Structural Rehabilitation and

Timber Design (CIVL5277)

TIMBER DESIGN

Introduction to Timber Structures

Dr Ali Hadigheh
School of Civil Engineering | Faculty of Engineering
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Email: ali.hadigheh@sydney.edu.au

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 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Copyright Regulations 1969 warning

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the University of Sydney pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 ( the
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The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act.
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 Overview

1. Timber Structural Systems

2. Understanding Timber

3. Range of Timber Products

4. Engineering Properties of Timber

5. Timber Structures Standards (AS1720.1)

6. Summary

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

– Timber Frames
• residential
• multistorey
– Post and beam Sport court, Lycée La Tourelle, France

– Portal frames STGM head office, Quebec, Canada

– Trusses
– Space frames
– Arches / beams
– Domes
– Freeform gridded surfaces
– Solid panel construction
– Large Glulam Office, Purkersdorf, Austria, (KLH)
Dynaco BMR, Quebec, Canada
– Pre-stressed large timber frames

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Timber frame

• Small sawn timber sections

• Simple connections

• Construction on site or prefabricated

• Usually designed to AS1684

Up to 3 floors in Australia

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Post and Beam

• Gravity loads

§ Beams in flexure

§ Columns in axial compression

• Lateral loads

§ Other bracing
Pinned connections between beam and
column

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Portal frames

• Beams and columns carry moment and axial forces

Moment resisting connections

Plywood / LVL box beams, 42 m span

Auckland MOTAT, NZ

TimberLink warehouse, Canning Vale, WA

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Trusses

• Various forms
• Timber struts
• Timber or steel ties
• Load reversal
• Truss nodes can govern design
• Cost effective

Velodrome, London, UK

National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Space frames

• 3 D trusses/frames
• Members loaded axially

Earth Centre, Doncaster, UK

Round pole timbers with cast steel nodes

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Arches

• Axial compression
• One-way spanning
• Flexure for out-of-balance loads (wind)

Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada

Construction of Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada

Arches between arches

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Domes

• Axial compression – two way action

• Connection design is key
• Typically glulam elements joined at metal nodes
• Efficient, cost effective
Intersecting arches
- ring beams or
- complex details at apex Reticulated networks

Abraham Darby Sports and Learning Community, UK

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Freeform grid structures

Complex analysis
• tension/compression with bending
• continuous, small depth members
• individual design for connections and members

Windsor Great Park Gridshell, UK

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Solid panel construction

Office, Chapareillan, France (KLH)

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)

– prefabrication off-site
– lightweight
– fast construction
Hotel Post, Ascheim, Germany (KLH)

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Solid panel construction (cont.)

Structural panels
– walls
– floors

Library at the Dock,

Melbourne, Vic

Forte Apartments,
Melbourne, Vic

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Large glulam

Tamedia Office Building, Zurich, Switzerland

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 1. Timber Structural Systems

Pre-stressed large timber frames

Timber in compression
• larger span/depth ratio
• better performance for earthquakes

Connection elements
•replaceable after earthquakes
•high ductility

Massey University, Wellington, NZ

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 2. Understanding Timber

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 2. Understanding Timber

The art and science of growing wood (movie 1)

Duration 09:28

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 2. Understanding Timber

Timber and sustainability

– Timber stores carbon

– Carbon stored in one hectare varies from 100 to 300 tonnes

at year 30 depending on site and rainfall.

– Approximately 50% of the dry weight of wood is carbon

removed from the atmosphere

– Low energy used in production

– Net benefit to atmospheric carbon cycle

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 2. Understanding Timber

Timber and sustainability (cont.)

Renewable - replacement cycle

• ~ 30 years in plantations
• ~ 60 – 80 years in native forests

Reusable
• Timber elements and buildings can be
reused in other applications

Recyclable
• Waste timber recycled as chip

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 2. Understanding Timber

Growth of wood (movie 2)

Duration 03:56

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 2. Understanding Timber

How do we produce softwood (movie 3)

Duration 08:39

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 2. Understanding Timber

Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC)

– No moisture will move when moisture in wood is at equilibrium with moisture in the
atmosphere

Typical emc

Indoor air conditioned emc 8% - 10%

Indoor heated emc 8% - 12%
External - coastal emc 14% - 18%
External - inland emc 10% - 15%

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 2. Understanding Timber

Shrinkage
Tangential
shrinkage
q Cross-sectional shrinkage typically 1% to 2% in
service Radial
shrinkage
q Longitudinal shrinkage ~ 0.02%

q May be significant in unseasoned long columns

Longitudinal
q Connections detailed to accommodate small
shrinkage
movements across grain

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 2. Understanding Timber

Moisture in timber (movie 4)

Duration 03:11

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 2. Understanding Timber

Creep in timber

q Timber is visco-elastic

q Deflections increase with: INCLUDED IN DESIGN

• Time

• Changing moisture content (mc)

Straight
fibres

Spirally
wound fibres

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 2. Understanding Timber

By understanding the nature of timber, we can

§ use strength of timber effectively

§ detail connections appropriately

§ use it in the correct applications

Bandshell, South Hedland, WA

Sports complex, University
Laval, Quebec, Canada

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 Time for Break!

