DVW - Local reinforcement for timber joints

Joints are a matter of crucial importance in any major timber structure. Th ey must have satisfactory strength and stiffness together with reasonable d uctility and energy absorption, particularly if designed for use in seismic areas. In joints made with dowels, these requirements may more easily be m et if the timber is reinforced locally in the area of the joints and use is made of a hollow cross section in place of a solid cross section for the d owel. Densified veneer wood (DVW) has been found to be a good reinforcing m aterial because of its high embedding strength and its compatibility with t imber. In this paper, results obtained from parametric studies made by mean s of the use of validated numerical models are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DVW reinforcement. The study shows that, even with th in local reinforcement, joints perform significantly better than without it .