Modelo de componentes para análise de ligações de madeira com ligadores metálicos

Connections are key elements in any structure because the knowledge of their behaviour is
fundamental to an appropriate structural modelling since this behaviour can influence the distribution of efforts in different structural elements. In the particular case of wood structures, connections are usually considered as completely rigid or hinged, but their actual behaviour is intermediate between these two extreme limits, depending on the geometry of the connection and the type of connector used.
For the design of these connections, the methodology proposed by Eurocode 5 is based on
plastic limit analysis which allows the determination of load strength of the connection but not the determination of its stiffness. For the determination of stiffness, Eurocode 5 presents just a very simple expression that depends only on the density of the wood and the diameter of connector to characterize the force-displacement behaviour, disregarding for this purpose the geometry of the connection or the angle of force in relation to the grain.
The objective of this paper is to present a component model that allows the characterization of the behaviour of dowel type connections. The results obtained with the model were calibrated with experimental results obtained in the litterature.