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 3. Range of Timber Products

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 3. Range of Timber Products

There are large range of sawn and engineering timber products that
are suitable for various applications and structural systems:
• Timber rounds, poles
• Sawn timber
• Glulam
• Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
• Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)
• Plywood
• Strand products
• I-Beams

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Timber rounds, poles

q Minimum production required

q Normally unseasoned

Aboriginal Studies Building

Curtin University, Perth, WA

Pole house, Townsville, Queensland

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Sawn timber

q Hardwood or softwood.
q Small sections
q Usually seasoned
q Readily available
q Size is restricted
q It is a versatile material used
for moulding, frames and
exposed structures.

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Recycled sawn timber

q Reclaimed and reused timber

q Usually seasoned
q Check availability

Svarmisk Resort Centre, Mt Beauty, Vic

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam)

q Small pieces of timber glued together to form a larger element.

q Used as both a structural and finishing element.
q Large sections, long spans, curved or straight
q Size is limited only by transport capacity.

Arboretum, Canberra, ACT

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)

q Large panel elements

q Suitable for walls and floors

Forte Apartments, Melbourne, Vic

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 3. Range of Timber Products

How CLT is made (movie 5)

Duration 08:08

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

q Thin layers of solid wood sliced from a flitch or peeled from a log and dried.
q Large sections
q Straight members
q Long spans Veneer Leaf

McCormick Centre,
Renmark, South Australia

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 3. Range of Timber Products

How LVL is made (movie 6)

Duration 05:49

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Plywood

q Panel members
q Alternating grain directions in plies
q Layers of veneer glued together so that the grain direction alternates between layers.

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 3. Range of Timber Products

Strand products

q Laminated Strand Lumber

q Oriented Strand Board

(Projects by Swiss Krono Group)

School of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

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 3. Range of Timber Products

I-Beams

q Lightweight
q Simple construction
q Longer-span floor systems

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Stress grade

Grading of sawn timber Engineered Wood Products

• Sort into stress-grades • Target properties – stress-grade
• Confirm properties by test on sample • Manufacture
• Properties by stress-grade • Check properties achieved
• Properties by stress-grade

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Stress grade (cont.)

Marked on timber
Suite of structural properties

v Modulus of Elasticity
v Strength
• Bending
• Tension
• Compression
• Shear

Properties in AS1720.1

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Stress grade (cont.)

A classification assigned to structural timber or wood products that indicates a suite of

characteristic values of strength and stiffness properties suitable for structural design.

Typical examples of stress grades are—

(a) F-grades for sawn timber as given in Table H2.1 of Appendix H;
(b) MGP grades for sawn timber as given in Table H3.1 of Appendix H;
(c) A17 grades for sawn timber as given in Table H3.1 of Appendix H;
(d) F-grades for plywood as given in Table 5.1;
(e) GL grades for glued laminated timber as given in Table 7.1; and
(f) proprietary stress grades detailed in a manufacturer’s product specification.

MGP: machine-graded pine

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Characteristic modulus of elasticity (E)

The characteristic modulus of elasticity values given in

AS1720.1 are mean values only and, accordingly, deflection of
individual members subjected to the design loads may vary
both above and below the calculated estimate.
Characteristic MoE = Emean
• E value appropriate for systems with many members
E5%ile
• Satisfactory guide for appearance limits
• Will give reasonable estimation of deflections / vibration
response of floors

Modulus of elasticity E is determined based on

Tables 5.1, 7.1, H2.1, Appendix H, and
Paragraphs E2 and E7.5, Appendix E of AS1720.1

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Eave and E0.05

Where the actual deflection is critical, it is suggested that lower fifth-percentile estimates of
modulus of elasticity should be obtained and used.

Where clearances between building elements must be maintained (for example, where
undesirable load paths could lead to damage or loss of function, such as doors or windows
jamming or being damaged) then it is recommended that an upper-bound estimate of deflection
be calculated and an appropriate clearance specified. An upper-bound estimate of deflection may
be obtained using a lower 5th-percentIle estimate of modulus of elasticity rather than the
average values given elsewhere in this Standard.

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Eave and E0.05

Where the actual deflection is critical, it is suggested that lower fifth-percentile estimates of
modulus of elasticity should be obtained and used.

