There is an increasing desire to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and, because of this, buildings fabricated from timber are becoming increasingly attractive to developers.

The mechanical properties of timber are different to those of steel and concrete and, for this reason, steel and concrete are often favoured over timber when fabricating large buildings. Given the high carbon footprint of these materials, it is therefore necessary to increase the feasibility of large timber buildings. To do so, it is desirable to increase the maximum floor span that can be supported by timber frameworks. Known techniques have sought to increase the resistance of connections to moments applied between connected timber members. Increasing the moment-resisting properties of connections between timber members also increases the stability of timber frames, and hence buildings. Traditionally, efforts to improve the resistance of timber connections to moments have involved increasing the dimensions of the timber beam or column; however, this increases the weight, cost and build complexity of buildings, which is undesirable. Other solutions include installing diagonal truss supports or shear walls, however these solutions place great restrictions on the design of the buildings as such.

Some known timber connections designed to resist moments include a plurality of bolts that pass through a tight-fitting hole which extends through the entire thickness of the timber column or beam. The bolts are then fastened on both sides of the column or beam. As temperatures and moisture levels vary, these fittings often become over-tight or loose due to the different expansion and contraction of the wood and connectors. This results in poor connection performance.

Existing moment-resisting connections have typically low stiffness. They also suffer from not being able to dissipate a significant amount of energy. The low stiffness prevents the connections from supporting larger spans and the inability to dissipate energy results in connections that are at risk of catastrophic failure when exposed to high cyclical loads, such as those experienced during an earthquake. These connections are therefore unsuitable for use in areas prone to seismic events.

Another disadvantage of known connections is the time and complexity of their assembly. Often, known connections require extensive assembly on site to connect the timber members - for example requiring the drilling of holes, use of adhesive or screwing of multiple connectors directly into timber members while on site. This is not only prone to error (given the environment in which such connections are being assembled), but also very time consuming and therefore expensive in terms of labour cost.

Another key consideration for large-scale buildings is their modularity - that is, the ability for the spaces defined within the building to be changed and reconfigured. For example, it may be desirable to change the locations of internal floors or walls to meet the changing requirements of tenants over time. Known timber connections cannot readily be disassembled and reassembled. In order to disassemble known timber connections the connectors, timber members or both are damaged or destroyed, preventing their reuse. It would be desirable to provide a connection which is suitable to be assembled, disassembled and reassembled, to enable modular buildings. This would increase the useful life of buildings and avoid the need for expensive, time consuming and carbon- emitting development work to modify buildings over time.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

The present disclosure relates to a connection for connecting timber members. The connection may be for connecting one, two, three, four or more than four timber members. The use of timber in buildings in place of steel or concrete can allow buildings to be constructed with a significantly reduced carbon footprint and, as such, is seen as being critical to the sustainability of the construction industry moving forward.

The present disclosure also relates to a connection for use with structural members, including concrete members. It has been found that the benefits associated with the connection for timber members are also present when used with members made of other materials.

The connection is configured to be easily assembled and disassembled, allowing timber members to be readily connected and disconnected. This provides flexibility in terms of the use of partitions within buildings, allowing the internal space within a building to be reconfigured to accommodate a range of different uses. The connection therefore opens the door to modular buildings and architectural spaces. In doing so, the longevity and usefulness of buildings is increased and the carbon footprint of such buildings over their lifespans is reduced. This improvement is realised in part through the use of connector assemblies interconnected via bolts located in oversized holes.

Additionally, the ease with which the connections of the present disclosure can be assembled and disassembled allows a user to partially assemble the connection before arriving at the site and finishing assembly on site in a very short amount of time. This greatly reduces the time - and hence cost - associated with the fabrication of such connections and buildings as a whole.

Further to increased speed and convenience of assembly and disassembly, connections according to the present disclosure provide improved mechanical performance compared to existing timber connections. In particular, the present disclosure provides connections with the required moment resistance, but with far greater stiffness compared to existing solutions. This increased mechanical performance allows greater spans to be supported - increasing the range of buildings that can be fabricated using timber connections - as well as increasing the rigidity of buildings. The use of elongated anchor members which extend into and are fixed relative to the wooden member(s) contributes to this increased performance. Such connection components are less liable to performance degradation caused by moisture and temperature fluctuations and the resulting differential expansion and contraction, which can result in the loosening of connections in existing systems.

Connections according to the present disclosure employ oversized holes configured to accommodate friction grip bolts in a clearance-fit arrangement. This arrangement provides additional mechanical performance improvements in the form of increased energy dissipation. Many existing solutions rely on rigid connections employing interference or contact-fit bolts. The resulting joints are often rigid, but relatively brittle and, as such, are prone to failure during cyclic loading such as that experienced during an earthquake. The connections of the present disclosure improve upon existing designs through - among other things - the use of clearance fitting friction grip bolts, which improve energy dissipation characteristics and hence mechanical performance under cyclical earthquake loading, for example. The friction properties of the mating surfaces in the friction coupling may be adjusted by surface treatment. Examples of suitable surface treatments include sandblasting, polishing, or adding surface layers. A surface layer may be added by applying a paint, galvanizing with zinc, aluminium, or other metal alloys, or adding a layer in between the friction surfaces (sheet or shims) of some metal alloy or the like.

