Field testing of unreinforced masonry wall-to-diaphragm connection via through-bolt plate anchors and timber blocking

masonry international, 32(2) special issue

REFERENCE

Giaretton M., Giongo I., Dizhur D. (2019). Field testing of unreinforced masonry wall-to-diaphragm connection via through-bolt plate anchors and timber blocking. In Masonry International 32(2):63-71.

Scope and methodology

• In-situ test of 8 original vintage plate anchor connections undertaken loading the timber joist in tension (Phase-1)

• In-situ test of 6 newly installed timber blockings with different arrangements of blocking and o timber-to-timber connection (Phase-2)

• Aiming to help engineers to identify the most appropriate wall-to-diaphragm connection type depending on design load requirements and on-site construction constraints.

FINDINGS

• Phase-1. The capacity of the plate anchor connection is mainly governed by the condition of the timber diaphragm/joist or the characteristics of the URM wall. Timber joist splitting was infact the most common failure.

• Phase-2.

  • Positioning the timber blocking horizontally allowed the best performance to be achieved.

  • When a small washer is used, the timber fails in bearing.

  • Three different types of bracket were tested showing different performance and failure modes, from screw/nail withdrawal to bracket deformation.