The thorough experimental characterization of a dowel-type connection under various combinations of bending moments and normal forces is presented in this study. Double-shear steel-to-timber connections with 12 and 20 mm steel dowels were tested in a 4-point bending test set-up. The load, between the connected steel and wood beams, was transferred by the dowels themselves and also via an additional (passive) contact device, which introduced an eccentric normal force in the timber beam. The behavior of the connections was studied at the global scale of the connection and at the local scale of the individual dowels. A non-contact deformation measurement system was used to assess the changes of the location of the center of relative rotation over the entire loading. At the same time, the head deformations of the individual dowels could be measured, giving a direct indication about the force distribution among the dowels. Due to reinforcement, connections behaved distinctly ductile with a global relative rotation of up to 3°. Pre-stressing of the contact device by a force of 40 kN yielded an even stiffer behavior. For the particular configurations tested herein, the center of rotation was found to be close to the vertical axis of symmetry of the joint and close to the top row of the dowels. Moreover, the superimposed vertical shift of the center of relative rotation in case of a delayed normal force could be quantified. © 2015 RILEM