Connections with timber pins: the influence of dowel bearing strength

This study is part of a larger research devoted to the analysis of the behavior of timber joints connected with timber pins, which of course is quite different from that in presence of steel bolts. As in the last case design formulas are based on the Yield European Model, which involves mechanical characteristics of the dowel as well as of the timber elements constituting the joint, the whole research aims to the identification of similar properties in the case in hand. Specifically the present study analyzes, with an experimental approach, the dowel-bearing behavior when employing a timber pin instead of a steel connecting device. The final task is the definition of a procedure to identify the value of the dowel-bearing strength of the jointed elements' timber to be inserted in design formulas, going through the understanding of the role of the timber pin behavior when confined inside the joint and its influence on the dowel-bearing behavior.