input parameters and for verification for numerical analysis models and therefore contributes to the improvement of the design methods in the long term.