Connections according to the present disclosure may have a first operational range in which mechanical load is taken up by friction forces within the joint - this is enabled via the combination of bolts and an oversized hole. In the first operational range, there may not be contact between the outer circumference of the bolt and the inner circumference of the hole. The first operational range may be the dominant range used throughout the majority, if not all, of the operational life of the connection. It may provide the mechanical performance required for standard day-to-day use and, thanks to the energy dissipation properties of a friction connection, may provide improved performance over known connectors, as discussed above. The connections of the present disclosure may, however, also enable a second operational range in which mechanical load is taken up by direct contact between the bolt and the inner circumference of the oversized hole in which it is located. The second operational range may only be used in exceptional circumstances, e.g. during one-off peak loading scenarios.

An additional benefit to using oversized holes is the improved ease, reliability and speed with which the connections can be fabricated on sight. By increasing the hole size - and doing so in a manner that still enables suitable mechanical performance - fabricators can more easily assemble connections. Given the large number of connections that may be present in a building, this greatly reduces the time it takes to erect a building as a whole.

According to the disclosure is a connection, for example for connecting a timber member to a second member. The connection may comprise a first timber member; a first connector assembly, a plate and at least one bolt. The first connector assembly may be associated with the first timber member; the first connector assembly comprising: a plurality of elongate anchor members, each anchor member comprising a first end extending into and fixed with respect to the first timber member; and a second end protruding from the first timber member. Each of the anchor members may define a hole perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the anchor member for receiving a bolt. The plate may be connected or connectable to a second member and may define at least one hole for receiving a bolt. The or each bolt may be configured to extend through at least one of the anchor members and plate. Wherein for the or each bolt, at least one of the corresponding anchor member hole or plate hole may be oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit. The or each bolt may be configured to clamp the plate and anchor member such that relative movement of the plate and first connector assembly is resisted, for example by friction caused by the clamping force provided by the plurality of bolts.

The at least one bolt may be a first plurality of bolts.

The connection may connect a timber member to a second member, where relative movement is primarily resisted by friction forces. The friction forces may derive from the clamping force between the anchor member(s) and plate. The bolts may provide this clamping force. The bolts may be, or used as, friction grip bolts. As discussed elsewhere herein, using frictional forces to provide mechanical performance within connections has many benefits.

The connection may be between two or more adjacent members, e.g. timber members. The connection may be generally applied to any connection between adjacent members and, as such may be suitable for connecting two, three, four, five or more than five proximal members.

The members may be arranged perpendicular to each other, such that one forms a column and the other a beam. Alternatively, the members may be arranged parallel or aligned with each other. The present connection is suitable for connecting members regardless of their relative orientation.

The connection may further comprise: a second timber member; and a second connector assembly associated with the second timber member. The second connector assembly may comprise a plurality of second elongate anchor members, each anchor member comprising a first end extending into and fixed with respect to the second timber member, and a second end protruding from the second timber member. Each of the anchor members may define a hole perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the anchor member for receiving a bolt. The connection may further comprise a second plurality of bolts, each of the second plurality of bolts configured to extend through at least one of the second anchor members and plate.

In the above example, the connection is between two timber members and the plate is connected to the second timber member via a second connector assembly. In other examples, the plate may be otherwise connectable to the second timber member - for example the plate may be integral with the member, at least partially embedded within the member or adhered to the member.

A connection between two timber members may comprise two connector assemblies - one associated with each of the members and having anchor members extending therein. Where more than two members are being connected, the connection may comprise further connector assemblies - for example one for each member.

For each second bolt: at least one of the corresponding anchor member hole or plate hole may be oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit; and each bolt may be configured to clamp the plate and anchor member such that relative movement of the plate and first connector assembly is resisted, for example by friction caused by the clamping force provided by the plurality of bolts.

The connector assemblies of the respective members may be connected to one another via the plate. The connection between at least one - and optionally multiple - of the connector assemblies and the plate is achieved by means of clamping the respective anchor member and plate together such that friction forces resist relative movement. Such a method for supporting the forces experienced in such a connection provides an arrangement which not only meets the necessary mechanical performance requirements, but provides significant benefits in terms of increasing the spans that can be supported and improving earthquake performance, among other things.

