lOMoARcPSD|18318811

lOMoARcPSD|18318811

Structural Design Example of Timber Beam According to

Eurocode 5

A 75 mm by 200 mm deep sawn timber beam in a domestic residence supports the

characteristic loading shown below. The beam has a clear span of 2.75 m, the bearing length
has been restricted to 100 mm at each end, is of strength class C24 to BS EN 338:2003, and
functions in service class 2 conditions. The beam is laterally restrained against lateral
buckling along its length.

Given that
Gk.udl = 1.3 kN/m (characteristic uniformly distributed permanent action)
Qk.udl = 1.5 kN/m (characteristic uniformly distributed medium-term action)
Gk.p = 1.00 kN characteristic point load at mid-span

1. Beam geometric properties

Breadth of the beam b = 75 mm
Depth of the beam h = 200 mm
Clear span of the beam, lc = 2750 mm
Bearing length of the beam at each end, bl = 100 mm
Design span of the beam l = (lc + lb) = 2750 + 100 = 2850 = 2.85 m

Section modulus of the beam about the y–y axis, Wy = bh2/6 = (75 × 2002)/6 =
Wy = 5 × 105 mm3

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2. Timber properties
Table 1.3, strength class C24 (BS EN 338:2003, Table 1):
Characteristic bending strength, fm.k = 24 N/mm2
Characteristic shear strength, fv.k = 2.5 N/mm2
Characteristic bearing strength, fc,90,k = 2.5 N/mm2
Fifth-percentile modulus of elasticity parallel to the grain, E0.05
E0.05 = 7.4 kN/mm2
Mean modulus of elasticity parallel to the grain, E0,mean
E0,mean = 11 kN/mm2
Mean shear modulus, G0,mean = 0.69 kN/mm2
Mean density of the beam timber, ρm = 420 kg/m3

3. Partial safety factors

(UKNA to BS EN 1990:2002, Table NA.A1.2(B))) for the ULS
Permanent actions, γG.ULS = 1.35
Variable actions, γQ.ULS = 1.5

(UKNA to BS EN 1990:2002, Table NA.A1.1 – Category A)

Factor for the quasi-permanent value of the variable action, ψ2 = 0.3

(UKNA to EC5, Table NA.3)

Material factor for solid timber at the ULS, γM = 1.3

4. Actions
(i) ULS
(a) Characteristic self-weight of the beam, Gk,swt
Gk,swt = b · h · g · ρm = (0.075 × 0.2 × 9.81 × 420)/1000 = 0.062 kN/m
Design action from the selfweight of the beam, Fd,swt
Fd,swt = γG.ULS · Gk.swt = 1.35 × 0.062 = 0.0837 kN/m

(b) Characteristic permanent action due to the point load, Gk,p

Gk,p = 1.00 kN
Design permanent action due to the point load, Fd.p
Fd,p = γG.ULS · Gk.p = 1.35 × 1.0 = 1.35 kN

(c) Characteristic permanent action due to the UDL, Gk,udl

Gk,udl = 1.3 kN/m
Design action due to the permanent action UDL, Fd,p,udl
Fd,p,udl = γG.ULS · Gk.udl =1.35 x 1.3 = 1.755 kN/m

(d) Characteristic medium-term action due to the UDL, Qk,udl

Qk,udl = 1.5 kN/m
Design action due to the variable action UDL, Fd,q,udl
Fd,q,udl = γQ.ULS · Qk.udl = 1.5 × 1.5 = 2.25 kN/m

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Total UDL @ ULS = 0.0837 + 1.755 + 2.25 = 4.1 kN/m

Total concentrated action @ ULS = 1.35 kN

5. Modification factors
Factor for medium-duration loading and service class 2, kmod.med
kmod.med = 0.8 (EC5, Table 3.1)

Size factor for depth greater than 150 mm, kh = 1.0 (EC5, equation (3.1))

