Moment-resisting timber frames using mechanical fastener and adhesive connections: review and experimental tests

This paper presents a comprehensive review and bibliometric study on various moment resisting timber frame connections, including doweled and adhesive (glued-in rods), highlighting their ductility and energy dissipation capacities under static pushover and reverse-cyclic loading. Complementing this review, an experimental program was undertaken to evaluate the cyclic performance of bolted slotted-in steel plate beam column timber connections, investigating the influence of bolt size, bolt spacing, and self-tapping screw (STS) reinforcement. The experimental results show that STSs effectively prevent splitting failures, and that spacing has limited impact on connection strength and ductility when reinforcement is provided. All tested connections exhibited stable, pinched hysteretic responses with significant rotational ductility, with failure governed by bolt yielding and localized wood crushing.