SHARP METAL PATENTED ETA-24/0058

STEEL HOOKED PLATES SERVICE CLASS SC1 SC2

MATERIAL

REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY Zn bright zinc plated carbon steel

ELECTRO
PLATED
The plates have a multitude of small hooks spread over the two surfaces�
The joint is made by mechanically inserting the hooks into the timber�
EXTERNAL LOADS

DRY GLUING
Ideal for transmitting shear forces in a diffuse way between two timber
components� The high stiffness of the system places it as an intermediate
solution between a glueing and a joint with cylindrical shank connectors�
Fv
TBS MAX SCREWS
The hooks pull-through into the timber can be achieved by the com-
pression generated by the TBS MAX flange head screws� A mechanical or
vacuum press can be used for industrialised applications�

CERTIFIED Fv
The new technology is certified according to ETA-24/0058 as a guarantee
of the reliability of the research and testing carried out�

USA, Canada and more design values available online� VIDEO

Scan the QR Code and watch the
video on our YouTube channel

FIELDS OF USE
Shear strength timber-to-timber connections
with high stiffness�
It can be used as an additional connection to
limit the sliding of the connection to the Ser-
viceability Limit State�

Can be applied to:

• solid timber or glulam
• CLT or LVL softwood panels

404 | SHARP METAL | SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS

 RIBBED FLOOR WITHOUT GLUE
Thanks to the hook technology, it is ideal for
the production of ribbed or formwork floors
without the use of glues, adhesives and press-
es� It eliminates the waiting times for glue cur-
ing� Possibility of transporting disassembled
floors to the construction site�

STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT
Ideal for structural reinforcement of beams by
dry glueing of additional timber elements�

SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS | SHARP METAL | 405

CODES AND DIMENSIONS
SHARP METAL

CODE B L s B L s pcs

[mm] [mm] [mm] [in] [ft] [in]

SHARP501200 50 1200 0,75 1 15/16 3.94 1/31 10

FASTENERS
TBS MAX - XL flange head screw

d1 dK CODE L b A pcs
[mm] [mm] [mm] [mm] [mm]
TBSMAX8120 120 100 20 50
TBSMAX8160 160 120 40 50 A

TBSMAX8180 180 120 60 50 dK d1

XXX
TBS

TBSMAX8200 200 120 80 50

b
8 TBSMAX8220 220 120 100 50 L
24,5
TX 40 TBSMAX8240 240 120 120 50
TBSMAX8280 280 120 160 50
TBSMAX8320 320 120 200 50
TBSMAX8360 360 120 240 50
TBSMAX8400 400 120 280 50
For further details please see the "TIMBER SCREWS AND DECK FASTENING" catalogue�

WASHER dINT

CODE rod dINT dEXT s pcs

s
[mm] [mm] [mm]
ULS13373 M12 13,0 37,0 3,0 100
dEXT

RELATED PRODUCTS
TUCAN - shears for long, straight through cuts

CODE length pcs

[mm]
TUC350 350 1

406 | SHARP METAL | SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS

FIELDS OF APPLICATION
The SHARP METAL dry connection system can be used both in new constructions and in structural upgrading and reinforcement�

Due to the high stiffness and the absence of construction tolerances, the coupling of additional sections is immediately
active and allows the construction of composite sections without complicated preparation operations (A), or by working
on the sides of existing beams, it is possible to use clamping systems with mechanical clamps and ensure a high speed of
intervention (B)�

Another area of application is in the reduction of sliding at low force levels, to reduce the effect of free sliding in bolt and
dowel connections (C)� This aspect, for large span truss structures, can be a great advantage in reducing displacements�

(A) COMPOSITE SECTIONS (B) STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT (C) LOCAL JOINT STIFFENERS

PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT

ASSEMBLY IN THE FACTORY
The effectiveness of SHARP METAL plates can be maximised if the com-
ponents are connected in an installation equipped with press systems
or similar, e�g� for series prefabrication� This reduces assembly time, as
there is no need to wait for glues or resins to harden�
In this case, a minimum number of screws must be inserted to maintain
contact of the elements for tensile forces orthogonal to the plate�

