Gang-Nail Truss System

Gang-Nail Connectors Performance criteria for Gang-Nail connectors

- How They Work It is not economical to have a single connector that

gives optimum performance under all loading
conditions, for all of Australia’s wide range of
A Gang-Nail connector is a steel plate with a commercial timbers. MiTek Australia Ltd. has
collection of spikes or nails projecting from one developed a complementary range of connector
face (See diagram). The spikes, or teeth, are plates of varying plate thickness (gauge), tooth
formed by punching slots in steel but leaving one layout and tooth profile. These are:
end of the ‘plug’ connected to the sheet. The teeth
are then formed so they project at right angles to n GQ – 20 gauge (1.0 mm thick) galvanised
the plate. During this process the teeth are shaped steel. General purpose connector. Many
to produce a rigid projection. When the teeth of a short, sharp teeth 128 teeth in a 100 mm x
connector plate are pressed into timber laid end-to- 100 mm area.
end, the plate ‘welds’ them together by forming a
Gang-Nail joint. Connectors are always used in n GE - 18 gauge (1.2mm thick) galvanized
pairs with identical plates pressed into both faces of steel. Similar to GQ. For use when
the joint. additional steel strength is required.

n G8S – 18 gauge (1.2 mm thick) stainless

steel. This connector is only used when the
environment is highly corrosive. 70 teeth in a
100 mm x 100 mm area.

n GS – 16 gauge (1.6 mm thick) galvanised

steel. Heavy duty connector. 144 teeth in a
100 mm x 190 mm area.

Engineering Data

Gang-Nail connector properties have been

established in accordance with Australian Standard
AS1649 ‘Timber - methods of test for mechanical
fasteners and connectors - Basic working loads
and characteristic strengths. As well as testing new
The concept is simple but the design of efficient plate designs, MiTek Australia Ltd. conducts
Gang-Nail connectors requires careful balancing of regular tests on their existing connector range and
tooth shape and density, connector plate thickness monitors the long term behaviour of joints
and ductility. An ongoing commitment to research subjected to constant loading. The CSIRO Division
and development ensures that MiTek’s licensed of Forest Products and the NSW Forestry
truss fabricators have the most efficient truss Commission Division of Wood Technology have
system at their disposal. also done considerable research work on toothed
metal plate connectors.

Full scale truss testing programs have been carried

out at the Universities of Western Australia and
Adelaide, Australian National University and the
Cyclone Testing Station at Capricornia Institute of
Advanced Education.

Connector properties can be divided into two parts:

n properties dependent on connector plate
strength, and
n properties dependent on the characteristics of
the timber and the teeth.
Table 1.1 Characteristic Capacity for Steel, Qs Duration of load

Connector Plate Strength in N/mm for a pair of plates. Duration of load factor k1 is specified in Table 2.7 of
AS 1720.1.
TYPE OF STRESS GQ GE GS G8S
Longitudinal Tension 263 387 578 535 Angle between load direction and plate axis.
Lateral Tension 187 226 272 272 Where the connector plate is loaded at right angles
Longitudinal Shear 197 297 408 280 to its main axis, the design capacities for the tooth
should be reduced to 75% for GQ, GS and GE
Lateral Shear 178 215 323 246 plates, and 60% for G8S plates. For intermediate
Notes: orientations the reduction factor can be calculated
1. The longitudinal axis is parallel with the slots. using Hankinson’s formula, or the simpler equation:
2. Values in tables do not include the capacity factor.

q
F = 1- For GQ, GS & GE
Table 1.2 Characteristic Capacity for Tooth Qk, 360
(N/effective tooth)
q
F = 1- For G8S
JOINT GQ GE GS G8S 225
GROUP TOOTH TOOTH TOOTH TOOTH

J2 501 501 560 590

J3 442 486 560 590 Angle between load direction and grain
J4 295 295 413 430
JD2 531 678 767 737 Where the timber is loaded at right angles to the
JD3 531 678 767 737 direction of the grain, the design capacities for the
JD4 383 383 442 430 tooth should be reduced to 80% in addition to any
JD5 339 339 392 368 modification due to load direction/plate axis. For
JD6 295 295 339 NA intermediate orientations, the reduction factor can
be calculated using Hankinson’s formula:
Notes:
1. The longitudinal axis is parallel with the slots. Pt ´ Qt
2. Values in tables do not include the capacity factor . Nt =
PtSin q + QtCos 2q
2

The characteristic load capacities are modified to

determine the design capacities. These Nt = Design Capacity at angle q to grain.
modification factors allow for tooth strength Pt = Design Capacity parallel to grain.
variation due to: Qt = Design Capacity perpendicular to grain.
n capacity factor
Gang-Nail Joints
n duration of load
n angle between load direction and plate axis The basis of joint design is to ensure that there are
enough teeth in each member meeting at the joint
n angle between load direction and grain
to resist all member forces and that there is enough
n whether plates are pressed into the timber or plate area to prevent the steel of the connector
rolled in. failing in tension or shear.

