A new study has unveiled a new connection system that could significantly improve the seismic performance of timber buildings, a breakthrough that could address one of the industry’s most persistent engineering challenges.
Published earlier this week in the Journal of Structural Engineering, the research investigates a novel buckling‑restrained connection designed to overcome the stiffness, strength, and energy‑dissipation limitations of traditional timber fasteners such as screws and bolts.
According to authors Dylan C. Neves and Dr Joshua E. Woods of Queen’s University in Canada, conventional timber connections often act as the primary yielding elements during earthquakes, yet their performance is constrained by overstrength, limited ductility, and “pinched” hysteresis behaviour that restricts energy dissipation.
Their proposed connection combines a glued‑in steel rod with a buckling‑restrained axial fuse, forming a fully concealed, ductile mechanism that deforms in a controlled manner during seismic loading. Because the axial fuse can be replaced after a major earthquake, the system offers a pathway toward repairable mass timber structures—a key objective for engineers seeking to expand the use of timber in high‑seismic regions.
Testing carried out by the researchers showed that the connection achieved strengths of up to 300 kN, with the potential to scale to much higher loads. The system reached its predicted design strength within 10%, resulting in low overstrength, and consistently delivered ductility ratios above 10. Wide, stable hysteresis loops were also observed, without the pinching behaviour typical of screwed or bolted connections—evidence of a substantial improvement in energy dissipation capacity.
Further trials reinforced these findings. When the team replaced the axial fuses and repeated the tests, the connection maintained its performance characteristics, supporting its viability as a repairable post‑earthquake solution.
The authors note that as mass timber buildings grow taller and more complex, seismic design has become a central focus for engineers and regulators. They argue that the proposed buckling‑restrained connection could help address several long‑standing barriers to broader adoption, particularly in regions with stringent seismic requirements.
- The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) under Grant No. RGPIN 2020‑05313. Technical assistance from Justin Bennett, Zena Lauzon, and Jodie Goodwin was also acknowledged.
