As with most engineering structures, joint design has a major impact on the economy of the building. It can account for between 5 and 50% of the cost of the un-jointed timber members and consume up to 70% of design effort.
The development of a rod-based connection, introduced in this Guide, overcomes many of the issues experienced with traditional connections. By moving away from the traditional timber connection to a connection in which most of the work is done off-site, the building can be erected much more quickly.
The quick-connect connection must be capable of transferring bending moments, shear forces and axial forces between the portal frame members. The design checks which must be conducted vary, depending on the type of joint. The following sections provide a detailed design approach for a variety of connection types.