Analytical investigation on moment-rotation relationship of through-tenon joints with looseness in ancient timber buildings

To study the mechanical properties of joints in ancient timber buildings in depth, the force mechanism of the through-tenon joints was analyzed, also the theoretical formulas of the moment-rotation angles of the joints with different loosening degrees were deduced. To validate the rationality of the theoretical calculation formulas, six joint models with 1/3.2 scale ratio, including one intact joint and five loosening joints, were fabricated and tested under cyclic loading. The specimens underwent the elastic stage, the plastic stage and the destructive stage, respectively. At the same time, the moment-rotation backbone curves of the tenon joints with different looseness were obtained, and the theoretical calculation results were validated when compared with the experimental results. The results show that the rotational moment and the initial rotational stiffness of the tenon joints increase gradually with the increase of the friction coefficient. The increase of the tenon section height can effectively improve the bearing capacity of the through-tenon joints. As the friction coefficient of the wood and the insertion length of the tension increase, the embedment length goes up, whereas it decreases with the increase of section height. With the increase of the looseness, the bearing capacity of the joint is reduced gradually.