TIMBER DESIGN LECTURE NOTES

TIMBER DESIGN
LECTURE NO. 2
REFERENCE: DESIGN OF WOOD STRUCTURES ASD/LRFD BY BREYER

BEAM DESIGN
The design of wood beams follows the same basic overall procedure used in the design of beams of
other structural materials. The criteria that need to considered are:
a) Bending
b) Shear
c) Deflection

BENDING
The wood is relatively weak in tension perpendicular to grain. This is true whether the cross-grain
tension stress is caused by a direct tension force perpendicular to grain or by loading that causes cross-grain
bending. Cross-grain tension should be generally avoided.
The check for bending stress in wood beams uses the familiar formula from strength of materials

where: fb = actual bending stress

M = moment of the beam
c = distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fibers
I = moment of inertia of beam cross-section about axis of bending
S = Section Modulus
F’b = adjusted bending design value

SHEAR
The shear stress in a beam is often referred to as horizontal shear. From strength of materials it will be
recalled that the shear at any point in the cross-section of a beam can be computed by the formula:

DEFLECTION
Deflection may be determined from a traditional deflection analysis.

Page | 1
Prepared By: Engr. Carol Grace Alcid
 TIMBER DESIGN LECTURE NOTES
SAMPLE PROBLEM:
1. A 100 mm x 300 mm rectangular beam caries a uniformly distributed load of “W” kN/m over its entire
span. The beam is freely supported at its ends. If the masx. Allowable bending stress is 8.75 MPa and
simultaneously the max. allowable shearing stess is 0.70 MPa. Determine (a) the max. vertical shear, (b)
length of the beam and (c) value of “W” in kN/m.

2. A simply supported T-shaped wood beam has a span of 4 m and uniform load of
20 kN/m. The maximum moment of the beam is 20 kN-m. Determine the (a)
maximum shearing stress, (b) maximum bending stress and (c) maximum
deflection of the wood beam.

3. A simply supported beam is constructed from a 25 mm thick board as shown.

The allowable flexural stress is 10.2 MPa and allowable shearing stress is 1.2
MPa. Determine (a) moment of inertia of the beam and (b) governing “W”
applied to the beam.

LATERAL SUPPORTED BEAM

SAMPLE PROBLEM
1. A retaining wall 1.5 m high is constructed of horizontal wood planks 75 mm (actual dimension) that are
supported by vertical wood pile 300 mm diameter size. The lateral earth pressure is 4.8 kPa at the top
and 19.2 kPa at the bottom. Allowable bending stress in wood is 8.3 MPa.
a. Determine the spacing “S” of the piles as governed by the load-carrying capacity of the planks.
Consider the planks to act as simple beams between piles. (Ans: 1.8 m)
b. If the spacing S = 1.5 m, determine the thickness required for the plank. (Ans: 32.7mm)
c. Determine the spacing S of the piles as governed by the load-carrying capacity of the piles.
Consider the piles of act as a canteliver beams subjected to a trapezoidal distribution of loads.
(Ans: 2.04m)

2. A temporary wood dam is constructed of horizontal planks. A supported by vertical wood post B that
are sunk into the ground so that they acts as a cantilever beam. The posts are of squire cross-section and
spaced at distance S = 0.8m center to center. Assume that the water level behind is at its full height h =
2m.
a. Determine the minimum required dimension of square posts if the allowable bending stress in the
wood is 8MPa. (Ans: 200mm x 200mm)
b. Determine the maximum height of water if a 150mm x 150mm post is used. (Ans: 1.51 m)
c. Determine the spacing of the post if a 200 mm x 150 mm is used with the 200 side to be
perpendicular to the horizontal planks A. Assume that water behind the dam us at full height =
2m. (Ans: 0.61m)

ALLOWABLE BENDING STRESS

A) SIZE FACTOR ADJUSTMENT
When the depth of a rectangular sawn lumber bending member 125 mm or thicker exceeds 300 mm, the
allowable bending stress Fb shall be multiplied by the size factor Cf.

Page | 2
Prepared By: Engr. Carol Grace Alcid
 TIMBER DESIGN LECTURE NOTES

( )

B) SLENDERNESS FACTOR
When the depth of a bending member exceeds its breath, lateral support may be required slenderness
factor Cs shall be computed using the relation:

TYPE OF BEAM SPAN AND NATURE OF LOAD:

1. Single span beam with concentrated load at the midspan.
2. Single span beam with uniformly distributed load.
3. Single span beam with equal ends moment.
4. Cantilever beam with load concentrated at unsupported end.
5. Cantilever beam with uniformly distributed load.

i. SHORT BEAM
When Slenderness factor Cs < 10 ; Use Fb’ = Fb

ii. INTERMEDIATE BEAM

When Cs > 10 but less than Ck
Where √

( ( ) )

iii. LONG BEAM

When Cs > Cf but less than 50

but Cs should not exceed 50.

SAMPLE PROBLEM:
1. A single span beam having a span of 6m has a cross-section of 200 mm x 500 mm carries a uniformly
distributed load throughout its span. The beam is made up of visually stress-graded unseasoned Apitong
with 80 % stress grade with an allowable bending stress of 16.5 MPa, a modulus of elasticity of 7310
MPa and an allowable deflection of the beam is L/240 of span.
a. Compute the slenderness factor of the beam (Ans: 12)
b. Compute the allowable bending stress (Ans: 15.2 MPa)
c. Compute the uniformly distributed load it could carry. (Ans: 22.5 kN/m)

2. A single span beam having an unsupported span of 20 m carries a uniform load of “W” kN/m
throughout its span. The beam has a cross section of 150 mm x 600 mm. Allowable bending stress of the
wood is 12.4 MPa with an elastic modulus of 13,800 MPa.
Page | 3
Prepared By: Engr. Carol Grace Alcid
 TIMBER DESIGN LECTURE NOTES
a. Compute the allowable bending stress with size factor adjustment. (Ans: 11.48 MPa)
b. Compute the allowable bending stress with slenderness factor adjustment. (Ans: 5.9 MPa)
c. Compute the load “W” that the beam could carry. (Ans: 1,062 kN/m)

Page | 4
Prepared By: Engr. Carol Grace Alcid