The use of oversized holes allows the mechanical load to be supported by frictional forces, rather than via direct abutment of the bolt with the hole. This can be achieved when only one of the plate and anchor member has an oversized hole, or when both of the plate and anchor member have an oversized hole. In some examples only one of these has an oversized hole, in some cases both do. The use of the term “oversized” may refer to a hole that has a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the bolt that it is receiving - for example such that there is a clearance fit with the bolt, and the bolt outer circumference does not interfere with the inner surface of the hole during normal use.

The plate may be separably connectable to the second member, or connected to (e.g. integral with, welded to, embedded in) the second member.

The plate may define a plurality of holes aligned with those of the anchor members of the first connector assembly. For each bolt, both of the corresponding first connector anchor member hole and plate hole may be oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit.

Where a second connector assembly is present, the plate may define a plurality of holes aligned with those of the anchor members of the second connector assembly. For each bolt, both of the corresponding first connector anchor member hole and plate hole may be oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit

In some examples, the connection may comprise a plurality of plates - each plate being associated with a portion of the anchor members. Each plate may have one hole, or multiple holes, as described herein. Where multiple plates are present, each may otherwise be as described herein.

In an assembled form, each bolt extends through at least one (and optionally two, or more than two) anchor members and the plate, (or one of the plates if multiple plates are present).

The plate may be arranged perpendicularly to the end surfaces of the first and/or second member. The plate may be arranged in the same plane as that in which the first and second members extend.

The plate may comprise a set of holes for each connector assembly. A first set of holes may be arranged on a first end of the plate, a second set of holes may be arranged on a second end of the plate. The holes of each set may be evenly spaced across a side of the plate or, alternatively, may be grouped. The plate may comprise more holes than the corresponding number of anchor members, the additional holes being for connecting to ancillary members or connectors for providing additional functionality.

The plate can have any geometrical shape e.g. triangular, rectangular, circular, elliptical, polygonal or polygonal with cut-outs.

The plate may comprise an assembly of plane plates. The plane plates may form a polyhedron (like tetrahedron or pyramid). Each (sub-)plate can have a different plane orientation (having different surface normal vectors). This may allow for fastening of timber members oriented in different planes in space.

The holes of the or each connector assembly may be defined in the second ends of the anchor members such that each bolt extends through the plate and the second end of an anchor member.

The anchor members may be rigidly fixed with respect to the first timber member by means of an elongated rod that extends into the timber member. Such an arrangement may provide a particularly robust coupling and be less susceptible to performance degradation caused by expansion/contraction of components due to moisture and/or temperature fluctuations.

The anchor members may be screwed into the first timber member, or adhered to the first timber member using a chemical adhesive.

Each anchor member may comprise a rod and a bracket. The rod may comprise a screw thread for screwing into the respective timber member. The bracket may be at the second end of the rod. The bracket may define the hole, perpendicular to the axis of the rod.

The bracket may be screwed onto a second end of the rod, distal from that extending into the timber member. The bracket screw thread may be different and discrete from the screw thread for attaching the anchor member to the timber member. The bracket may have screw threads on two opposing sides. This may allow a serial like coupling of the brackets.

The ratio of the length to the diameter of the elongate anchor members may be at least 10:1. The length of the elongate anchor members may be equal to, or longer than, 200mm, 400mm, 600mm, 800mm or 1000mm. The length of the anchor members may be between 5 and 50 times the diameter of the elongate anchor members. Anchor members that are fixed with respect to the first timber member by means of a screw thread may benefit from being longer than those that are glued to the timber member.

The anchor members may comprise pairs of anchor members arranged flanking the plate, such that each bolt extends through a pair of anchor members. The anchor members may be arranged in pairs with two anchor members per bolt.

Each anchor member may extend into the respective timber member at any angle. The anchor member may extend into the respective timber member perpendicular to a surface or grain direction of the timber member. This arrangement may be of particular interest when the anchor member is being glued in the timber member. The anchor member may extend into the respective timber member at an oblique angle to a surface or grain direction of the timber member. This arrangement may be of particular interest when the anchor member is being screwed into the timber member. Each anchor member may extend into the respective timber member at any angle with respect to the grain direction or surface of the respective timber member. For example, each anchor member may extend into the respective timber member at substantially one of 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, or 80° with respect to the grain direction or surface of the respective timber member.

The angle at which the anchor members are arranged within their respective timber members will affect the performance of the connection. Importantly, controlling the angle of the respective members avoids collision between adjacent members of the same connector assembly or another connector assembly.

The anchor members of at least one pair of anchor members may have the same orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the respective timber member. The anchor members of at least one pair of anchor members may be arranged such that the first ends diverge from one another (e.g. as they extend into the respective timber member).

One of the connector assemblies may comprise two pairs of anchor members. The anchor members of each pair may have the same orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first timber member. The two pairs of anchor members may be symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the first timber member. The other of the connector assemblies may comprise four pairs of anchor members. The anchor members of each pair may be arranged such that the first ends diverge from one another (e.g. as they extend into the respective timber member).

