Static verification and experimental investigations on slotted connections with GRP plates and dowels for engineered timber structures

Timber is due to its corrosion resistance predestined for application in structures with corrosive climatic conditions. Often connections made of steel are, however, weaknesses for the durability. This contribution presents an option for the design of connections made of glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GRP), which are produced in a pultrusion process and are commercially available. Such GRP plates are positioned in slots in the timber element and are connected with dowels. A static verification model based on Eurocode 5 and the national technical approval of the GRP plates is developed and demonstrated based on a verification example. The prediction of the static verification was checked and confirmed by ultimate load tests on girders with dimensions close to practical applications. It is shown that with the developed connections similar load-bearing behavior like with common connections with slotted steel plates can be achieved. One reason is the missing hole clearance, which results from the simultaneous drilling of the timber and GRP elements. This leads to a more uniform loading of the dowels and less deformations compared to respective steel connections.