– A procedure for estimating lower fifth-percentile values of modulus of elasticity is given in

Appendix B of AS1720.1.

o F-grades E5% ~ 0.5 Eave

o MGP grades E5% ~ 0.7 Eave
o plywood & glulam E5% ~ 0.75 Eave
o LVL E5% ~ 0.85 Eave

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Design characteristic strength of stress grade

0.07"
– Sawn timber
0.06"
– Engineered wood products

0.05"

0.04"

Parallel to grain
pr#

0.03"

Bending
0.02"
Tension
0.01"
Compression
Shear
0"
0" 10" 20" 30" 40" 50" 60" 70" 80" 90" 100"
Strength#(MPa)#

Design characteristic values

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Design properties for F-grades

• F-grades: hardwoods and

large section softwoods

• Modulus of elasticity E is
determined based on Tables
5.1, 7.1, H2.1, Appendix H,
and Paragraphs E2 and E7.5,
Appendix E of AS1720.1

Notes

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Design properties for MGP-grades

MGP grades: 35 and 45

mm thick softwoods

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Bearing and stress perpendicular to grain

Relate to density and therefore species

1. Look up species Table H2.3 and H2.4
2. Find S (unseasoned) or SD (seasoned) group
3. Look up stress for S or SD in Table H2.2

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Timber strength in connections

The classification assigned to a timber species or

species group for the purpose of calculating joint
capacity.
NOTES:
1. Unseasoned timber species or species groups
are classified into six joint groups (i.e., J1 to
J6). Seasoned timber species or species groups
are classified into six joint groups (i.e., JD1 to
JD6).
2. The joint group classifications for a range of
timber species or species groups are given in
Tables H2.3, H2.4, and H3.1, Appendix H for
hardwoods and softwoods.

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 4. Engineering Properties of Timber

Joint groups

Relates to density and therefore species

• Look up species Table H2.3 and H2.4
• Find J (unseasoned) or JD (seasoned) group

Species
• Bearing strength
• Joint strength

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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)
Section Content
2 Design properties
• Capacity factors
• Modification factors (k factors)
3 Member design
• Bending/beam
• Compression/column
• Tension
• Combined
4 Connections
• Nailed, screwed
• Bolted, coach screwed
• Split ring, shear plate
5 Plywood
6 Round timber
7 Glued-laminated (Glulam/GL)
8 Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)
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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

Flowchart to determine design capacity

Capacity factors (∅) for members and connections k factors

Section 2 (k1 for members and connections and k4 to k9 for members)
Buckling (k12) Buckling (k12)
Tension capacity
Bending capacity Compression
Section 3
capacity
Combined bending and Combined bending and
tension members compression members
Connection k factors (k13 to k18)
Section 4
Capacity of nailed, screwed, bolted connections
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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

Example 1: Glulam bending member

Glulam strength
Section 7
Glulam k factors
Capacity factors (∅) for members and connections k factors
Section 2 (k1 for members and connections and k4 to k9 for members)
Buckling (k12) Buckling (k12)
Tension capacity
Bending capacity Compression
Section 3
capacity
Combined bending and Combined bending and
tension members compression members
Connection k factors (k13 to k18)
Section 4
Capacity of nailed, screwed, bolted connections
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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

Design properties
AS1720.1
§ f 'b bending strength Sawn timber

§ f 't tension strength • F-grades Table H2.1

• MGP grades Table H3.1
§ f 'c compression strength
Plywood Table 5.1
§ f 's shear strength Timber rounds Table 6.1

§ MoE (Modulus of Elasticity) Glulam Table 7.1

LVL & CLT Manufacturer

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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

Design properties
AS1720.1
§ f ’p bearing strength (perp) Sawn timber
§ f ’l bearing strength (parallel) • MGP grades Table H3.1
• F-grades
§ Strength group
Plywood
§ Joint strength group
Timber rounds Table H2.2
Glulam
LVL

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 5. Timber Structures Standard (AS1720.1)

Design example 2: AS 1720.1 – 2010 Timber Structures

Section Content
2 Design properties
M d = φ k1 k4 k6 k9 k12 Z f 'b
• Capacity factors
• Modification factors (k factors)
3 Member design
- Bending/beam. - Compression/column
- Tension. - Combined
4 Connections
- Nailed, screwed - Bolted, coach screwed
- Split ring, shear plate
5 Plywood
6 Round timber
7 Glued-laminated (Glulam/GL)
8 Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)
App H Properties of sawn timber
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 6. Summary

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 6. Summary

• Wood is a natural material and timber properties are determined by the characteristics of
wood.
• Timber is strong and stiff parallel to grain. It has high strength-to-weight ratio.
• Timber is versatile and can be used in most structural systems. Timber has reliable structural
properties.
• Moisture moves into and out of timber in response to the environment.
• Creep occurs with time and changing moisture content.
• Design of Timber structures should comply with the requirements of AS1720.1 standard.
• F-grades are hardwoods and large section softwoods while MGP grades are 35 and 45 mm
thick softwoods.
• Bearing strength and joint strength are determined based on wood species.
• Characteristic modulus of elasticity (MoE) is based on population average of MoE.
• Characteristic strengths are based on population of 5 percentile
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 Plan for Next Session

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 Plan for Next Session

– Design of tension and compression members

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 References

– AS1720.1-2010, Timber Structures- Part 1: Design Methods

– WoodSolution design and build resources

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