ASSEMBLY ON SITE
If the components are assembled on site, pressure to ensure hook pull-
through can be achieved with TBS MAX screws� With this methodology,
it is possible to substantially reduce the transport costs of compound +
"T" elements and to exploit the potential of assembling components
from different manufacturers (e�g� CLT and glulam)� Thanks to the per-
formance of the screws and the reduced thickness of the SHARP metal
plate, no pre-drilling is necessary in SHARP METAL plates, and cutting to
length can easily be done with TUCAN shears�

SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS | SHARP METAL | 407

MOUNTING
The connection with SHARP METAL requires a minimum application pressure of 1�2 MPa, assuming an average density of 480
kg/m3, to ensure correct hook pull-through�
This pressure value can be applied using different technologies depending on specific requirements and production� Two
prevailing types can be identified: fastening with presses or by means of cylindrical shank connectors such as flange head
screws or threaded rods�

fastening through screws fastening with threaded rods or bolts

PRE-INSTALLATION ON THE FIRST COMPONENT

In order to facilitate installation, a finger joint
template made from a milled hardwood element
can be used on one side of the connection, as
shown in the figure� Using a hammer, it is pos-
sible to pull-through the teeth of SHARP METAL
strips without damaging them�

3
10 6 5 6 5 6 5 6 10

60

SECOND COMPONENT ASSEMBLY

The force required to close the joint can be applied by means of flange head screws� To achieve this, it is necessary that
the threaded portion of the screw falls entirely into one of the two connected elements� The efficiency of the screws is in-
fluenced by the stiffness of the connected components� The average spacing suggested in the table derive from practical
applications on site�
Due to the very low plate thickness, "discontinuous" configurations, i�e� with plate portions at intervals, can be used to
optimise system effectiveness� If the capacity of the screws used to close the joint is to be increased, additional washers
ULS13373 can be used to enlarge the force diffusion area and increase the strength of the screw head pull-through�

SUGGESTED SPACING

fastening average spacing

TBS 8∙d/10∙d=64/80 mm
TBS MAX 15∙d/20∙d=120/160 mm
TBS MAX + ULS13373 20∙d/25∙d = 160/200 mm

The use of SHARP METAL in combination with screws allows a practical and safe installation� The hooked plate provides
considerable confinement to the wood, increasing its strength against splitting failure due to loads parallel to the fiber acting
on the screws�
The use of screws is also recommended for supporting tensile loads between connected surfaces, e�g� in a floor-wall shear
connection� Although the vertical loads of the deck ensure adequate pressure between the surfaces, it is possible that tension
is transmitted� The screws, in this case, absorb the stress without affecting the shear connection tightness�

408 | SHARP METAL | SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS

STRUCTURAL VALUES | Fv

Kser,90 Fv,k

Kser,0,eg Kser,0 Fv,eg,k

Fv,k

Kser,0 Fv,k
Kser,90 Fv,k
Kser,90,eg Fv,eg,k

Characteristic strength values - lateral grain (1)

SOLID TIMBER, GLULAM and CLT

TBS screws spacing Fv,k kser,0 kser,90

[MPa] [N/mm3] [N/mm3]

a ≤ 100mm 1,50 3,05 1,13
100 < a ≤ 175mm 1,05 2,70 1,00
without screws( * ) 0,78 2,50 0,85
(*)
Minimum screws must be inserted to ensure that contact is maintained, the minimum spacing must be 250 mm�

Characteristic strength values - head grain (1)

SOLID TIMBER AND GLULAM CLT

TBS screws spacing Fv,eg,k kser,0,eg kser,90,eg Fv,eg,k kser,0,eg kser,90,eg

[MPa] [N/mm3] [N/mm3] [MPa] [N/mm3] [N/mm3]

100 < a ≤ 175mm 0,82 1,40 0,85 1,00 1,40 0,85

a a a a

NOTES GENERAL PRINCIPLES

(1)
If TBSMAX screws or smaller spacings are used for safety reasons, the values • Characteristic values are consistent with EN 1995-1-1 and in accordance with
given in the table can be maintained� ETA-24/0058�
(2)
If smaller spacings are used, the values given in the table must still be used • Dimensioning and verification of the timber elements must be carried out
for safety reasons� separately�
• Timber structural elements connected with SHARP METAL, when subject to
high hygrometric shrinkage, must be effectively fastened with screws to avoid
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY excessive dimensional distortion�
• SHARP METAL is protected by the following patent: IT102020000025540� • The minimum thickness of the element to be connected, if screws are used,
is 60 mm�
• SHARP METAL must be used on medium density wood-based materials
ρm ≤ 450 kg/m3�
• The strengths and stiffness values are obtained experimentally on wooden
specimens with a density of 385 kg/m3� If timbers with different characteristic
densities are used, the strength value must be multiplied by:
0,5
ρk
Kdens=
385