The first connector assembly may comprise at least four adjacent anchor members. A first and fourth anchor member may each be arranged at a first angle to the surface of the first timber member; and a second and third anchor member, located between the first and fourth anchor members, may each be arranged at a second angle to the surface of the first timber member.

The anchor members of one of the connector assemblies may be arranged such that a further connector assembly with the same arrangement can be located on an adjacent or opposing face of the first timber member without collision between anchor members of the first connector assembly and further connector assembly.

The anchor members of one of the connector assemblies may also be arranged such that a further connector assembly with a similar arrangement can be located on an adjacent or opposing face of the first timber member without collision between anchor members of the first connector assembly and further connector assembly.

The connection may comprise a further connector assembly associated with the first timber member. The further connector assembly may be for connecting to a third member. The further connector assembly may comprise a plurality of elongate anchor members. Each anchor member may comprise a first end extending into and fixed with respect to the first timber member; and a second end protruding from the first timber member. The anchor members of the further connector assembly may be arranged to avoid collision with the anchor members of the first connector assembly. The arrangement of anchor members of the first connector assembly may be the same as the arrangement of anchor members of the further connector assembly.

Where a connector assembly is arranged with pairs of anchor members flanking the plate, the anchor members on one side of the plate may be arranged in a first orientation and the anchor members on the other side of the plate may be arranged in a second orientation. For example, the anchor members on a side of the flat plate surface may extend away from the plate in a generally ‘upwards’ direction and the anchor members on the other side of the flat plate surface may extend away from the plate in a generally ‘downwards’ direction. The anchor members may be substantially parallel to other anchor members on the same side of the plate.

Such an arrangement allows an identical connector assembly arrangement to be used on the opposing surface of the timber member without the anchor members colliding within the timber member. The ‘upward’ extending anchor members on the first side of the plate do not interfere with the ‘downward’ extending anchor members of the other connector assembly which are located on the same side of the plate. The same principle applies for the ‘downward’ and ‘upward’ extending anchor members on the second side of the plate.

The connection may further comprise a plurality of connector assemblies associated with the first timber member, the plurality of connector assemblies being arranged in parallel in the first timber member.

The connection may comprise a plurality of independent connector assemblies configured to connect with the same second timber member. Increasing the number of connector assemblies and arranging them in parallel increases the mechanical performance capabilities of the connection as a whole.

The holes (e.g. the oversized holes) of the plate and/or anchor member(s) may be noncircular.

At least one hole of the anchor member and/or plate may be non-circular, e.g. elliptical. All of the holes, or oversized holes, in the plate and/or anchor members may be noncircular, e.g. elliptical. In some cases the holes may be ovoid or rectangular. Where an ellipse is used, the elongated axis of the ellipse may be arranged in a direction in which the major loading of the connection is applied (e.g. a vertical direction). Using noncircular (e.g. elliptical) holes may improve energy dissipation performance in key directions and may reduce the chances of the bolt contacting an internal surface of the hole when being worked in the direction of the elliptical axis.

Further according to the disclosure is a kit of parts for use in the connection as defined herein. The kit of parts may comprise: a first connector assembly configured to be connected to a first timber member. The first connector assembly may comprise a plurality of elongate anchor members, each anchor member comprising a first end configured to extend into and be fixed with respect to a first timber member; and a second end configured to protrude from the first timber member. Each of the anchor members may define a hole perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the anchor member for receiving a bolt. The kit of parts may further comprise a plate connectable to a second member, the plate defining at least one hole for receiving a bolt. The kit of parts may further comprise a plurality of bolts, each bolt configured to extend through at least one of the anchor members and plate. For each bolt, at least one of the corresponding anchor member hole or plate hole is oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit; and each bolt may be configured to clamp the plate and anchor member such that relative movement of the plate and first connector assembly is resisted by the clamping force provided by the plurality of bolts.

According to the disclosure is a kit of parts including any or all of the constituent parts which provide the connection described herein.

Further according to the disclosure is a modular building comprising a plurality of connections as described herein. As noted previously, connections according to the present disclosure may be assembled and disassembled, allowing buildings using such connections to be reconfigured - for example by disconnecting and moving internal partitions such as walls. This not only makes the use of such buildings more flexible, but it can also act to increase the useful life of such buildings. It also allows timber to be used as a building product for buildings which were previously unsuitable for timber. The connections may be configured to support partitions to delineate the building volume into a plurality of internal spaces; and the connections may be configured to be assembled and disassembled to allow the location of the partitions to be adjusted to reconfigure the internal spaces.

Further according to the disclosure is a method of erecting a building. The method includes either the use of a connection as described herein in a pre-fabricated panel or member forming part of the building; or use of a kit of parts as described herein to connect two members when erecting a building.

