Understanding the dowel-bearing behavior of engineered wood products is essential for the design of reliable mechanical connections in sustainable timber structures. This study investigates the embedment performance of eucalyptus-based wood scrimber (EBWS), a high-density and low-carbon engineered composite, under various dowel diameters and loading directions. A total of 240 specimens were tested using both half-hole and full-hole embedment methods across four orthotropic configurations. The influence of dowel diameter, loading orientation, and test configuration on bearing strength and initial stiffness was analyzed. Finite element simulations incorporating the Hill yield criterion and localized “weak zones” were conducted using ABAQUS to capture stress evolution and failure mechanisms. Results show that dowel diameter significantly affects stiffness and strength evolution, and that half-hole tests yield higher and more stable embedment performance than full-hole tests. The findings provide experimental insight and modeling strategies for the reliable application of EBWS in dowel-connected structural systems.

dowel-bearing strength, eucalyptus-based wood scrimber, failure mechanisms, finite element modeling