Load-bearing capacity tables for three-dimensional fittings in timber structures will help civil engineers

News, 19. 6. 2025

Determining the load-bearing capacity of joints with three-dimensional fittings for timber structures involves assessing multiple components, making the calculation complex and time-consuming for civil engineers in everyday practice. The Structural engineering research team of the CTU UCEEB is therefore working with the Technical and Test Institute for Construction in Prague to prepare load-bearing capacity tables for various types of fittings for a foreign client, which will make the work of civil engineers much easier.

When calculating the load-bearing capacity of three-dimensional fittings for timber structures, civil engineers must assess the connection between the wooden elements and the fittings, which is most often achieved with screws or ring nails. They also assess the fittings themselves and the wooden elements in pressure, block shear or tearing due to tension perpendicular to the grain. Last but not least, they must monitor the spacing of the fasteners, as each fitting can be used for several different connections where the orientation of the connected elements changes.

Load-bearing capacity tables are therefore very welcome for civil engineers. We solve the task using numerical calculations in RFEM, preceded by the definition of the parameters of the fasteners and the fittings themselves.