Shear strength of timber joints for stud members for framing construction produced with juvenile eucalyptus wood

ABSTRACT In wood frame structures, the frame connection plays an important role to guarantee stability for those constructions that are naturally flexible when subjected to shear during wind or earthquake. This work aimed to evaluate the shear strength of timber joints for wood frame shear wall produced with young eucalyptus wood (less than 15 years old), considering that the planting of species of this genus are more abundant in the country. The types of connections chosen for this study were metal plate, self-tapping screw, and rectangular mortise and tenon. To achieve this objective, 7 to 10 years old Eucalyptus pellita wood (class C20) was used to produce the specimens. The experimental procedures were provided by in the standard revision project ABNT PN 02:126.10-001-4 (ABNT, 2017). The results indicated that the mortise and tenon are the most suitable for frame to frame connection of wood frame shear wall due to its higher shear resistance and stiffness when compared to the self-tapping screw connected in 90° angle and metal plate.