Mechanical performance of timber-concrete bolted connections under cyclic loading

Timber-concrete composite (TCC) connections are crucial elements for transferring loads and dissipating energy for a timber-concrete hybrid system under seismic load. This work investigates the mechanical characteristic of TCC bolted connections and simulates the hysteretic behavior using the simplified models. Specifically, a total of 12 TCC bolted connections were tested subjected to cyclic loading. The variables of bolt diameter, timber thickness and steel pad are investigated. The tested results showed that the connections without steel pads failed with one hinge, whereas those with steel pads failed with two hinges. The steel pad can effectively improve the load-carrying capacity and energy-dissipating capacity. The tested hysteretic curves exhibited strength and stiffness degradation, as well as pinching effect. According to the tested data, the simplified models assigned to two different hysteretic models of Saws and Pinching4 are analyzed and compared. The simulated hysteretic curves from both the Saws and Pinching4 models are consistent with the tested data. The obtained model associated with calibrated parameters is quite useful when such TCC connections are embedded into the analysis of the whole structure.

Automated summary

This study investigates the mechanical characteristics and hysteretic behavior of TCC bolted connections. It was found that steel pads can effectively improve the load-carrying capacity and energy-dissipating capacity of the connections.