Experimental study of timber-to-timber composite beam using welded-through wood dowels

This paper presents exploratory research related to novel full-scale multi-layered timber beams with composite action achieved with welded-through wood dowels. Different multi-layer beam designs, where the timber layers were interconnected with welded wood dowels providing interlayer shear resistance, were tested in bending with different dowel densities. The main originality of this study is the achievement of dowel welds through greater depths of sections than has previously proved possible. The practical difficulties encountered in constructing deeper multi-layer beams, and the successful solutions arrived at, are discussed. The significance of the research reported is the demonstrated ability to produce multilayered timber sections which are structurally efficient and do not require non timber based joining agents such as nails or adhesive.

► Development of novel joining approaches for structural timber components, using wooden dowels.
► Experimental full-scale structural testing on timber–timber composite beams was undertaken.
► The degree of composite action was evaluated as a function of number of dowels.