Manual

Timber Code Check

Timber Code Check

Table Of Contents

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
PARAMETERS .......................................................................................................... 3
Material properties ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Timber parameters ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Adjusting the parameters for design ................................................................................................................... 5

CODE CHECK ........................................................................................................... 7

Performing the check............................................................................................................................................ 7
Detailed check........................................................................................................................................................ 7

OPTIMISATION.......................................................................................................... 9
Introduction to optimisation ................................................................................................................................ 9
Principles of optimisation ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Optimisation parameters...................................................................................................................................... 9
Optimising the members..................................................................................................................................... 10

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Introduction
The ESA PT Timber Code Check module is a program for the design of timber structures. It consists of stress
and stability verifications of timber members according to the code. It is also possible to search interactively for
the lightest section, which meets the code requirements for selected loadings (optimisation).
The following structural timber design codes are supported : Eurocode 5.
For more details about the used codes and the theoretical background, we refer to the Theoretical Background
manual and to the code itself.
IMPORTANT: Only straight beams can be checked. The solution for curved beams is not
implemented.

Parameters
Material properties
In addition to standard material properties, there are a few extra parameters related to the code check.
Bending (fm, k)

characteristic value of bending strength

Tension (ft, 0, k)

characteristic value of tensile strength parallel to grain

Tension (ft, 90, k)

characteristic value of tensile strength perpendicular to

grain

Compression (fc, 0, k)

characteristic value of compressive strength parallel to

grain

Compression (fc, 90, k)

characteristic
value
perpendicular to grain

Shear (fv, k)

characteristic value shear strength

Modulus (E0.05)

5-percentile characteristic value of modulus of elasticity

parallel to grain

Modulus (E 90 mean)

mean characteristic value of modulus of elasticity

perpendicular to grain

Type of timber

Solid or Glued, laminated type can be selected.

of

compressive

strength

Procedure to adjust material properties

1.

Open the Material manager, e.g. through the tree menu function Library > Materials.

2.

Select the required material.

3.

Press button [Edit].

4.

Fill in the parameters under group EC5.

5.

Close the editing dialogue.

6.

Close the Material manager.

Timber parameters
Gamma m, settings NAD
Ultimate limit states
These parameters represent the box values from EC5, table 2.3.3.2.
fundamental combinations:
timber and wood-based
materials

Specifies gamma m for fundamental combinations:

timber and wood-based materials.

fundamental combinations:
steel used in joints

Specifies gamma m fundamental combinations: steel

used in joints.

accidental combinations

Specifies gamma m accidental combinations.

Serviceability limit states

"serviceability coeff."

The coefficient for serviceability combinations.

(title not shown)

Interaction buckling - LTB
No interaction

No interaction between buckling and lateral torsional

buckling is performed. Only the separate checks
according to EC5 are executed.

According to CSN NAD

Interaction between buckling and lateral torsional

Timber Code Check

buckling according to the CSN NAD is performed: the

LTB is checked for the moment around the major axis,
together with the buckling influence.
According to DIN NAD

Interaction between buckling and lateral torsional

buckling according to the DIN NAD is performed: the
LTB is checked for the moments around both axis,
together with the buckling influence.

Default sway types

This setting will be used for the beams where no detailed adjustment of buckling parameters is made.
The sway type is used to calculate the buckling length coefficients for flexural buckling, it has no effect on
defined buckling length ratios.
Buckling length ratios ky, kz
As input

The program will always use the input values.

Calculated

The program will use the calculated ky and kz factors

and neglect all input values.

Calculated only if no input

value

The program uses the input values of coefficients if the

coefficients values were defined.
The program uses the calculated values if the
coefficients values were NOT defined or if their vaule
was set to 1 (minus one).

Bigger of input and calculated

Program takes the greater of the two available values

i.e. the less favourable value.

Smaller of input and

calculated

Program takes the smaller of the two available values

i.e. the more favourable value.

Max. k ratio

The calculated value of k will be limited to this value.

Max. slenderness

If the slenderness of the checked member exceeds this

value, the program will print a warning in the output.

Check bounds
Individual results of checks for timber members are divided into three groups in accordance with the standard:
unused

unity check lower than the lower limit

optimal

unity check between the lower and upper limit

non-satisfying

unity check greater than the upper limit

The items in Check bounds group can be used to set the lower and upper limit. The default values are 0.25
for the lower limit and 1.0 for the upper limit.
Once the calculation is performed and the results drawn in the graphical window, the adjusted limits control the
colour of result diagram.
Service class setting

Class 1 is characterized by a moisture content in the

materials corresponding to a temperature of 20C and
the relative humidity of the surrounding air only
exceeding 65% for a few weeks per year.

Class 2 is characterized by a moisture content in the

materials corresponding to a temperature of 20C and
the relative humidity of the surrounding air only

Parameters

exceeding 85% for a few weeks per year.

3

Class 3 climatic conditions leading to higher moisture

contents than in service class 2.

k mod, k def
For each selected service class you can specify the modification factors k mod depending on the material
(Solid and glued laminated timber, Plywood) and the load duration class (permanent, long-term, mediumterm, short term and instantaneous). (See EC5, table 3.1.7).
For each selected service class you can specify the factors k def depending on the material and the load
duration class (See EC5, table 4.1).
The factor k def is a factor which takes into account the increase in deformation over time due to the combined
effect of creep and moisture.
The load-duration classes are characterized by the effect of a constant load acting for a certain period of time
in the life of the structure.
Load duration class

Time of duration

Examples

permanent

more than 10 years

self-weight

long-term

6 months - 10 years

storage

medium-term

1 week 6 months

imposed loads

short-term

less than one week

snow, wind

instantaneous

accidental loads

The load duration class is defined during the input of the load cases.

