Timber Structure
Introduction:
Wood which is as organic cellular material is
known as timber when it is used for
structure, or wood used for structures is
termed as timber.
Because of low cost, timber is used for
temporary structure, formwork and
scaffolding.
Nowadays timber are used as beam,
column, piles, and other structural purpose.
Timber Structure
Structure of Timber:
Figure 1: Cross-section of Timber
Timber Structure
Characteristics of Good Timber:
The annular ring of the section must be close to
each other.
When freshly cut, the cut face should emit sweet
smell.
Timber should have dark uniform colour.
Timer should be dense.
Timber Structure
Defects in Timber:
Timber may have defects caused by the climatic situation, the
type of soil where the trees have grown and also due to certain
calamities produced by nature. The defects in timber are
mainly due to irregularity of the grains. Defective timer affects
the quality and leads to wastage. The common defects in
timber are the following:
Knots: These are caused by the trunk of a tree growing
around a limb.
Shakes: Separation along the grain between the annual
growths rings is known as shakes.
Rupture: This is an injury caused due to the crushing of
fibres.
Wane: This refers to the presence of bark at the corner or
edge of a piece of timber.
Timber Structure
Use of timber as a structural member in construction:
Timber is used as building components. Timber trusses
are used in building. Nowadays for permanent bridge
work of importance, use of wood has become obsolete.
This is due to following reasons:
Timber components required often frequent renewal.
Steel components are cheaper.
There is often difficulty and considerable delay in
securing the designed quality, sizes and lengths of
timber.
Timber components reliable to be caught by fire. In
this regards steel has the maximum advantages.
Timber Structure
Structural Timber and Factor Affecting the Strength of
Timber:
Structural Timber:
A well-seasoned timber having higher strength to weight ratio
and without any defects like knots, shake, crack warping etc is
called the structural timber.
Factor affecting the strength of Timber:
There are various factors which affecting the strength of
timber, which is given below:
Moisture content: for structural timber, well-seasoned
timbers are used (moist content 10 – 17%)
Defects in timber:
Specimen of timber:
Grain orientation :0 degree slope represent 100% strength
Timber Structure
Advantages and Disadvantages of Timber Structures:
Advantages:
It is widely available material
More easy to work, transport and fabricate.
It is cheap, light in weight as compared to steel.
High axial compressive strength.
Disadvantages:
It is less durable than steel and concrete.
Weak in tension and flexure.
They can be affected by climatic factors such as rain,
temperature, moisture etc.
Its strength is considerably reduced due to the presence of
various defects like knots, shakes, cracks etc.
Timber Structure
Codes of practice for design of timber structures:
There are various codes of practice for timber
structures in Indian Standards. Some of the codes are
listed here:
IS883:1984 Design of structural timber in building code of
practice
IS883:1970 Permissible limits for defects in structural timber
IS287:1993 Recommendations for permissible moisture
content for timber used for different purpose
IS401:1982 Code of practice for preservation of timber etc.
Timber Structure
Design of Flexure Member:
Types of beams:
Classification of beams with respect to support
condition:
Cantilever beam
Simply (freely) supported beam
Overhanging beam
Fixed beam
Continuous beam
Timber Structure
Design of Timber and Flitched Beam:
Procedure for Design of Timber Beam:
Calculate maximum bending moment developed on
the beam.
Choose suitable specimen of timber, so or is known.
bc bt
Moment of resistance (MOR)
Assume b/d ratio (d =1.5 to 2b) MOR * z * bd 2
6
Check for deflection
max
permissible
Check for shear max permissible
Check for bearing stress pb permissible
Timber Structure
Form Factor:
In deep beam the stress decreases from the outer
fiber to the neutral axis (N-A). The carrying
capacity of deep rectangular beam is less.
The form factor K is applied for rectangular beams
greater in depth than 300mm.
To make due allowance ‘e’ for the varying depths
of beam the following form factor K for the depth
shall be applied.
Timber Structure
For rectangular or square beams: (CODE)
D 2 894
K 0.81 2 where D is the depth in cm
D 550
For Box girder and I-beams: (CODE)
D 2 894
K 0.8 0.8 * 2 1 where D is the depth in cm
D 550
where,
p12 6 8 p1 3 p12 1 q1 q1
d
p1 ratio of the total thickness of the compression flange to the depth of the beam 1
d
t
q1 ratio of the total thickness of web or webs to the overall width of beam 1
t2
Timber Structure
Where,
V Shear Force at the section,
b = width of the beam
D = depth of the beam
D1 =depth of the beam at notch
D 2 =depth of the notch
Timber Structure
Bearing Stress:
Permissible bearing stress parallel to the grain is taken as
permissible compressive stress given in code.
