Strength of bolted timber joints subjected to lateral force

The safety and serviceability of timber structures are frequently governed by the performance of joints. Bolted joints are a very commonly used form of joints and are effective from the viewpoint of the load–slip characteristics when subjected to a lateral force. The shear strength of a bolted joint is affected by various factors. Some of the factors affecting the shear strength of a bolted joint are classified into four categories in this paper: the material characteristics, geometrical factors, assembly conditions for the bolted joint, and factors that act during its service. This paper reviews the effects of these factors on the shear strength of a bolted joint. Numerous experimental studies were performed on the shear strength of a bolted joint. The effects of these factors on the shear strength varied according to the kind of shear strength and loading direction to the grain. In addition to the experimental investigations, analytical investigations to estimate the shear strength of a bolted joint are also discussed in this paper. Estimations of the yield strengths of bolted joints have been performed by numerous researchers; and in recent years, there has been an increase in studies to predict the load at failure.