SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

(BS 5268)
Timber is a structural material used in construction such as steel, concrete
masonry etc. Timber was widely used in early days because of its availability &
economy. But nowadays timber seems to be losing its hold because of outcome
of new alternative materials. There are number of advantages of timber that
make it a suitable structural material.

1) Work with timber is easy since the joints can be easily made with simple
tools.

2) Timber has a high strength to weight ratio & reasonable strength in both
tension & compression.

3) Heavy timber constructions are good enough for fire resistance.

4) In favourable conditions timber is durable.

Types of Timber & Strength Classes

is stipulated two types of timber namely softwoods & hardwoods.
Timber is classified into above two types according to the strength of the
timber. Softwoods are less strong, less durable, cheaper & easily treated.
Hardwoods are stronger, more durable & more expensive. Code mentioned the
softwood strength classes as , , , , ,& & hardwood
strength classes as , , & . ( General Structural,
Special Structural)

Timber Members
Basically timber are used in construction for flexural members such as timber
beams, floors for compression members such as timber columns, struts in
timber trusses & for tension members such as ties in timber trusses.

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Factors Affecting in Timber Strength

Generally following factors are affecting to the timber strength.

1) Moisture Content

2) Duration of Loading

3) Section Size

4) Section Shape

Moisture Content
Moisture content affects the properties of timber very much, especially
movement & creep. Therefore timber should be seasoned to have moisture
content close to the moisture content of the surroundings where the timber is to
be used. Based on the moisture content timber is classified into three service
classes.

1) Service Class 1 - Refers to timber used internally in a continuously

heated building & average .

2) Service Class 2 - Refers to timber used in a covered building & average

.

3) Service Class 3 - Refers to timber used externally exposed to the

atmosphere & average .

In grade stresses & moduli for & are tabulated in tables. But
for those parameters are not tabulated. Hence grade stresses & moduli for
is obtained by multiplying the tabulated grade stresses & moduli for &
by a modification factor given in .

Duration of Loading
Timber can be designed to sustain the long term loads i.e. for several years &
short term loads, i.e. for few minutes. Normally long term loads are smaller than
the short term loads. Grade stresses given in tables are for applicable to the long
term only. To obtain the grade stresses for short term loading, grade stresses
given in tables are multiplied by modification factor given in . This
factor called duration of load factor.

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Section Size
Section size also affects the strength of timber. The grade bending stresses
given in tables are only applicable to sections having a depth of . Grade
bending stresses for difference section depths can be obtained by multiplying
given grade stresses by modification factor given in . This
factor called depth factor.

Section Shape
Cross - sectional shape also has an effect on the strength properties of timber.
Grade bending stresses in tables are applicable to rectangular cross sections only
& for other shapes grade stresses are obtained by multiplying those grade
stresses by modification factor given in . This factor called
form factor.

Load Sharing Systems

Rafters, joists trusses or wall studs having a spacing not greater than &
having adequate provision for lateral load distribution by means of purlins,
binders, boarding, battens etc. considered safer than non-load sharing members.
This is explained in . Grade stresses in tables may multiplied by
modification factor for load sharing members & non-loading sharing
members. This factor called load sharing factor.

For load sharing

For non-load sharing
For deflection calculations.
for load sharing.

for non - load sharing.

Design Philosophy of Timber

Permissible stress method also called elastic method which is used for timber
design according to .

Design of Flexural Members

Design of timber joists, floors, lintels & built up beams categorized under the
flexural members.
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Length & Position of Bearing

The grade stresses for compression perpendicular to the grain should be
multiplied by modification factor given in where;

The bearings less than long located or more from the

end of a member.
Otherwise grade stresses for compression
perpendicular to the grain given in tables can be
applicable to any length at the ends of a member
and bearings or more in length at any
position. This factor called bearing stress factor.

Effective Length of a Beam

Required bearing length
lengthh

0 0

Effective length = Distance between centers of supports.

If the supports are wide;

Effective length = Distance between centers of required bearing length.

For solid beams & joists

For built up beams up to 12m span

Lateral Stability

If the width of a beam section is too low, the beam may fail by lateral torsional
buckling. stipulated that the depth to breadth ratio for rectangular
beams should not exceed the values given in .