But the permissible bearing stress perpendicular to the
grains is governed by the following consideration:
Length of the bearing.
Distance from the extremity of the member.
As per the I.S code when the bearing is located 75mm or
more from the end of the member the permissible
compressive stress perpendicular to the grains may be
multiplied by a modification factor K7.
Timber Structure
cp * cn
c
cp sin 2 cn cos 2
ce Permissible bearing stres in the direction of action of the load
cp Permissible bearing stres parallel to the grians
cn Permissible bearing stres perpendicular to the grians
=inclination of the bearing stress with the direction of the grains.
Timber Structure
The following points may be noted while designing timber beams:
The width of a beam shall not be less than 1/50 of the span and
shall not be less than 50 mm.
The depth of a beam should not exceed 3 times of the width
unless stiffened laterally.
If the depth of a beam exceeds 3 times the width or if the span
exceeds 50 times the width, it is necessary to provide lateral
supports at a spacing equal to 50 times the width to avoid
buckling due to torsion.
For beam supporting brittle material the deflection limit is
span/360.
For other beam the deflection limit is span/240. For cantilever
the deflection limit is span/180.
The bearing length at the supported end of a beam shall be not
less than 75 mm when supported on masonry concrete.
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
1. Design a timber beam having a span of 6m carries
a UDL of 15 KN/m including the self-weight of the
beam. Assuming the beam to be made of deodar
wood.
Solution:
Provide 250 mm bearing at each end
Effective span = 6 +0.25 = 6.25m
Total U.D.L (W) = 15 KN/m
wl 2 15*6.252
Bending moment (M) = 73.24KN .m
8 8
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Provide a depth of 420 mm
According to our code, the depth of the beam shall
not be taken more than three times of its breadth
without lateral stiffening.
In our case 3b = 3*250 = 750 mm
d = 420 mm (d<3b)
Hence the beam does not required lateral stiffening.
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Determine the form factor and load carrying capacity
of the cross sections of beams of teak , as shown in
figure.
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
1. Rectangle:
We have form code permissible stress for group ‘B’
(Teak) timber
b 12.3N / mm 2 1.23KN / cm 2
we have for rectangular section ,
D 2 894 362 894
Form factor = K 0.81 2 =0.81 2 0.96
D 550 36 550
18*362
moment of resitance = b ZK 1.23* *0.96 4591KN .cm
6
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Timber Structure (Beam Design Numerical)
Timber Structure (column)
Compression Members: (Timber column)
Timber column may be solid columns, box columns or built
up columns.
A solid column means a column which consists of a single
piece of wood. Solid columns are usually rectangular in
section, though sometimes circular sections are also
adopted.
Columns are classified in to short, intermediate and ling
column based on L/D ratio. Where,
L = unsupported length of column
D = least lateral dimension of the column section.
Short columns are columns for which the ratio L/D does not
exceed 11.
Intermediate columns are columns for which the ratio L/D is
between 11 and K8
Timber Structure (column)
Long columns are columns for which the ratio L/D
is greater than K8
E
K8 0.702
cp
where,
E Modulus of elasticity for timbers = 10800 MPa
cp Permissible bearing stres parallel to the grians
Timber Structure (column)
Safe compressive stress for solid columns:
Column Slenderness ratio (L/D) Safe Compressive Stress
Short column L/D < 11 cp
Intermediate column 11< L/D< K 1 L 4
cp 1
3 kd
Long Column L/D>K 0.329E
2
L
d
Timber Structure (column)
Safe compressive stress for Built up and Box
Columns:
Column Slenderness ratio (L/D) Safe Compressive Stress
Short column L cp
8
d1 d 2
2 2
Intermediate column L 4
8 K9
1 L
d1 d 2
2 2
cp 1
3 K d2 d2
9 1 2
Long Column L 0.329UE
K9
L /
2
d d
1
2 2
2 d d
2 2
1 2
Timber Structure (column)
U *E
K9
2 5 cp
Where, E =modulus of Elasticity,
U =0.8 for 35 mm thick plank
and 0.6 for 50 mm thick plank
d1 and d 2 = least dimension of box column and its core respectively
Timber Structure (column numerical )
Find safe axial load for a sal wood column circular in
section with 20cm diameter and length 3.5m.
Solution: For sal wood
Timber Structure (column)
Timber Structure
Timber Structure
