Behavior of Nail-Laminated Timber Panels Subjected to Concentrated Loads

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Abstract

Design provisions for nail-laminated timber (NLT) panels subjected to concentrated loads and an understanding of how NLT panels behave under such loading are currently lacking. The current study investigates the flexural behavior of NLT panels with varying loading configurations as it pertains to concentrated loads. Key material properties of visually graded lumber and the nailed joints to be used in the NLT panels were obtained using quasi-static testing. A total of 17 NLT panels were assembled and tested to failure under three-point bending tests to investigate the effects of varying design parameters on their performance and to validate a numerical model. The experimental results showed that the overall behavior of the NLT panels was highly contingent on the proportion of loaded laminations and the characteristics of the nailed joints adjoining the laminations together. The use of sheathing allowed for effective redistribution of concentrated loads toward unloaded laminations, allowing all laminations to behave in unison and full engagement of the NLT panels. A numerical model, which considers the behavior of the laminations and the nonlinear behavior of the nailed joints, was successfully validated using the experimental test results and then used to conduct a parametric study. The numerical analysis provided insights in terms of the relationship between design parameters, such as nail spacing and strength, relative to the laminations, and the anticipated apparent increases in overall strength and stiffness of the loaded laminations due to the contribution of the unloaded laminations. Current design approaches were compared and showed to be overly conservative in most cases.

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