Analysis of the Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Steel-to-Timber Connections in Bending

Two different configurations of steel-to-timber connections are tested in bending in normal conditions and under ISO-fire exposure. To observe the influence of clearances in the connection area on the fire resistance of the connections, two specimens were previously tested under cyclic loadings. These tests consist in the application of loading-unloading cycles by controlled displacements. The experimental results of connections tested in cold and under ISO-fire conditions are analyzed and commented. These results are then used to validate a finite element model. This model allows to simulate numerically the evolution of the temperatures inside the connections as well as their mechanical and thermo-mechanical behaviours. The thermal modelling is validated on the basis of the temperature-time evolutions measured during fire tests. The nonlinear modelling of the mechanical behaviour of timber is done using the Hill yield criterion in combination with the Tsai-Wu failure criterion. The thermo-mechanical modelling allows obtaining fire resistances of the tested connections in good agreement with the experimental ones.