Connection Do's and Don'ts

CE 484/584 - Wood Design Instructor: Kenny Martin
Connection DO’s & DON’T’s
Breyer, Ch. 14
Poorly designed column-to-base connection
Wood Design CE 484/584 School of Civil and Construction Engineering
See Breyer, Ch. 14
Lots of great pictures!
1
Connection Basics
What must a ANY connection do?
• Successfully transfer load from one member to another
• Provide a continuous load path
What must we take into consideration?

1. Minimize splitting across the grain
2. Minimize regions that collect water or allow for direct water ingress
3. Avoid tension perpendicular to the grain
4. Be as free from maintenance as possible (serviceability issue)
Seems really simple right? Then why is it so easy to go

wrong?…
Connection Basics – Shrinkage/Swelling

Minimize splitting due to changes in moisture content
• Wood naturally shrinks and swells depending on the
surrounding humidity
Analogous to the expansion and contraction of steel members due to changes in temperature
Shrinkage along the length of a

Negligible
timber (along the grain) is so
small it is typically ignored in
practice
Significant
When wood shrinks and

swells, it does so mainly in the
directions across the grain
(transverse)
Significant
2

• Splitting occurs when timbers want to shrink, but cannot (i.e. they are
restrained in some fashion)
• Connections must allow the wood member to shrink and swell freely.
• Avoid long rows of bolts perpendicular to the grain
 
(APA Technical Note – Glulam Connection Details)

• Beam-to-column connection
Don’t use full-depth plates Do use two separate plates instead
(AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110: Wood Connections)
3

• The clips here are not attached to the suspended beam
Don’t use full-depth hangers with Do use separate clip angles for
long rows of bolts across the lateral support
grain
Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Minimize regions that collect water or allow for direct water
ingress
• When good design and construction practices are followed, wood is a
permanent construction material
• Trapped moisture leads to splitting, swelling, and decay
Don’t leave members exposed Do use protective end caps and flashing

(AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110: Wood Connections)
4

ingress
Native
American
Longhouse
OSU campus

ingress
Native
American
Longhouse
OSU campus
5

ingress
• Arch-to-foundation connection
Don’t use steel “shoes” or “buckets”

unless a weep hole is provided to let
water escape

ingress
Poor shoe detail
6

ingress
• Arch-to-foundation connection
Don’t use steel “shoes” or “buckets” Do allow water to escape by providing

unless a weep hole is provided to let drain holes where “shoes” are used
water escape


ingress
7

ingress
• Column-to-foundation connection
Don’t allow untreated wood to

come into contact with concrete or
masonry

And DEFINITELY don’t embed the
wood in the concrete!
The post must be ABOVE the slab so

it can dry out if it gets wet.

ingress
Slab and tile

around post
8
Specific Connection Design Considerations

Column-to-base
• Weep holes must be provided if a “shoe” style cap is used – even
with this modification, though, the steel “shoe” is generally not
recommended
• Do not allow the wood column to bear directly upon concrete
or masonry
Use steel bearing plates
• Do not conceal the column below the finished concrete floor
See details next slides…

Column-to-base
Shoe-style connections collect

moisture that leads to decay in the
column.
9

ingress
• Column-to-foundation connection Not a “shoe”
Don’t allow untreated wood to Do use a steel bearing plate to raise

come into contact with concrete or the wood member above concrete or
masonry masonry


Column-to-base A few good designs…
 


No uplift resistance provided
here, though
 (AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110:

Wood Connections)
10

ingress
Native
American
Longhouse
OSU campus

ingress
Native
American
Longhouse
OSU campus
11

ingress
Native
American
Longhouse
OSU campus

Minimize regions that collect water
or allow for direct water ingress
12
Tension PERP-to-grain
Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Avoid tension perpendicular to the grain
• Wood is quite strong in compression perpendicular to the grain
• So design connections to take advantage of compression
(perpendicular to grain) rather than tension…
Don’t suspend loads from the bottom

of beams (creates tension
perpendicular to the grain)
13

• Wood is quite strong in compression perpendicular to the grain
• So design connections to take advantage of compression
(perpendicular to grain) rather than tension…
Don’t suspend loads from the bottom Do suspend loads from the top of the
of beams (creates tension beam to take advantage of
perpendicular to the grain) compression


• A couple of options for hanging suspended loads…
14

Hang loads above the neutral axis (think loaded edge disance)
15

• Notching can cause splitting due to induced tension
perpendicular to the grain stresses
Don’t notch the end of a beam Do lower the beam seat to avoid
notching

16

• End cuts on sloping members can also create tension
perpendicular to the grain
Don’t expose end grain on the Do make the tapered cut so that end
tension side of a beam grain is loaded in compression – not
tension
(Breyer, Figure 14.10a, pg. 14.12) (Breyer, Figure 14.10b, pg. 14.13)
Always fasten close to the

bearing surface to avoid…
Tension PERP-to-grain
17

Transverse bolts should be located near the bearing point
1. Green at installation (wet), rests upon the saddle as
intended.
(AITC104-2003, pg. 27)

2. Cross-grain shrinkage lifts the member off the
intended bearing plate. All load is now carried by
the bolt.
Beam lifts up
(AITC104-2003, pg. 27)
18

3. Under load, the beam is pushed back down to
bear upon its seat, and cross-grain splitting
develops.
Beam is
pushed back
down by
heavy load
(AITC104-2003, pg. 27)

Transverse bolts should be located near the bearing surface
Solution? Correct detailing shown below…
Don’t locate fasteners near the Do locate bolts as close to the

non-bearing surface bearing surface as permitted
 
Bearing surface
Bearing surface
19

Cantilever beams
• Connections are assembled using the fastener shown below
• Bolts should be located as close to the bearing surface as
permitted by minimum edge distances for the type of fastener
used
(AITC104-2003)

Cantilever beams
Don’t invert the tabs of the Do place bolts near the edge of the
connector. This one has the bolts on bearing surface for each member
the opposite side of the member
from the bearing surface

Bearing surface

Bearing surface
20

Beam-to-column – welded saddle
Don’t place bolts away from the

bearing surface. If the beam shrinks, Do place bolts as close to the bearing
load may be transferred to the bolts surface as permitted
or splitting will occur.
 

