NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF WOOD-JOIST FLOORS

Experimental and analytical investigations of wood-joist floors were performed with particular emphasis given to behavior above the service load level. The experimental results of full-scale floor tests in which floors were statically loaded to failure with concentrated and uniformly distributed loads are reported. The analytical study consisted of finite element modeling of wood-joist floors with the inclusion of the important nonlinear slip behavior of the connectors. Each floor built and tested to failure was analyzed with both linear and nonlinear finite element methods and comparisons are made between measured and computed responses. The nonlinear analysis proves superior, particularly in predicting deflection response.;The outcome of the research is the development of an analytical tool for modeling statically loaded wood-joist floors above the service load level. The methods are useful as an aid to design or research applications.;Additional modeling was done to assess the effects of connector stiffness on floor deflection response and failure loads for certain floor constructions. The notion of a substitute connector stiffness is introduced for linearizing the analysis when modeling floors above the service load level.