Mechanical Connectors

CONNECTION
Consists of two or more members joined with one

or more mechanical fasteners.

Connections may consist entirely of wood
members but frequently involve the connection of
wood to steel or other members.

In most wood structures, connections are one of
the most important components
MECHANICAL CONNECTORS
These are defined as those where fasteners
penetrate the wood.
These are constructed using two general fastener
types:
Dowel
Bearing

Dowel-type fasteners are those mechanical
fasteners that are most widely used for timber
structures. Dowel type fasteners transmit either
lateral or withdrawal loads.

Bearing-type connections transmit lateral loads only.
Bearing-type fasteners, such as shear plates and
split ring connectors, transmit shear forces through
bearing on the connected materials.

Bolts, coach screws and timber connectors

Bolts, coach screws and timber connectors (split
rings and shear-plates) all have higher capacities
than nails and screws and are therefore better suited
to applications where a large load is imposed and
the space available to accommodate fasteners is
limited.

Typical applications include beam to column, beam
to beam, truss, pole frame, marine structure and
bridge connections as well as column, beam and
truss supports.

BOLTS
Bolts are commonly used to fix large timber
members together, or timber to steel. They can also
be used to attach timber to concrete or masonry.
Care is required to make sure the anchor strength is
sufficient to resist pull out loads. In addition, washers
at the bolt heads must be large enough to prevent
timber fibers from crushing when exposed to pull-out
loads.
Bolts function by bearing on the surface of the timber
and the shearing action within the bolt itself.

Hex
A six sided nut. Also
referred to as a finished
hex nut.
Nylon Insert Lock
A nut with a nylon insert
to prevent backing off.
Also referred to as a
Nylock
Jam
A hex nut with a reduced
height.
Nylon Insert Jam Lock
A nylock nut with a
reduced height.
Wing
A nut with 'wings' for
hand tightening.
Cap
A nut with a domed top
over the end of the
fastener.
Acorn
Acorn nuts are a high
crown type of cap nut,
used for appearance.
Flange
A nut with a built in
washer like flange.
Tee
A nut designed to be
driven into wood to
create a threaded hole.
Square
A four sided nut.
Prevailing torque lock
A non-reversible lock nut
used for high temperature
applications
K-Lock or Kep
A nut with an attached
free-spinning external
tooth lockwasher.

Coupling
Coupling nuts are long
nuts used to connect
pieces of threaded rod
or other male threaded
fasteners.
Slotted
Slotted nuts are used in
conjunction with a cotter
pin on drilled shank
fasteners to prevent
loosening.
Castle
Castle nuts are similar to
slotted nuts but with the
slots in a rounded section
above the main nut.
Table 2: Washers for Bolts
Washer Type Uses
Standard cut washer Used for screws and bolts
where the loading is lateral.
Should not be used with split
rings or shear plates.

Square plate washer Used for bolts and with split
rings and shear plates.
Suitable for tensile loads.

Round plate washer Used for bolts and with split

Ogee (cast iron) washer Used for bolts and with split

Malleable iron washer Used for bolts and with split

Bevel washer Used where the bolt to
member alignment is not
perpendicular.

COACH SCREW
are simply large screws with hexagon heads which can be
used in situations where bolts are undesirable or cannot be
used such as in blind holes i.e. holes where no access is
possible to place a nut on the bolt thread.

Split Rings and Shear Plates
Split rings and shear plates are load transferring devices which
rely on bolts or lag screws to restrain the joint assembly. They
are more efficient structurally than bolts or lag screws used
alone because they enlarge the wood area over which a load is
distributed.
Because of their large diameter, they achieve a large bearing
area without the need to remove large volumes of timber,
which might otherwise weaken the members being joined.

Split-Rings
transfer load from one piece of timber to another directly
through a large diameter circular steel ring set into a groove.
Two split-ring sizes are available, one having a diameter of 64
mm and the other 102 mm. The bolt through the center
serves only the purpose of holding the joint together.
The split in the ring is for the purpose of permitting free
movement of the wood with the moisture content changes,
which occur in service.
Shear-Plates
are available in two diameters of 67 mm and 102 mm, have
similar load carrying capacity to split-rings and require similar
installation procedures. They function by transferring load to
the shear-plate and then to the bolt which carries the shear
across the interface. Thus the bolt in a shear-plate joint
performs the dual role of holding the joint together and
transferring shear.

METAL CONNECTOR PLATES
Metal plate can be used for support, connection and
decoration. Metal plate timber plates are used to connect
beams and also give a rustic or modern look depending on
the chosen materials and metal finishes.
It support a tremendous amount of structural load, allowing
heavy timber to span great distances. Often, the steel gussets
are painted black and held to the timber with 3/4 and 1 bolts.
Sometimes the steel plates are galvanized or painted in a
variety of colors.

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CONNECTION

Consists of two or more members joined with one

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