Tension test setups for embedment testing of doweled timber connections loaded parallel and perpendicular to the grain

Embedment strength and foundation moduli are key parameters for predicting the load-carrying and displacement capacity of laterally loaded doweled connections in timber structures. Despite their importance, knowledge of the long-term mechanical behavior of such connections remains limited, partly due to challenges in experimentally determining these parameters. This study aims to develop and evaluate a tensile test setup for investigating the embedment behavior of timber, suitable for both short-term and long-term measurements. A full-hole embedment test setup for loading specimens in tension parallel and perpendicular to the grain was designed through a combined numerical–experimental approach. The suitability of the setup was examined by conducting comparative experiments using this newly developed tension method and a conventional compression setup. Specimens for both setups were sourced from the same material and prepared under consistent procedures, allowing an isolated systematic assessment of potential differences in embedment strength and foundation moduli. The results demonstrate that the tension embedment test setup provides valid and reliable measurements, with only minor and not statistically significant deviations from the compression test setup. The proposed tension test setup offers a practical alternative to the established compression approach and is particularly advantageous for long-term testing, as it enables efficient and stable loading by stacking multiple specimens in a tensile chain configuration. • Developed tension embedment test for doweled timber connections. • Enables loading both parallel and perpendicular to the grain. • Modified EN 383 setup for tension with reinforcement measures. • Embedment strengths and foundation moduli from tension and compression tests. • Tension and compression tests show statistically similar results.