• The tensile strength of SHARP METAL plates, parallel to the axis is equal to:
Ftens,0k= 19 kN

SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS | SHARP METAL | 409

MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR
Timber-to-timber connections made with
SHARP METAL and screws allow an intermedi-
ate structural behaviour between connections
with cylindrical shank means and gluing�
This peculiar behaviour ensures the reduction
SHARP METAL
of displacements due to assembly tolerances screws

Load [kN]
+ screws
and, at the same time, allows good ductility for
large displacements in boundary conditions�
These properties can be effectively modulat-
ed through careful design of service limit state
(SLS) and ultimate limit state (ULS) conditions�

0 5 10 15
Displacement [mm]

SHARP METAL + scews screws only

The study of the system must consider, in the case of advanced analy-
ses, different fields of use in terms of displacement� The performance of
SHARP METAL plates at low levels of displacement allows for high strength
and stiffness� These features make it a good solution for coupling elements
in composite sections where very high connection efficiency is desired�

In the high-displacement range, the screws provide satisfactory post-elastic

behaviour due to their high ductility and strength�

EXPERIMENTATION
The use of the SHARP METAL shear connection showed advantages during comparative experimental tests carried out on
full-scale specimens under real-world conditions, both in terms of size and installation�
Tests on composite sections, where a high stiffness of the connection between the elements is usually required, showed
a significant gain in terms of reduced displacements and deformations� A comparison of the results in terms of stiffness is
shown in the table�

CASE STUDY: COMPARISON WITH GLUED CONNECTION

800
F F

120

l = 8,00 m

280 DATA
beam lenght 8m
CLT panel thickness 120 mm (5 layers)

120 beam GL24h 120 x 280 mm

description connection system flexural rigidity arrow

EI,ef v

reference test-only screws TBS Ø8x220 mm, a = 100 mm 100% 100%

connection with screw SHARP METAL

204% 49%
and SHARP METAL TBS Ø8x220 mm, a = 100 mm

rigid connection glueing with XEPOX 239% 42%

410 | SHARP METAL | SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS

 CASE STUDY: COMPARISON WITH CYLINDRICAL SHANK CONNECTORS

When using connectors with large diameters, extremely small spacings and minimal tolerances must often be used to ensure
sufficient connection efficiency� SHARP METAL plates ensure excellent performance with small displacements, small diame-
ters and self-drilling connectors� Below are the results of tests carried out on shear and full-scale samples�

SHEAR TESTS

100
a
Shear force [kN]

50

1 2 3
0
0 1 2
Displacement [mm] STA SHARP METAL + TBS 2x SHARP METAL + TBS

description connection system stiffness

EI,ef

1 STA dowels 6 - STA Ø20x300 mm 100%

SHARP METAL (1 strip l=500 mm)

2 SHARP METAL + screws TBS 75%
4 - TBS Ø8x260 mm
SHARP METAL (2 strips l=500 mm)
3 SHARP METAL + screws TBS 144%
8 - TBS Ø8x260 mm

BENDING TESTS

F F
a

l = 6,10 m

DATA
beam lenght 6,10 m
CLT panel thickness 140 mm (5 layers)
beam GL28h 240 x 400 mm

300
Bending moment [kNm]

250

200

150

100

50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
1 2
Displacement of the hydraulic [mm] STA SHARP METAL + TBS

description connection system flexural rigidity arrow

EI,ef v

1 STA dowels STA dowels Ø20x300 (a=120 mm/240 mm) 100% 100%

SHARP METAL (4 strips/2 strips)

2 SHARP METAL + screws TBS 102% 97%
TBS Ø8x260 mm, s=150 mm

SYSTEMS FOR WALLS, FLOORS AND BUILDINGS | SHARP METAL | 411

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