Wood Floors with Nonlinear Nail Stiffness

Abstract

The results of an analysis of wood joist floors, including the effects of the nonlinear force‐slip relationship for nails, are presented. The finite‐element analysis procedure includes an iterative scheme for solving the resulting nonlinear equations, thereby satisfying equilibrium and compatibility. To assess the ability of the model to predict deflections above the service load level, the computed deflections were compared with those measured in tests of full‐scale point‐loaded and uniformly loaded floors. These comparisons were made at the known failure loads of the test floors. Also, a comparison was made between the results of a linear analysis of each test floor in which the connector stiffness was assumed constant throughout the load range and the experimental deflections. The nonlinear analysis proved superior, particularly for the uniformly loaded floors.