Performance assessment of existing models to predict brittle failure modes of steel-to-timber connections loaded parallel-to-grain with dowel-type fasteners

For safety reasons, ductile failure in timber connections with dowel-type fasteners is always recommended. It has usually been assumed that it can be achieved by fulfilling minimum spacing requirements between fasteners. However, recent works address the need to account for brittle failure modes (namely splitting, row-shear, and block and plug-shear) in connections loaded parallel-to-the-grain in an explicit manner, in order to evaluate them and achieve the desired ductility. This article describes the brittle failure modes and reviews the existing calculation models proposed by several authors - some of them included in standards. Finally, the performance of these models is assessed against an extensive database of tests gathered from the literature following a comprehensive methodology.