Construction elements from beech structural wood connected with dowel types joints – theoretical and experimental analysis of design characteristics

The project is focused on the interaction of beech structural timber and doweltype fasteners. Beech wood (Fagus sylvatica, L.) is specific from the point of view of its structure and durability. For the application in building structures in Slovakia, it is necessary to verify both, characteristic values of its properties according to the SN EN 338, as well as design load-carrying capacities and finishing the joint shape according to the STN EN 1995-1-1. The most often used are screw fasteners; they are easy and fast to apply, very resistant and the fasteners can be modified in terms of dimensions and shape. The shape changes, impacts of load-duration classes and humidity are in case of beech wood different from the spruce wood. The contribution of the project will be represented by the analyses of mecha-nism of damage to the screw joints in beech structural timber according to the Johansen’s yield theory and rope effect. Further aim is to determine the characteristic values of materials (wood density, embedding strength, screw strength).