Further according to the disclosure is a method of connecting two adjacent timber members using the connection described herein or the kit of parts described herein. The method may comprise: installing the anchor members of the first connector assembly in a first timber member; locating the plate adjacent the anchor members; inserting one of the plurality of bolts through the corresponding anchor member and the plate; tightening the bolt to provide a friction fit with the plate and anchor member; and connecting the plate to a second timber member.

Connecting the plate to the second timber member may comprise: installing the anchor members of a second connector assembly in the second timber member; locating the plate adjacent the anchor members of the second connector; inserting one of the second plurality of bolts through the corresponding anchor member and the plate; tightening the bolt to provide a friction fit with the plate and anchor member.

Erecting buildings by connecting panels and members using the connections described herein can greatly improve the speed of erection and reduce the amount of time workers have to spend on site, reducing costs and risk.

Further according to the disclosure is a method of disassembling two adjacent timber members connected using the connection described herein or the kit of parts described herein. The method may comprise: loosening each of the bolts to disconnect the plate from the anchor members of the first connector assembly; withdrawing each of the bolts; and disconnecting the first timber member from the plate. The fact that the connection can be disassembled opens the door to using timber for buildings that were not previously suitable for use with timber. It also greatly increases the flexibility of the space use within a building over its lifetime, thus improving its useful lifespan.

The present disclosure also relates to a connection for connecting structural members. The structural members may be made of a material other than timber. The connection may be for connecting one, two, three, four or more than four structural members.

Accordingly, according to the disclosure is a connection, for example for connecting a structural member to a second structural member. The connection may comprise a first structural member; a first connector assembly, a plate and at least one bolt. The first connector assembly may be associated with the first structural member; the first connector assembly comprising: a plurality of elongate anchor members, each anchor member comprising a first end extending into and fixed with respect to the first structural member; and a second end protruding from the first structural member. Each of the anchor members may define a hole perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the anchor member for receiving a bolt. The plate may be connected or connectable to a second structural member and may define at least one hole for receiving a bolt. The or each bolt may be configured to extend through at least one of the anchor members and plate. Wherein for the or each bolt, at least one of the corresponding anchor member hole or plate hole may be oversized so as to receive the corresponding bolt with a clearance fit. The or each bolt may be configured to clamp the plate and anchor member such that relative movement of the plate and first connector assembly is resisted, for example by friction caused by the clamping force provided by the or each bolt.

Similar benefits may apply to the use of the connection with structural members, as with timber members. The use of structural materials, for example concrete, can allow buildings to be constructed with a higher fire resistance as concrete is non-combustible and also reduces the risk of mould which may decrease the strength and load-bearing capacity of the members. The present disclosure provides connections with the required moment resistance, but with far greater stiffness compared to existing solutions. This increased mechanical performance allows greater spans to be supported - decreasing the use of intermediate connections and thereby reducing the overall usage of materials. The use of elongated anchor members which extend into and are fixed relative to the structural member(s) contributes to this increased performance.

The features described above with respect to a connection for a timber member apply equally to a connection for connecting structural members made of materials other than timber - e.g. concrete.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1A is a partial transparent perspective view of a connection from a first side;

Figure 1B is a transparent perspective view of a connection from a second side;

Figure 1C is a side view of the connection of Figure 1B;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of parts of a connection;

Figure 3A is a perspective view of the plate of the connection of Figure 2;

Figure 3B is a perspective view of a 2-plane polyhedron plate;

Figure 30 is a perspective view of a 4-plane tetrahedral plate;

Figure 4A is a perspective view of a bracket of the connection of Figure 2;

Figure 4B is a perspective view of a bracket of connection having screw threads on two opposite sides;

Figure 5 includes two side views of part of the elongated anchor members of a connection from a first and second side;

Figure 6 is a side view of part of the elongated anchor members of a connection;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a connection between four timber members; Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternate connection between four timber members;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a connection between a steel member and a timber member;

Figure 10 is a side view of a connection between three timber members;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a connection between two timber members;

Figure 12A and 12B are a side and top view of a further connection arrangement; and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a modular building framework comprising a plurality of connections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figures 1A to 10 show a connection 10. The connection 10 is between two timber members - a first timber member 12 and a second timber member 14. In the present example the first timber member 12 is a beam and the second timber member 14 is a column, however in other arrangements the connection may be between members other than beams and columns - for example spans of an arch or at junctions between more than two timber members.

In the example of Figures 1A to 1C, the first and second timber members 12, 14 are connected by first and second connector assemblies 16, 18 and a plate 20. The first connector assembly 16 is associated with the first timber member 12. The second connector assembly 18 is associated with the second timber member 14. Both the first and second connector assemblies, in the present example, comprise a plurality of elongate anchor members. The plate 20 is connected to the first connector assembly 16 and second connector assembly 18. In other embodiments, the second connector assembly 18 may be omitted and the plate 20 may instead be directly fixed to the second timber member 14.

