Nail, Wood Screw, and Staple Fastener Connections

Testing of several sheathing-to-wood connection types in lateral bearing under fully reversed cyclic loading was conducted under Task 1.4.8.1 - Nail, Wood Screw, and Staple Fastener Connections. Task 1.4.8.1 is one of the tasks of the Testing and Analysis element of the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project. The purpose of the testing was to obtain load-slip curves for each connection type so that a database could be compiled. The database consists of a set of test parameters for each connection type. For each connection type, a group of ten specimens were tested. The parameters were extracted from the load-slip curve of each specimen and averaged for the ten specimens of each group. The database will be integrated into the 3-Dimensional Seismic Analysis Software for Woodframe Construction developed in Task 1.5.1 - Analysis Software.

Specimens were assembled by attaching a piece of sheathing panel to a wood member. Different thicknesses of oriented strand board and plywood were used as sheathing panels. All specimens were assembled using the same type of wood member except two test groups. Several types and sizes of nails, wood screws, and staples were used as fasteners to attach the sheathing panel to the wood member. Specimens were assembled such that load could be applied perpendicular and parallel to the grain of the wood member. To characterize the materials used, the density of the oriented strand boards was obtained, the moisture content of the wood members was measured, and the bending yield strength of the fasteners was determined.