9.1 General Data

In the list of steel-to-timber joint categories, you can select the following fasteners: Dowels, Bolts, Nails, and Screws.

The following joint types are available:

Table 9.1 Dowel joint types

	Main member only	Fastening of a member to an existing structural component (or any number of members) at any angle
	With continuous member	Connection of a maximum of six diagonals to a continuous beam (Main member and Continuous member)
	Without continuous member	Free definition of a node with up to eight connected members

The secondary member can be connected symmetrically or asymmetrically to the main member.

Table 9.2 Connection options for main member

	Symmetrical connection at an angle of 45°
	Main member cut by secondary member
	Main member cut perpendicularly to member axis

When connecting two web members, the cut can be symmetrical or continuous.

Table 9.3 Connection options for secondary member

	Symmetrical connection
	Continuous connection

The design-relevant coefficients are specified according to the standard (EN 1995-1-1 [2] or ANSI/AWC [5]) and, if applicable, the National Annex (see Figure 2.19). If you want to apply user-defined factors for the designs, you have to create a new standard or National Annex first by clicking the button. Afterwards, the coefficients can be customized in the Standard Settings or National Annex Settings dialog box.

In the Dowels, Bolts, Nails, and Screws tabs you can define user-defined minimum distances between the dowels, bolts, and nails, as well as the moment-stressed dowel, bolt, or nail groups. Adjustments are necessary, for example, for the connection system of the company BSB, whose technical approval is based on other values. User-defined minimum distances between dowel groups are useful for dowel circles of a frame joint, for example. They are not clearly defined in the design standard.

In the Other Settings tab, you can adjust the shear correction factors k_cr, if necessary.

You can use the lists and buttons to define the material grades of the slotted steel plate and the dowels, screws, or nails.

If the SFS intec dowel system WS-T is used, the material grades are unmodifiably preset according to the manufacturer's technical approval.

When you select the Check minimum spacing between dowels/bolts/nails in dowel/bolt/nail group with bending moment option, the minimum distances between individual fastener groups are also checked during the calculation. This applies to both circular and rectangular joints. The calculation of the minimum distances between the individual groups is not regulated by standards. Therefore, the minimum distance is checked according to [7] in this case. This value can be adjusted in the National Annex Settings dialog box (see Figure 9.10).

After the calculation, the design of all minimum distances is shown in the details.

With the Check contact of members after deformation option, you can check the deformation of the entire connection. To do this, specify the distance between the timbers in Window 1.5 Geometry using the parameter o_g.

Design no. 6530 checks whether the total deformation of the connection is greater than the specified distance o_g. If the design is not fulfilled, the members are in contact.

The Design of main member dowel/bolt/nail group from the sum of connected member internal forces check box controls whether the design is performed using the individual internal forces of the member ends or whether the resulting internal force is used that consists of two or more members connected to the node. For the Main member joint type, this option is inevitably not available.

In the constellation of internal forces in the figure above, the axial force -238.62 kN and the shear force -9.60 kN are used for the design in the top flange without the sum of connected member internal forces - for example, if the axial force of the connection is introduced directly into the support.

With the sum of connected member internal forces option, however, the resulting axial and shear force are used for the design of the eaves node.