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Wood Dowel Connection
Any nail, wood screw, lag screw or bolt in wood, computed rather than looked up: the six NDS Ch.12 yield modes are all reported with their Rd terms and the governing one named, so you see WHY the connection is limited - main-member crushing, one hinge, or two. Fastener sizes come from Appendix L (D, root diameter, tapered tip, Fyb), species G from Table 12.3.3A, steel plate and concrete Fe from the Ch.12 table footnotes. Withdrawal, the 12.4 combined interaction for toe-nails and angled loads, group action Cg from the Eq. 11.3-1 formula rather than a table, and the 12.5.1 spacing minimums printed next to what you provided.
NDS 2018
NDS 2018 Ch.12 — Tables 12.3.1A / 12.3.1B yield limit, 12.3.3 Fe, Eq. 12.2-1/-2/-3/-4 withdrawal, Eq. 12.4-1/-2, §12.5.1 spacing · Eq. 11.3-1 Cg · Appendix L dimensions
What it checks
The module designs dowel-type fastener connections in wood, including nails, wood screws, lag screws, and bolts. It computes the yield limit using the six yield modes from NDS Table 12.3.1A for single and symmetric double shear configurations. The engine applies the full adjustment chain from NDS Table 11.3.1 to determine the adjusted capacity.
The design method follows the NDS 2018 yield limit approach, reporting the reduction terms from Table 12.3.1B for each mode. The sequence of checks identifies the governing yield mode, such as main-member crushing or hinge formation, and calculates the adjusted capacity Z'. The module also evaluates withdrawal capacities and combined interaction for toe-nails and angled loads.
What it reports
- Yield Modes - The calculated capacity for each of the six NDS yield modes (Im, Is, II, IIIm, IIIs, IV).
- Governing Mode - The specific yield mode that limits the connection capacity.
- Reduction Terms - The Rd values applied to each mode based on fastener diameter and angle.
- Adjusted Capacity - The final Z' value after applying the full NDS adjustment chain.
- Withdrawal - The withdrawal capacity calculated per NDS Eq. 12.2-1 through 12.2-4.
- Spacing Check - The minimum spacing requirements from NDS §12.5.1 compared against provided values.
- Group Action - The Cg factor calculated using the NDS Eq. 11.3-1 formula.
Code references
The engine cites NDS 2018 Chapter 12, specifically Tables 12.3.1A and 12.3.1B for yield limits and reduction terms. It uses NDS Eq. 12.2-1 through 12.2-4 for withdrawal, Eq. 12.4-1 and 12.4-2 for combined interaction, and §12.5.1 for spacing minimums. The module also references NDS Eq. 11.3-1 for group action Cg and Appendix L for fastener dimensions and Fyb values.
Limits
The module does not look up pre-tabulated Z values from NDS Tables 12A–12T; it computes the yield limit directly. It does not handle non-dowel fastener types. The yield-diameter rule applies only to Tables 12.3.1A and 12.3.1B, not to dowel bearing strength calculations. Results are engineering aids; the engineer of record is responsible for the design.
This module ships in the desktop app
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