Behavior of glued laminated bamboo and bamboo-oriented strand board sheathing-to-framing connections

In order to extend the application of bamboo-based products in the field of construction, this study reports on a preliminary experimental evaluation of the behavior of sheathing-to-framing connections comprised of bamboo oriented strand board (BOSB) and glued laminated bamboo (GLB) and the applicability of the load–displacement model to the GLB–BOSB connections. Different dowel types and edge distances were considered in monotonic tests. In order to conduct a direct comparison of the behavior of the BOSB connection to plywood and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing in shear walls, three panels for sheathing were subjected to monotonic and cyclic tests. The results indicated that different types of dowel affected significantly the lateral resistance performance of GLB–BOSB connections. The hex head self-tapping screw joint had stiffer and stronger lateral resistance performance but lower deforming ability. In addition, the edge distances of fastener joints significantly influenced the lateral load carrying capacity. The results of monotonic and cyclic tests of the three sheathing panel connections indicated that BOSB panels showed a pattern of superior lateral load capacity, and the energy dissipation by BOSB joints was greater than that of OSB and plywood connections with the same framing prior to the damage. Furthermore, the exponential prediction equation modeled the shape of experimental curves with reasonable accuracy that was applicable to GLB–BOSB connections.