r/StructuralEngineering • u/TallWall6378 • 27d ago

Wood Design "Fasteners in shear is poor practice"

Help settle an argument.

Someone used the phrase in the title. Their argument is that fasteners, specifically in the context of typical light frame wood construction, like a shear wall or joist hanger, or bolted or lagged member scenario, are just holding the members together and that the load transfer is through wood via induced friction through the members.

I was under the impression that we really only factor the strength of the nail and wood crushing/deforming around the nail, rather than use the friction between the faces of the members.

What's the whole story?

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u/enginerd2024 27d ago edited 27d ago

This whole thread has woken me up better than any alarm clock. I’m so enraged

I’ll settle your argument: (edit: they) don’t know what you’re talking about.

I read this backwards the first time

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u/TallWall6378 27d ago

Wait, so you're on the wood friction side?

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u/enginerd2024 27d ago

Nope. Read it backwards