Academic resources

Introduction to timber engineering design

Nailed connections
Version 1
This unit covers the following topics: sizes and other limitations withdrawal resistance head-pull through resistance

Refer also to related units concerning connections in this module: Screw connections and coach screws, Bolted and doweled connections, Multiple fastener joints, Mechanical timber joints.

Introduction
Nails in structures designed to Eurocode 51 can be smooth (which in practice means smooth round nails), square (usually square twisted nails which are frequently used for joist hangers and other light gauge metal-work) or threaded (normally termed ringed shank and favoured for flooring). Smooth nails have less withdrawal resistance than the other improved nails, and their calculated resistance to lateral loading may also be less. Where nails have to resist axial loading it is recommended that improved nails be specified. The axial withdrawal resistance of particular products must be determined by test. In the absence of test data conservative calculations methods are proposed by Eurocode 5. Manufacturers must be consulted to obtain the most commonly available sizes of galvanized or sheradized nails as new products of varying degrees of sizes and shapes have entered the market recently. Stainless steel nails can also be obtained in a more limited range of sizes. Smooth nails should not be used in end grain except to resist lateral loads from secondary structures such as fascia boards, nor to resist permanent or long-term axial loading when driven into the side grain. Improved nails should not be used in end grain except to resist lateral loads from secondary structures, or lateral loads from principal structures in service class 1 or 2. For more detailed rules on the use of nails in end grain Eurocode 5 must be consulted.

Figure 1: Cladding boards are nailed together using stainless steel annular ring shank nails on Greenwich Millennium School and Health Centre

Sizes and other limitations

For square nails the nail diameter d should be taken as the side dimension. For round and square nails d should be in the range 1.9 mm to 8.0 mm inclusive as per BS EN 145922. Structural timber composites may have additional limitations on nail diameter and spacing rules so manufacturers certification literature should be consulted. Softwoods need not be pre-drilled for nails up to 6 mm in diameter, but nails in pre-drilled holes have greater resistance to lateral loads and can be spaced more closely. If capacity values for nails in predrilled holes in softwoods are required then Eurocode 5 must be referred.

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Nail holes must be pre-drilled if the thickness of a member is less than:

point-side penetrations beyond 18d to avoid the possibility of head pull-through or nail failure. For improved nails (threaded or twisted) the point-side penetration must be at least 6d, and no additional resistance to axial loading should be assumed for point-side penetrations beyond 9d to avoid the possibility of head pull-through. For smooth nails with a point-side penetration tpen of 8d 12 , Rd, the design resistance should be multiplied by improved nails with a point-side penetration tpen of 6d 8d, Rd should be multiplied by .

Where

is the characteristic density of the timber member.

pen

<

For hardwoods EC5 provides spacing rules only for nails in predrilled holes, so in effect hardwoods must be predrilled. Minimum permitted point-side penetrations for nails in terms of the diameter, d, are:

. For tpen <

Head pull-through resistance

For nails with head diameters of 2d or more that observe the limitations in Eurocode 5 it may be assumed that the head pullthrough resistance exceeds the withdrawal resistance.

smooth nails, 8d other nails in side grain or in secondary structures in end grain, 6d other nails in principal structures in end grain, 10d.

For threaded nails point-side penetrations are measured as the threaded length in the point-side member. There should be at least two nails in a nailed connection, or three in the case of non-smooth nails in end-grain resisting lateral loading from principal structures. Simplified rules for minimum spacings and distances are shown in Eurocode 5. Structural timber composites may have additional limitations on nail diameter and spacing rules, for which the manufacturers certification literature should be consulted.

Summary of key points

This unit outlined the use of nails in timber connections, looking at sizes and other limitations. Performances of improved nails were compared to that of smooth nails through Eurocode 5 expressions. Penetration limit requirements for different types of nails were presented with minimum timber thicknesses specified to prevent splitting failures.

References Axially-loaded nails and withdrawal resistance

Nails inserted in end grain should not be used to resist axial loading, and smooth nails inserted in side grain should not be used to resist permanent or long-term axial loading. This means that the rope effect cannot be used when calculating the lateral load resistance of smooth nails subject to shorter-term loads. EC5 gives no expression to calculate the withdrawal resistance of improved nails, but expressions for screws may be used with modifications. Also BS 52683 stated that for threaded nails the smooth nail withdrawal resistance may be multiplied by 1.5, provided that a point-side penetration tpen equal to the threaded length in the point-side member is used. For square twisted nails the withdrawal resistance may be calculated as 1.25 times the resistance of a smooth round nail with a diameter equal to the side length of the square nail. For smooth nails the point-side penetration must be at least 8d, and no additional resistance to axial loading should be assumed for 1. BS EN 1995-1-1:2004+A1:2008 (Amended 31st January 2009) Design of timber structures Common rules and rules for buildings, BSI BS EN 14592:2008 (30th April 2009) Timber structures Dowel type fasteners Requirements,BSI BS 5268-2:2002 (Amended 31st December 2007) Structural use of timber Code of practice for permissible stress design, materials and workmanship, BSI

2. 3.

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