Lateral stability of the beam: kcrit = 1 (EC5, 6.3.3))

Reduction factor for notch kv = 1.0 (no notch)

Bearing factor kc,90 = (taken as 1.0) (EC5, clause 6.1.5(2) )

Deformation factor for service class 2, kdef = 0.8 (EC5, Table 3.2)

Load sharing factor, ksys is not relevant ksys = 1.0

(6) Bending strength

The design bending moment;

Md = ql2/8 + Pl/4 = (4.1 × 2.852)/8 + (1.35 × 2.85)/4 = 4.162 + 0.96 = 5.122 kNm

Design bending stress, σm,y,d = Md/Wy = (5.122 × 106)/( 5 × 105) = 10.244 N/mm2

Design bending strength, fm,y,d = (kmod.med·ksys·kh· fm.k)/γM = (0.8 × 1.0 × 1.0 × 24)/1.3 =
fm,y,d = 14.77 N/mm2

σm,y,d < fm,y,d Bending is okay

(7) Shear Strength

Design shear force Vd = ql/2 + P/2 = (4.1 × 2.85)/2 + (1.35/2) = 6.52 Kn

Design shear stress, τv.d (EC5, equation (6.60)))

τv.d = 1.5Vd/bhef = (1.5 × 6.52 × 1000)/(75 × 200) = 0.652 N/mm2

Design shear strength, fv,d = (kmod.med·ksys· fv.k)/γM = (0.8 × 1.0 × 2.5)/1.3 =

fv,d = 1.54 N/mm2

τv.d < fv,d Okay

(8) Bearing Strength

The design bearing force will equal the design shear force in the beam, Vd

Design bearing stress, σc,90,d = Vd/b·lb = (6.52 × 1000)/(75 x 100) = 0.833 N/mm2

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Design bearing strength, (EC5,equation (6.3))

fc.90.d = (kmod.med · ksys · kc.90 · fc.90.k)/ γM = (0.8 × 1.0 × 2.5)/1.3 = 1.54 N/mm2

σc,90,d < fc.90.d Okay

(9) Deflection
Instantaneous deflection due to permanent actions

uinst,point,G = (1/4) × [1/(11 × 75 × 2003)] × 28503 × [1 + 1.2 × (11/0.69) × (200/2850)2] = 0.959

mm

Uinst,udl,G = (5/32) × [(1.3 × 10-3 + 0.062 × 10-3)/(11 × 75 × 2003)] × 28504 × [1 + 0.96 ×

(11/0.69) × (200/2850)2] = 2.287 mm

Uinst.G = uinst,point,G + Uinst,udl,G = 0.959 + 2.287 = 3.246 mm

Instantaneous deflection due to variable action

Uinst,Q = (5/32) × [(1.5 × 10-3)/(11 × 75 × 2003)] × 28504 × [1 + 0.96 × (11/0.69) ×

(200/2850)2] = 2.519 mm

Combined permanent and variable instantaneous deflection = uinst = uinst,G + uinst,Q = 3.246 +
2.519 = 5.765 mm

Eurocode 5 limit on deflection (Table 7.2, EC5) winst = l/300 = 2850/300 = 9.5 mm

Final deflection
Final deflection due to permanent actions ufin,G = uinst,G (1 + kdef) (Equation 2.3, EC5)

ufin,G = 3.246 (1 + 0.8) = 5.843 mm

Final deflection due to the variable and quasi-permanent actions, ufin,Q = uinst,Q (1 + ψ2kdef)
(Equation 2.4, EC5)

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ufin,Q = uinst,Q (1 + ψ2kdef) = 2.519 (1 + 0.3 × 0.8 ) = 3.12 mm

Final deflection due to the permanent and quasi-permanent actions actions

unet,fin = ufin,G + ufin,Q = 5.843 + 3.12 = 8.963 mm

Deflection limit wnet,fin = l/150 = 2850/150 = 19 mm

The deflection of the beam is satisfactory

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