The first connector assembly 16 is fixed to the first timber member 12 and the second connector assembly 18 is fixed to the second timber member 14. In use, the first and second connector assemblies 16, 18 can be attached to their respective timber members 12, 14 before, during, or after transport of the timber members to the site. The connection 10 can then be made up on site by connecting the two connector assemblies 16, 18 to the plate 20 by inserting a plurality of bolts (discussed below). Completion of the connection therefore requires very little time on site.

In the present example, each anchor member of the first and second connector assemblies comprises an elongated threaded rod 22, 28 and a bracket 24, 30 (shown in more detail in Figure 2). The threaded rod 22, 28 is located at a first end of the anchor member and extends into the respective timber member 12, 14. The bracket 24, 30 is located at the second end of the anchor member and protrudes from the respective wood member 12, 14. The elongated threaded rods 22a-22d of the first connector assembly are fixed with respect to the first timber member 12. The elongated threaded rods 28a- h of the second connector assembly are fixed with respect to the second timber member 14.

In the present example the anchor members are fixed with respect to their corresponding timber members 12, 14 by means of a screw thread, the threaded rods being screwed into the respective timber member 12, 14 to create a strong connection. However, in other examples, the anchor members may be glued to their respective timber members 12, 14.

The brackets 24, 30 of the anchor members are located at the second end of their respective anchor members. The brackets 24, 30 are screwed onto the corresponding threaded rod 22, 28. Each bracket 24, 30 comprises a through hole 34, 36, suitable for receiving a bolt 26, 32 (described in more detail below). The brackets 24, 30 are configured such that holes 34, 36 are perpendicular to the corresponding threaded rod 22, 28.

When the connection 10 is assembled, the plate 20 is arranged between the first and second connector assemblies 16, 18. The plate 20 connects the first connector assembly 16 to the second connector assembly 18 and, hence, the first timber member 12 to the second timber member 14. The plate 20 is arranged in a plane parallel to the threaded rods 22, 28. In the present example this is perpendicular to the end faces of the timber members 12, 14. The plate 20 comprises a series of holes 38, 40 (shown in Figure 3a) arranged to align with the holes 34, 36 of the brackets 24, 30. When assembled, bolts 26, 32 extend through the brackets 24, 30 and the plate 20, fixing the first and second connector assemblies 16, 18 with respect to the plate.

The holes 34, 36 defined by the brackets 24, 30 and the holes 38, 40 defined by the plate 20 have a larger diameter than the bolts 26, 32 that extend there through. In the present example, all of the holes 34, 36, 38, 40 of the brackets 24, 30 and plate 20 are the same size; the bolts 26, 32 are also all the same size. The bolts 26, 32 and holes 34, 36, 38, 40 are configured to provide a clearance fit. That is, the outer circumferential surface of the bolts 26, 32 do not engage and interfere with the inner circumferential surface of the holes 34, 36, 38, 40 in order to resist loads applied to the connection.

In order to rigidly fix the brackets 24, 30 with respect to the plate 20, the bolts are friction grip bolts. Friction grip bolts are bolts configured to prevent relative movement of the plate 20 and brackets 24, 30 using friction caused by the high clamping force between the components. This is instead of directly counteracting relative movement through contact with the bolt shaft. In the present example, all of the bolts 26, 32 used to connect the first and second connector assemblies are identical.

The disclosed arrangement of the plate 20, bolts 26, 32 and brackets 24, 30 with oversized holes provides an arrangement particularly good at dissipating energy. Such a connection is therefore of particular benefit to dissipate large cyclical deformations of the building in which the connection 10 is located. The connections 10 are therefore suitable for use in areas prone to earthquakes.

In the connection 10 of Figures 1A to 1C, the anchor members (i.e. rods 22, 28 and brackets 24, 30) are arranged in pairs. Each bolt 26, 32 extends through a pair of brackets 24, 30 - one on either side of the plate 20.

Referring to the anchor members of the first connector assembly 16, two rod pairs are provided, each with a corresponding bracket 24. Rod pair 22a and 22b and their corresponding brackets 24 are connected to the same bolt 26 and are arranged at the same orientation, parallel and symmetrical in the longitudinal plane of the first timber member 12. The same applies to rod pair 22c and 22d. The first rod pair 22a and 22b converge with second rod pair 22c and 22d towards the centre of the first timber member 12 in a direction towards the first end of the anchor members. This rod member arrangement is particularly good at resisting moments applied to the connection 10.

Referring to the anchor members of the second connector assembly 18, four rod pairs are provided. Rod pair 28a and 28b and their corresponding brackets 30 are connected to the same bolt 32 and are arranged to diverge from each other along the length of the rod. Each of rod pairs 28c and 28d, 29e and 28f and 28g and 28h are also each arranged on a single bolt 32 and diverge along the length of the rod. This rod arrangement is also good at resisting moments applied to the connection 10. This rod arrangement also allows multiple adjacent connections within a timber member without anchor interference and collision.

