Joints in wide-span Timber Trusses – Failures and Rehabilitations

Following the Bad Reichenhall ice-arena collapse, numerous expertises on the structural safety of wide-span timber structures were carried out at the Chair of Timber Structures and Building Construction. It became evident that inadequate structural design and detailing as well as inadequate manufacturing principles were the main reasons for observed failures. The design and manufacture of connections in wide-span timber structures are still amongst the most challenging tasks for both the structural engineer as well as the executing company. This paper will, on the basis of an exemplary expertise, discuss specific issues in the structural reliability of connections in wide- span timber trusses and give recommendations towards a state-of-the art design of such connections.