Ready to Raise (Almost)…

Timber frame fabrication almost complete for the Nemacolin Woodlands NEW Ski Lodge (very exciting project)!

Time to get organized…everybody MOVE your cars, please.

Uhmmm, Tom? Where the heck is Tom?

Ok, here we go.

This project has quite a lot of steel joinery, need to check it before we get to the jobsite, just to be sure we have all that we need.

Interesting steel column cap shown here.  All of the steel was designed by us and custom created for us by Vermont Steelcraft.

Glulams from Calvert Company via Northwest Specialty Timbers.

If you have Adobe Reader, and would like to check out our design, click below.  Peeled pole columns, glulam branches and lots of STEEL!

Nemacolin Ski Lodge Timber Frame 3d

I’ll add more pictures later, please come back 🙂

Timber Connections – Steel

So there are really two types of joinery for heavy timber frames, traditional and steel.  There is a hybrid of the two so maybe that could make a third type but typically as soon as you start adding steel plates it’s considered a steel joint, even if it is a concealed plate.

The use of steel plates for timber joints is a fairly straight forward concept.  The force transferred from the timber (in compression or tension) to the steel plate by steel pins.  These pins can be bolts, lags, nails, etc.  The steel plates then carry the load along the plate to the next timber member.  The steel pins in this member then transfer the force back into the timber frame.

The plate configuration and the number of steel pin connectors all depend on the forces that need to be transferred from one member to the next.  The simplest configuration is a plate on one side of the member.  This is also the weakest version because the bolt is in single shear.  In single shear there are two members trying to slide past each other in opposite directions.  So the two members create a shear plane.  Sometime a simple connection is all that is needed and it will be cheaper.

Then you can also place a piece of steel in the middle of the timber member.  This is called a knife plate because it cuts into the beam.  This is a stronger connection because the bolts are in double shear.  In single shear there were two members sliding past each other.  In double shear there are three members that create two shear planes.  Knife plate connections are a concealed connection.  The bolts can be countersunk and plugged to hide the connection.  This is also a more expensive connection because more time is required in the fabrication of the timber to cut out the space for the steel.

The most common configuration for steel plate connection in trusses is having a steel plate on each side of the timber.  This is also a double shear connection but it is stronger than the knife plate because you have two surfaces of steel and one of wood where the knife plate is vice versa.

There are other ways to strengthen a steel connection.  One way is to make the steel plate thicker.  Larger diameter bolts can be used or shear plate can be added to the connection.  The exact configuration of the connection needs to be designed for each individual case.  Depending on the configuration and the loads at the connection a number of possibilities are available.

Let’s talk about Joinery

It’s all about the joinery (sometimes)! Timber frame traditional joinery, steel joinery as needed or requested.

Starting with Traditional Joinery

Mortise and Tenon Joint held together with 1″ birch peg, elegant and strong. Yes, working for me, how about you?

Maybe something a little fancier? King post with webs and finial…love it.

Would you leave the joinery pegs extended?  Or cut them flush?

Corner post detail, shouldered mortise and tenon, simply beautiful.

I’m leaning towards pegs cut flush…you?

STEEL Joinery, how about it? Our engineer loves steel 🙂 just ask her!

Sometimes our clients ask for steel joinery just because they like the look of it.  Nothing wrong with that, we aim to please!

Many times steel is needed for strength due to the design.

This project is an 80ft octagon at the Stowe Mountain Resort (of course steel joinery WAS needed)!

Thanks for stopping by, comments are welcome.

Do you need a tension tie?

This truss design did.  Pretty, don’t you think?

Since this structural truss design naturally wants to push out against the wall framing (we don’t want that), bring in the steel tie rod.

Engineering Department is happy (that’s what we want)!

Traditional Timber Framing

Traditional Timber Framing by Vermont Timber Works, Inc.

Mortise and tenon with hardwood pegs.  Dove tails, shoulder joints, tongue and fork?  Yes, all of these and more are offered.  You want steel joinery?  We”ll still talk to you :).  Call us!  802-886-1917