Figure 2 is a close up view of the plate 20 and first and second connector assemblies 16, 18. The bolts 26, 32 have been removed for clarity. Oversized holes 34, 36 can be seen in brackets 24, 30.

In this example, a nut 35 is used to attach the rods 22, 28 to the brackets 24, 30. The nuts 35 act to pre-stress the rods 22, 28 and thus avoid slippage between the rods 22, 28 and brackets 24, 30. This improves the performance of the rod-bracket part. In other examples, the rods 22, 28 and brackets 24, 30 may be formed as a single part, for example by forging or stamping.

Figure 3a is a perspective view of the plate 20. The plate 20 has two sets of through- holes. The two through holes 38 on a first side of the plate 20 are arranged to connect to the brackets 24 of the first connector assembly 18. The four through holes 40 on the second side of the plate 20 are arranged to connect to the brackets 30 of the second connector assembly 28. All of the plate 20 holes 38, 40 are the same size and are oversized with respect to the bolts 26, 32 to provide a clearance fit. In another embodiment the holes and bolts may be of different sizes on the same plate.

Figure 3b is a perspective view of a plate 61. The plate 61 is formed of two rectangular shaped sub-plates 62 that are connected at an edge. A first one of the sub-plates is joined at an angle to the other sub-plate resulting in the plate 61 having two orientations of a plane allowing for the fastening of timber members oriented in different planes in space. The four through holes 70 of the plate 61 are arranged to connect to the brackets of a connector assembly as described elsewhere herein.

Figure 3c is a perspective view of a further plate 81. The plate 81 is formed of four triangular shaped sub-plates 82, 83 that are connected at the edges to form a tetrahedron shape. The plate 81 has four orientations of a plane allowing for the fastening of timber members oriented in four different planes in space. The six through holes 90, 91 of the plate 81 are arranged to connect to the brackets of a connector assembly as described elsewhere herein.

Figure 4a shows a bracket 24, 30. In the present example, the brackets 24, 30 of the connection 10 are all identical, as such the depicted bracket 24, 30 is suitable for use with the first and second connector assembly 16, 18. The bracket 24, 30 comprises a first hole 34, 36 for accommodating the bolt 26, 32 that connects the bracket 24, 30 to the plate 20. The first hole 34, 36 has in this example the same diameter as the holes 38, 40 in the plate, and are oversized with respect to the bolts 26, 32 to provide a clearance fit. However, in other examples the sizes of the holes 38, 40 in the plate and the brackets may not be the same. In earthquake applications, the diameter of the holes 38, 40 in the plate may be increased to increase ductility and energy dissipation of the joint. The bracket 24, 30 further comprises a second hole 42 for receiving the end of the elongated threaded rod 22, 28 to connect the bracket 24, 30 to the rod 22, 28. In other examples, the bracket 24, 30 may be integral with the rod 22, 28.

Figure 4b is similar to Figure 4a but the bracket 24,30 comprises two holes 42 on two opposite sides. The two holes are for receiving the ends of elongated threaded rods to connect in a serial like coupling.

Figure 5 shows the second timber member 14 and threaded rods 28 of the second connector assembly 18 from two opposing sides. As described above, the pairs of rods 28 may be arranged to diverge. In the present example the rods 28 are arranged such that all of the rods 28 on a first side of the timber member 14 are angled in a first direction (e.g. ‘downwards’) and all of the rods on a second side of the timber member 14 are angled in a second direction (e.g. ‘upwards’). The orientation of the rods 28 on the first side of the timber member 14 may be staggered with respect to each other and the orientation of the rods 28 on the second side of the timber member 14 may be staggered with respect to each other, as shown in Figure 5.

Turning to the left-hand side of Figure 5 and referring only to the ‘downward’ oriented rods 28, the angles of the first rod 28b, second rod 28d, third rod 28f and fourth rod 28h with respect to the downward vertical are referred to as 44b, 44d, 44f and 44h, respectively, and are equal to about 80°, 75°, 65° and 55° respectively. Turning to the right-hand side of Figure 5 and referring only to the ‘upward’ oriented rods 28, the angles of the first rod 28a, second rod 28c, third rod 28e and fourth rod 28g with respect to the upward vertical are referred to as 44a, 44c, 44e and 44g, respectively, and are equal to about 55°, 65°, 75° and 80° respectively. This splaying of the rods 28 may improve load and moment-resisting performance and prevent collision of rods in cases with connected beams on both sides of a column, for example.

