Space trusses made of tubes with flattened ends connected with a trespassing bolt (typical connection) are widely used due to its easy construction and economy with respect to patented connections. However, the typical connection is weak due to the eccentricity and reduced momentum of inertia that exists at the nodes due to the flattening process. In previous studies, it was observed that when correcting the eccentricity generated by converging tubes at the same node, using steel spacers, the truss can support more load considerably. However, the use of such spacers made of steel increased the cost of production and generated additional dead load. Thus, the objective of the present research is to replace the steel spacers for spacers made of wood, which are more economical and lighter. To assess the improvement in the bearing capacity of the truss, this work applied a numerical and experimental approach to exam the feasibility of using wood spacer. In the numerical study, a tubular tetrahedral spatial lattice with square base 2m by 2m and 0.7m height was used. In the numerical analysis the commercial Finite Element software, ANSYS Workbench 14.5 was employed. The numerical analyses considered the detailed geometry of the truss as well as the non-linear behavior of the material and geometry trying to model the truss as close to reality as possible. In the experimental study, three trusses with typical connections and "Maçaranduba" wooden spacers were tested. In these tests, it was observed that the wood spacers withstood the loads. Moreover, the bearing capacity of the truss was very similar to bearing capacity of the previous trusses using steel spacers. The types of deformation (buckling and local deformations) shown in the numerical model and in the experimental test were very similar. This similarity in the results highlights that the numerical model adequately predicted the collapse and deformed shape of the trusses observed in the lab tests. Therefore, in conclusion: the results show that the use of wood spacers is feasible and an alternative to replace steel spacers in trusses with less weight and cost.
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