Beam-to-concrete or masonry wall
• Never let any surface of the wood come into contact with
concrete or masonry
• Use steel bearing plates to help distribute loads as well as
separate the wood from the concrete/masonry
• Steel angles on either side of the wood member provide lateral
resistance
• Lateral stability clips should not be fastened directly to the
wood beam
1. Vertical cross-grain shrinkage is free to take place
2. Also allows rotation due to in-plane bending
21

Beam-to-concrete or masonry wall
Do leave the beam free to shrink/swell

Don’t attach the lateral clips to the
while also providing a ½” gap between
beam
all wood and masonry surfaces
 

Beam-to-column – continuous steel columns
Do use a “beam seat”. Secure the
connection with the bottom tie clip.
Don’t rely on side clips and fasteners Lateral support is provided by the
alone to carry large vertical loads upper tie clip. See next slide…
22

Beam-to-column
Good Ledger Design
23
Connection Do’s and Don’t’s

What is a Ledger?

What is a Ledger?
24

What is a Ledger?

What is a Ledger?
25

What is a Ledger? Requires good detailing…
No Gap

No Gap With Gap
26


27
Avoid Bending Stress PERP to Grain

Good ledger connection
a) Vertical loads – joist
hanger
b) Diaphragm shear parallel
to wall – boundary
nailing
c) Anchor bolts connect
ledger to wall to resist
(a) and (b)
d) Lateral forces
perpendicular to the wall
– special straps
(Breyer)

hanger
b) Diaphragm shear, parallel
nailing
ledger to wall to resist (a)
and (b)
d) Lateral forces
– special straps
(Breyer)
28

hanger
nailing
and (b)
d) Lateral forces
– special straps
(Breyer)

hanger
nailing
and (b)
d) Lateral forces
– special straps
(Breyer)
29

hanger
nailing
and (b)
d) Lateral forces
– special straps
(Breyer)
Beam Design
Grain direction matters…
• Bending stress parallel to grain is the usual design problem
• Bending stress perpendicular to grain should be avoided
30

Specialized connections
• Direct transfer of loads
• No cross-grain bending
(Breyer)

Simpson Strong-Tie
(Breyer)
31

Beam-to-beam
• Must account for differential shrinkage in floor and roof systems
Seasoned members Unseasoned members
(AITC 104-2003)

Beam-to-beam A few good designs…

 
 (AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110:
Wood Connections)
32

Truss connections
• Centerlines of members (i.e. axial lines of force) should
intersect at a single point
Don’t allow the connection to induce Do make sure that longitudinal axes
shear, moment, and tension of member intersect at a single point
perpendicular to grain



Truss connections
• Gusset plates should allow for truss deflections (i.e. member
rotation) without inducing stresses. Two options…
OPTION 1
Don’t use a gusset plate where all Do use separate straps/plates for each
members are “fixed” different member, attaching at a
single point
 
33

Truss connections
• Gusset plates should allow for truss deflections (i.e. member
rotation) without inducing stresses. Two options…
OPTION 2
Don’t use a gusset plate where all Do secure only one hole as “fixed”
members are “fixed” per member while all others are
slotted

Slotted
holes

Fixed holes
Questions ?
34

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CE 484/584 - Wood Design Instructor: Kenny Martin

Connection DO’s & DON’T’s

Poorly designed column-to-base connection

Wood Design CE 484/584 School of Civil and Construction Engineering

Connection DO’s & DON’T’s

See Breyer, Ch. 14

Lots of great pictures!

Wood Design CE 484/584 School of Civil and Construction Engineering

What must we take into consideration?

Seems really simple right? Then why is it so easy to go

Connection Basics – Shrinkage/Swelling

Shrinkage along the length of a

When wood shrinks and

Connection Basics – Shrinkage/Swelling

Connection Basics – Shrinkage/Swelling

Don’t use full-depth plates Do use two separate plates instead

(AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110: Wood Connections)

Connection Basics – Shrinkage/Swelling

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Don’t use steel “shoes” or “buckets”

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Poor shoe detail

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Don’t use steel “shoes” or “buckets” Do allow water to escape by providing

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Don’t allow untreated wood to

The post must be ABOVE the slab so

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Slab and tile

Specific Connection Design Considerations

See details next slides…

Specific Connection Design Considerations

Shoe-style connections collect

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Don’t allow untreated wood to Do use a steel bearing plate to raise

Specific Connection Design Considerations

 (AF&PA, APA, CWC, WTCA – Design110:

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection Basics – Water Infiltration

Connection DO’s & DON’T’s

Wood Design CE 484/584 School of Civil and Construction Engineering

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Don’t suspend loads from the bottom

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection DO’s & DON’T’s

Always fasten close to the

Wood Design CE 484/584 School of Civil and Construction Engineering

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

(AITC104-2003, pg. 27)

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

(AITC104-2003, pg. 27)

Connection Basics – Tension Perp.

Connection Do's and Don'ts

Connection Do's and Don'ts