Applicability of the Eurocode timber connector design formulae to connections in round poles

Abstract

The Eurocode 5 (1995) timber connection design formulae are discussed briefly and applied to the usual standard bolted or nailed South African round timber pole connections to obtain theoretical strengths. These theoretical strengths are compared with test results for loading parallel and perpendicular to the grain. It is also shown that care must be taken in specifying end distances and how the SABS 0163-1:1994 formulae for groups of connectors loaded perpendicular to the grain can be applied to single bolted connections where end distances are less than specified. Furthermore, it is proposed that the Eurocode 5 formulae be accepted for inclusion in the South African design code, but with adjustments to the embedment stress formulae.