Abstract:
Nailed connections have nonlinear load-displacement
relations. Modeling these connections in an assembled
structure would require a great amount of computational time
because of the large number of degrees of freedom.
Replacing these connections with energetically-equivalent
nonlinear springs reduces the number of degrees of freedom,
and leads to computational efficiency in full structure
models. This study examined four connections that were used
in a light-frame structure that was built and tested under
simulated wind loads. The connections examined were an
exterior wall-to-floor connection, an interior wall-to-roof
truss connection, an exterior wall-to-exterior wall
connection, and an interior wall-to-exterior wall
connection.
The details of the four connections were modeled by
using the finite-element method as either a two-dimensional
plane stress model, or a three-dimensional model.
Characteristics from three of the models were compared to
experimental results from tests of connections, and the
comparison showed good agreement between the connections and
the models. The characteristic load-translation and moment-rotation
responses of the detailed models were then
summarized as computationally efficient springs.