Capacity Factor When determining the number of teeth that are

required to connect any member to the joint, there
Values of the capacity factor, f, are listed in Table are parts of the web or chord where the teeth are
2.6 of AS1720.1. considered to be ineffective – a 6 mm wide strip
along the edges and a 12 mm long strip across the
end. Allowance is also made for the connector to
be out-of-position by 6 mm in any direction.
 Gang-Nail Truss System
Gang-Nail Joint Design Example Figure 2 - Web 2 effective connector plate area.
Consider the joint as in Figure 1, assuming the
truss is manufactured from Pinus Radiata. Member
actions are, as indicated in Figure 1, adjacent to the
joint detail. Note that the cutting details employ
single cuts, with the ‘location point’, denoted LP,
common to one face of each intersecting member.
We shall assume DL and LL is the only load case
for this exercise.

Timber is Radiata, i.e. JD4. Consider GQ150125

plate. Note the connector plate axis is at 900 to the
bottom chord, and the actual connector plate size is
152.4 x 125.

Figure 1 - Sample Joint

Figure 2 shows the effective connector plate

contact area to Web 2. Note the allowance for
6 mm ineffective edge distance and 12 mm
ineffective end distance. The connector plate has
also been shifted to the limits of connector plate
tolerance as discussed previously.

Using a transparent template, the number of

effective nails in the shaded area has been counted
as 50/side.

60
F = 1- = 0.83
360

Design Capacity
= 2 x n x f x k1 x F x Qk
= 2 x 50 x 0.85 x 0.77 x 0.83 x 383
= 20805 > 6750 N therefore OK.
Steel Check
Figure 3 - Web 1
By inspection, connector plate shear horizontally
above bottom chord will be most critical.

Design Capacity
= f x Shear Length x Qs
= 0.9 x 152.4 x 178
= 24414 N

Applied Shear
= 25177 - 16746
= 8431 N therefore OK
Figure 3 shows the effective plate contact on Design Capacity
Web 1. We find 14 teeth to be effective. = 2 x n x f x k1 x F x Qk
= 2 x 96 x 0.85 x 0.77 x 0.77 x 383
50
F = 1- = 0.86 = 37060 > 8517 therefore OK.
360
Design Capacity Adopt GQ150125 Standard Location.
= 2 x n x f x k1 x F x Qk
= 2 x 14 x 0.85 x 0.77 x 0.86 x 383 Figure 5
= 6036 > 3375

Note that the member is in compression, and the

angle of bearing as defined in Figure 3 is greater
than 60. The member will, therefore, be “self
locking”, and nominal plate contact will suffice.

Figure 4 - Bottom Chord

The bottom chord is subject to shear forces

perpendicular to the grain. Generally these are not
critical, but should be checked where heavy loads
are applied to bottom chords such as on girder
trusses or where low density timber is used.

Values for shear at joint details are as given in

AS 1720.

Shear at joint = 1206N

Design Capacity
The bottom chord plate area is subject to both axial = f k1 fsj As
and shear forces. The resultant force: = 0.8 x 0.77 x 5 x 56.5 x 35 x 2
= 12181N
R = 84312 + 1206 2 > 1206 N is therefore OK

R = 8517 N
Self-locking joints
Some joints are self-locking and do not rely on
the connector to resist all the forces in the joint. For
example, where the angle between a chord and an
Angle between load and plate axis. intersecting web exceeds 60 degrees and the web
is in compression, the web locks against the chord
j = 90 - a = 82o and the connector teeth and are only lightly loaded.
All joints need to be designed to resist any tension
82
F = 1- = 0 . 77 loads that occur in service or during manufacture,
360 handling and installation.

Using the transparent template, we find 96 teeth to

be effective.
 Gang-Nail Truss System

Splice Joints
Truss bottom chords will nearly always require end-
to-end splicing of relatively short pieces of timber to
achieve the desired chord length.
When these splices are acting in compression,
the forces are transferred by direct end bearing
between the pieces and only a nominal connector
would be required to hold the pieces in place and
resist the stresses of manufacture, handling and
installation. However, the normal design
procedures apply when the splice is subject to
tension loads.

The width of splice plates should be at least

20 mm less than the timber width. This minimises
any tendency for the edges of the timber to split
around the connector. In trusses made from green
timber, keeping the plate away from the edge of the
member will also avoid ‘bumps’ occurring in the
ceiling or roof line as the connector can locally
restrain the timber from its natural tendency to
shrink as it dries.