Shear Strength

The applied shear stress is calculated from the maximum Shear stress. For a
rectangular section maximum Shear stress is given by;

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Where ;

Max. Shear Stress

Applied shear force
Area of section
Applied shear stress
In generally applied shear stress should not be greater than permissible shear
stress.

, & are general modification factors & is specific for shear in beams
with notched ends.

Admissible or permissible shear stress parallel to grain.

Grade shear stress parallel to grain.
Applied shear stress parallel to grain.
At notched ends concentration of shear stress takes place .Thus it reduced the
shear strength. So at notched ends grade shear stresses given in tables multiplied
by a modification factor and this factor called shear factor at notched end.
There are two cases.

When ;

( )

should not be smaller than for both cases.

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Bending Stress
The applied bending stress should not be greater than permissible bending
stress.

, & are general modification factors & & is specific for bending
stress.

Applied bending stress parallel to grain

Grade bending stress parallel to grain
Admissible or permissible bending stress parallel to grain

Bearing Stress
Applied bearing stress should not be greater than the permissible bearing stress.
Applied bearing stress is given by;

Applied force
Bearing area

Normally;

, & are general modification factors & is specific for bearing stress.

Deflection in Flexural Members

For materials like R.C & steel shear deflection is small. But for timber shear
deflection is significant. Therefore we have to consider both bending deflection
& shear deflection.

in stipulated the defection limits for timber beams as

follows.

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

In general -
In domestic buildings - or whichever
lessor.
Bending Deflection

Simply supported beam carrying UDL

Modulus of elasticity
Second moment of area

Simply supported beam carrying pt. load.

Shear Deflection
Shear deflection depends on shear modulus. However for timber & timber based
materials shear modulus is significantly lower than the elastic modulus. Also the
elastic modulus must be multiplied by a modification factor given in
. This factor called modification factor for minimum . This
modification factor is done for trimmer joists & lintels when they comprise two
pieces connected together in parallel & acting together to support the loads.

Single span simply supported beam (Section be rectangular or square)

Suitable Section Selection

This may carried out in two ways either by engineering judgment which is
based on experience or by utilizing the permissible bending stress criterion.

Thus;

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Design Steps for Timber Beams

1) Load evaluation.

2) Design maximum moment & SF calculation.

3) Selection of a suitable section.

4) Check for lateral stability.

5) Check for bending

6) Check for shear.

7) Check for bearing.

8) Check for deflection.

Design of Axially Loaded Members

Timber sections are commonly used in construction as axially loaded members
or members in combined axial force and bending. Members of a truss, posts or
columns, vertical wall studs and bracing elements are the typical examples.

This section only deals in detail with the general considerations necessary for
the design of compression members and describes the design details of solid
section rectangular timber members which are loaded axially without bending.

Design of Compression Members

Compression members include posts or columns, vertical wall studs, and struts
in trusses and girders. Permissible stresses for timber compression members are
governed by the particular conditions of service and loading defined in
and of which relate to
different service class conditions, duration of loading and load-sharing systems
respectively; and also by the additional factors given in of the code
which are detailed here. deals with design of compression
members and divides them into two categories:

1) Members subject to axial compression (without bending)

2) Members subject to combined axial compression and bending (this may
be due to applied eccentric compressive force)

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Design Considerations of Compression Members

The main design considerations for compression members are:
(a) Slenderness ratio - This relates to positional restraint of ends, lateral
restraint along the length and cross-sectional dimensions of the member.
(b) Axial compression and bending stresses

Slenderness Ratio
The load-carrying capacity of compression members is a function of the
slenderness ratio, , which is calculated as the effective length, , divided by
the radius of gyration, :

The radius of gyration, , is given by;

Where is the second moment of area and is the cross-sectional area of the
member.

of recommends that the slenderness

ratio should not exceed a value of:

for compression members carrying dead and imposed loads

other than loads resulting from wind

for any members subject to reversal of axial stress solely from

the effect of wind and any compression member carrying self-weight and wind
loads only

Effective Length of a Column

The effective length, , of a column which is given in should be
derived from either:

1) The deflected form of compression member as affected by any restraint

and or fixing moments. Then the effective length is considered as the
distance between adjacent points of zero bending moment, or
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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

2) of the code for the particular end conditions at the column ends.
Then the effective length is obtained by multiplying a relevant coefficient
taken from this table by the actual length,

The end conditions defined

in of
. These conditions
are illustrated in figure.

