Glued-in rod connections are highly efficient joints in timber structures, with many advantages, including high strength and stiffness, good fire performance, and architectural design advantages. They have been used for many years, mainly for glulam members and, to a limited degree for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) members in new timber structures or reinforcing existing timber buildings. This research covers glued-in rods in Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels to address the growing interest in constructing mid-to high-rise buildings, where hybrid structural systems are frequently used. Therefore, a combined experimental and numerical investigation has been designed to apply such connections in CLT, and full-scale monotonic and cyclic tests have been performed. For the experimental tests, the specimens vary in embedment length and the location of the rods. Moreover, numerical simulations and parametric studies of glued-in rod connections in CLT have been performed to further extend the scope of the study and make conclusions. The simulations are based on a 3D finite element analysis, using a cohesive surface model for the interaction between the epoxy adhesives and the inner surface of the holes. The parametric studies investigated the influence of the anchorage length, the rod diameter, and the rod-to-grain angle on the load-bearing capacity and stiffness of the glued-in rod connections in CLT. The results of this study demonstrates a high potentialof these connections in CLT construction with savings on space and cost when compared to conventional timber connections.
