CV461: Design of Timber Structures

Tutorial Week 10
Question 1
A floor joist in Brisbane (Queensland) is to be designed from two pieces of 35 mm thick MGP12 timber
to give a total joist thickness of 70 mm. The joist will have a clear span of 3.5 m and the following
factored loads have been identified as being the critical load cases:

Serviceability factored loads in the critical load case

• imposed (crowd) 1.2 kN/m
• total (servic’ty) 1.2 kN/m

Strength factored loads in the critical load case

• permanent 1.0 kN/m
• imposed (crowd) 2.5 kN/m
• total (strength) 3.5 kN/m

Particleboard sheeting floor will be nailed to the joists along the top edge at close centres. It will sit on
brick walls at each end with the length of bearing of 110 mm. In order to give satisfactory vibration
performance, the deflection limits have been set at span/300 for the load case given as the
serviceability load case above.

a. Calculate the design span (L) and an appropriate deflection limit (in mm). Then use it to select
a cross-section to satisfy the serviceability criteria

b. Check the bending capacity of the beam against the strength limit states bending moment for
the critical strength limit state load case given

c. Check the shear strength of the beam.

Question 2

A resort is being built on the north coast of New South Wales and the design calls for a number of
walkways. This task concerns the design of the rafters for the covered walkways. The rafters will be
sized for strength.

Walkway rafter:
Design span 2965 mm
Rafter spacing 600 mm
Batten spacing 300 mm (battens are screwed to the top edge of the rafter)

Factored permanent and imposed load combination gives

M*= 1.4 kNm (estimate, 5 days)
Factored permanent and imposed load combination gives
M*=0.51 kNm (estimate, 50+ years)
Factored wind uplift combination gives
M*=0.44 kNm uplift (estimate, 5 seconds)
Beams – to be sized from unseasoned hardwood visually graded as F11
Beams will be single span rafters in covered walkways
a. Find the critical strength limit state design moment.

b. Select a cross-section to carry the moment for that combination.

c. If restraint conditions under any other combinations differ from those of the critical load
combination, check performance under that load condition. Check capacity under all load
combinations.