Modification Factor for Compression Members

For compression members with slenderness ratios equal to or greater than 5,
of the code require that the permissible compressive stresses are
further modified by the modification factor for compression members.

The modification factor for compression members, , can be determined

using either of or calculated from the equation given in
of the code. For either method, the minimum value of modulus of
elasticity (i.e. ) should be used in all cases including when load sharing
is present. The value of for use in either method, should be the grade
compressive stress, which is given in of the code
modified only for moisture content & duration of loading where appropriate.
This will necessitate that all relevant load cases be considered, as the value
will differ with each load duration.
It is to be noted that for members comprising two or more pieces connected
together in parallel and acting together to support the loads, the minimum
modulus of elasticity should be modified by given in or given
in of the code. For horizontally laminated members, the modified
mean modulus of elasticity should be used according to the guidelines given in
& of the code. The equation given in for calculation of
is in the following form:

[ ] {[ ] }

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Permissible stress for a very short column

Minimum modulus of elasticity,
Slenderness ratio,

Eccentricity factor,
Reduction factor for grade stresses & modulus of elasticity,

Design of Axially Loaded Compression Members

The compression member is designed so that the applied compressive stress
does not exceed the permissible compressive stress parallel to the grain.

, & are general modification factors & is specific for compressive

stress.

Applied compressive stress parallel to grain

Grade compressive stress parallel to grain
Admissible or permissible compressive stress parallel to
grain

Applied compressive stress is given by;

Applied axial compressive force

Cross sectional area

Design of Load Bearing Stud Walls

Stud walls are often constructed as load-bearing walls in timber framed housing.
Details of a typical stud wall are shown in following figure.

Stud walls consist of vertical timber members, commonly referred to as studs,

which are held in position by nailing them to timber rails or plates, located
along the top and bottom ends of the studs. These walls can be designed to resist
both vertical and lateral loadings; wind load being a typical example of a lateral
load. Each stud may be considered to be laterally restrained about its axis,

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

fully or partially (for example, at mid height), either by the cladding or

sheathing material, such as plasterboard and by internal noggings or diagonal
bracing. Therefore in situations
where the cladding or sheathing
material is properly attached to
the stud along its whole length,
the strength of the stud can be
calculated about its axis;
otherwise the greater of the
slenderness ratios about the
individual studs and
axes should be considered
in the design calculations.

The following general

considerations may apply in
designing stud walls:

1) Studs are considered as a series of posts (columns) carrying concentric

(axial compression) or combined bending and axial compressive loads.
2) Load-sharing: If stud spacing is less than (which it usually is),
the load-sharing factor ( ) applies.
3) End restraints: In general the individual studs are assumed to be laterally
restrained in position but not in direction (pinned ends), as these walls are
normally provided with a top and bottom rail. In other situations, for
example where the studs bases are cast in concrete, the appropriate end
conditions should be used.

Design of Struts in Roof Trusses

Compression members in triangulated frameworks such as trusses & girders,
but excluding trussed rafters which are dealt with in , should
be designed as either simple column or as a spaced column, but subjected to the
followings.

(a) Continuous Compression Members

The effective length for the purpose of determining the slenderness ratio
may be taken as between 0.85 & 1.0 (depending on the degree of fixity &
the distribution of load between node points) times the distance between

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the node points of the framework, & times the actual distance between
the effective lateral restraints for buckling perpendicular to the plane of
the framework.
Plane of truss (where )

Out of plane of truss (where )

Distance between
Node points Node points

Distance between
Lateral restraints

Lateral restraints

(b) Non-Continuous Compression Members(web members in a framework)

The effective length for buckling depends on the type of connection at the
ends of the members & may be calculated using Table 21 for the
appropriate end fixity.

Where a single bolt or connector at the end of a compression member

permits rotation of the member & the effective length should be taken as
the actual distance between the bolts or connectors.

Where a web member fastened by glued gusset plates is partially

restrained at both ends in position & direction & the effective lengths for
buckling in & out of the plane of the truss should be taken as 0.9 times
the actual distance between the points of intersection of the lines passing
through the centroids of the member connected.

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SCOT 9209-521 STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TIMBER

Design Steps for Compression Member

1) Load evaluation.

2) Applied compressive stress calculation.

3) Selection of a suitable section.

4) Check for slenderness ratio.

5) Check for compression

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