Fire Performance of Connections in Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

This paper describes an investigation into the fire performance of tensile connections in laminated veneer lumber (LVL) made from radiata pine. The capacity of the connections depends on the shear between the wood members which in turn depends on the embedding strength of the wood and on the yield moment of the connectors. The purpose of the research was to investigate the relationship between the failure load of LVL timber and the time to failure of the connections when exposed to fire. To determine connection performance, an experimental investigation was carried out on the axial tensile strength of three types of connection that utilised either wood or steel splice plates. The fasteners tested included bolts, dowels, nails, screws and other connectors, but only bolts are reported here. Some specimens were tested at ambient temperature while similar specimens were tested in fire conditions with a constant applied load.