In Figure 6, a different rod 28 arrangement is shown for the second connector assembly. In the rod 28 arrangement of the Figure 6, the second and third pairs of rods 28 are closer together than in the arrangement shown in Figure 5. In the rod 28 arrangement of Figure 6, the first and second ‘upward’ oriented rods 28a, 28c make an angle of 30° with the horizontal. The third and fourth ‘upward’ oriented rods 28e, 28g make an angle of 20° with the horizontal. The first and second ‘downward’ rods 28b, 28d make an angle of 20° with the horizontal. The third and fourth ‘downward’ rods 28f, 28h make an angle of 30° with the horizontal.

Figure 6 also shows an example rod 22 arrangement for the first connector assembly 16. In this arrangement, both the first and third rods 22a, 22c make an angle of 10° with the horizontal, and converge in a direction towards the first end of the anchor.

Figure 7 depicts a connection of four timber members 112, 113, 114, 115. Each timber member 112, 113, 114, 115 includes a corresponding connector assembly including four threaded rods 122 (only some of which are referenced in Figure 7) and corresponding brackets 124 (only some of which are referenced in Figure 7). The rods 122 and brackets 124 are as described above. The connector assemblies of each timber member 112, 113, 114, 115 connect to a central four-way plate 120 in a corresponding manner to that described above - that is, using friction grip bolts arranged in oversized holes in the brackets 124 and plate 120.

Figure 8 shows a connection between 4 timber members 612, 613 ,614, 615 to a common plate 620. In this example, the plate 620 is circular. Each of the four timber member is connected to the plate 620 by means of two first connector assembly and correspondingly two elongated threaded rods 622 as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In respects other than those mentioned, this connection largely corresponds to that of Figures 1 to 4.

Figure 9 shows two connections between a steel I-beam 213 and a timber member 212, 214. Each of the connections between the steel I-beam 213 and one of the timber members 212, 214 comprises a connector assembly as described above. The connector assembly includes threaded rods 222 and brackets 224 (only one of which is referenced in Figure 8) as described above, which connect to a flange of the I-beam 213 using friction bolts and oversized holes, as described above, with the flange of the I-beam being the plate of the above embodiments. The flange of the I-beam is integrally connected to the rest of the I-beam (which is the second member).

Figure 10 shows a connection between three timber members 312, 313, 314. This connection is similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, except with an additional timber member 313 arranged at an angle to the first timber member 312 (which is also arranged at an angle). Two of the timber members 312, 313 comprise a connecting assembly largely identical to the first connecting assembly described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The third timber member 314 comprises a connecting assembly largely identical to the second connecting assembly described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In order to accommodate the additional timber member 313, the plate 320 is hexagonal. In every respect other than those mentioned, this connection corresponds to that of Figures 1 to 4.

Figure 11 shows a connection between two timber members 412, 414. A first timber member 412 is connected to the plate 420 by means of a first connector assembly as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The plate 420 is fixed to the second timber member 414 by means of four elongated threaded rods 437. The four elongated threaded rods 437 are in direct contact with the second timber member 414 and the plate 420. That is, the second timber member 414 is not connected to the plate 420 via brackets 38 as in the connection 10 of Figures 1 to 4, but rather directly connected to the plate 420.

Any of the connections described herein can be provided as a kit of parts - that is, in a disassembled form suitable for assembling into the described connection - either including or excluding the timber members.

Figures 12A and 12B show an alternative arrangement of a connection 500. The connection 500 has a first connector assembly 516 comprising two anchor members having a threaded rod 522 and a bracket 524. The threaded rods 522 are connected to the bracket 524 by means of a threaded nut 535, as described above. The plate 520 of this example is fixed with respect to the second timber member (not shown) by a second connector assembly 518, comprising a threaded rod 527, which is similar to those used as part of the anchor members. The anchor members of the first connector assembly 516 (i.e. threaded rods 522 and brackets 524) comprise oversized holes and are connected to the plate 520 by means of a bolt 526, as described above.

In practice, a connection may include a plurality of the arrangements shown in Figures 12A and 12B, in parallel.

Figure 13 schematically illustrates a modular building 600. The modular building 600 comprises a plurality of first and second timber members 512, 513, in the form of beams and columns (only some of which are referenced in Figure 13). The beams and columns 512, 514 support floors and walls and, as such, are used to partition in the volume of the building into separate internal spaces. A plurality of connections 10 as described herein are provided to connect the beams and columns.

The connections 10 are configured to be easily assembled and disassembled. As such, the beams and columns can be readily and securely connected and disconnected by a user. This allows a user to move the partitions (e.g. floors and/or walls) of the modular building, to reconfigure the internal space. This is advantageous as it allows buildings to be more readily repurposed for different uses, without the need for labour and carbonintensive processes. The present invention has been described above purely by way of example. Modifications in detail may be made to the present invention within the scope of the claims as appended hereto. Furthermore, features from one example may be combined with an alternative example unless such a combination is explicitly precluded.