Experimental and numerical analysis of timber connections in tension perpendicular to grain in fire

Steel-to-timber connections, loaded in tension perpendicular to grain, are tested in cold and ISO-fire conditions. The experimental results are used to validate a 3D finite element model. This model is based on two different meshes for thermal and thermo-mechanical calculations. To manage the plastic yielding of materials, the mechanical model is based on von Mises criterion for steel and Hill criterion for timber. To take into account the brittle character of wood in transversal directions, Hill criterion is combined with Tsai-Wu failure criterion. The thermal model, based on a continuous mesh, simulates the evolution of the temperature field inside the connections. The thermal and mechanical models are validated by comparison of their results with those from tests (temperatures, load displacement curves). The developed thermo-mechanical model considers the mechanical properties evolution as a function of the temperature. The comparisons of calculated and experimental fire resistances show that the model predicts accurately the thermo-mechanical behavior of the connections. The validated model is used to observe mechanical parameters which are difficult to obtain experimentally, such as the load distribution among fasteners in fire conditions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.