Experimental Study of Timber Trusses and Joints

Abstract

In situ testing of a timber Warren truss building and laboratory testing of four truss joints typical of those found in a Warren truss building are carried out over a span of five years. The overall objective of this research program is to investigate the behavior of many aging and deteriorating timber Warren truss buildings built in early 1940. Field testing involve loading 16 full size timber trusses to failure to determine their load‐carrying capacities and the effects of joint reinforcement on the behavior of the trusses. Laboratory testings are performed on the four biggest joints of a Warren truss in several conditions: cut from an existing truss, manufactured with new wood, unreinforced condition, reinforced condition using gusset plates, and reinforced condition by means of prestressing. This paper presents an overview of the research program and some of the findings regarding the effectiveness of the joint strengthening schemes considered.