Adjusting the parameters for design

The user must review and adequately adjust a set of design and calculation parameters prior to performing a
successful and accurate design and checking of a timber member. All the parameters that may be adjusted are
integrated into one modal dialogue.
The procedure for modifying parameters
1.

Call tree menu function Timber > Setup.

2.

The Setup dialogue opens on the screen.

3.

Select the required parameter set.

4.

Input desired values.

5.

Confirm the settings with [OK].

Code check
Performing the check
The procedure to perform the check
1.

Open service Timber.

2.

Select function Check (single click on the function is sufficient to invoke the function).

3.

Select the required type of load.

4.

Select the required load case, combination or class.

5.

Select beams to be checked.

6.

Select the required quantity and if required, make other adjustments in the property window.

7.

Click Action button [Refresh] to see the selected design values.

8.

Repeat steps 3 to 7 as many times as required.

IMPORTANT: Only straight beams can be checked. The solution for curved beams is not
implemented.

Detailed check
If required, a selected member can be checked in detail. To do so, press button [Single check] in the Action
bar of function Check.
Single cross-section dialogue provides for detailed view of design results.
Text window
This window contains the results of the check for the selected member presented in tabular form.
Graphical window
A simple result diagram is drawn here.
Next/Previous buttons
You may use these buttons to select other members from the project.
View selection
It is possible to view in the text window either the report on the check or a table of internal forces (effects).
Procedure to perform the detailed check
1.

Open service Timber.

2.

Select function Check (single click on the function is sufficient to invoke the function).

3.

Select the required type of load.

4.

Select the required load case, combination or class.

5.

Press action button [Single check].

6.

Select the beam to be checked.

7.

The Single check dialogue is opened on the screen.

Optimisation
Introduction to optimisation
Once a structure has been designed and calculated, it is the time to perform checking and usually a kind of
optimisation of the original design.
SCIA.ESA PT contains a powerful tool for this task. The optimisation of applied profiles may be done
automatically or semi-automatically. The process of optimisation results in what may be called an economical
and good solution.
The optimisation process in SCIA.ESA PT is based on assumptions given in the following chapter.

Principles of optimisation
An optimisation in general represents a complex task. A full, complete and really "optimal" optimisation would
usually lead to a long and often recursive process. Therefore, SCIA.ESA PT implements a kind of compromise.
One optimisation step takes account of a single cross-section only
It is possible to optimise one cross-section at a time. The user selects the cross-section from a list of all crosssections applied in the structure.
One optimisation step considers only "selected" members
It is possible to limit the optimisation process to only a selected set of members. The user may make a
selection to specify which beams of the given cross-section should be considered for the optimisation
calculations.
One optimisation step affects the whole structure
Once the optimised cross-section is found, it is applied to ALL members in the structure that are of the
specified cross-section. It is of no importance whether the optimisation calculation was limited to a selected
number of beams or not. The final effect of the optimisation is that the original cross-section is simply replaced
with the new, i.e. optimised, cross-section.

Optimisation parameters
The user may control the process of optimisation by means of a set of parameters.
Check parameter
Maximal check

This parameter tells the program what is the maximal allowable

value for satisfactory checking.

Maximum unity check

This item shows the found maximal check result for the
optimised cross-section.

Shape parameters for optimisation

Dimension

This item determines which of the dimensions of the crosssection should be optimised. All other dimensions remain
unchanged.

Step

This item specifies the step by which the selected dimension id

modified in order to give one-step smaller or larger crosssection.

Minimum

This item specifies the minimal size of the selected dimension.

Maximum

This item specifies the maximal size of the selected dimension.

Buttons for manual optimisation

Set value

This button enables the user to set manually the required value

Timber Code Check

of selected dimension (see above).

Next down

This button finds one-step smaller cross-section according to

defined shape parameters (see above).

Next up

This button finds one-step larger cross-section according to

defined shape parameters (see above).

Buttons for automatic optimisation

Search for optimal

This button finds automatically the optimal cross-section.

Optimising the members

It is possible to perform both automatic and manual optimisation. The process for both is identical except the
last but one step. Therefore, only one procedure will be given here in detail. The other one will be explained
briefly.
Procedure for the automatic optimisation of members
1.

Open service Timber.

2.

Select function Check.

3.

In the Property window, go to item Filter and set it to Cross-section.

4.

In the Property window, go to item Cross-section and select the one you want to optimise.

5.

In the Property window, go to item Selection and set it to User or All, depending on your
requirements.

6.

If the item is set to User, make the selection and press button [Esc] to close the selection.

7.

If the item Selection has been re-adjusted, press button [Redraw] in order to refresh the screen
and see the appropriate display.

8.

In the Property window, go to item Optimisation and press the button there.

9.

The optimisation dialogue is opened on the screen.

10. Adjust the parameters as required.

11. Press button [Search for optimal]. The program finds the optimal cross-section.
12. If you agree, press [OK] to confirm.
Procedure for the manual optimisation of members
The procedure is identical except step 11.
In manual optimisation, the user must press (repeatedly, if required) buttons [Next down] and [Next Up], in
order to find the optimal cross-section. Alternatively, it is also possible to set the required value directly by
means of button [Set value].
Note: The project must be calculated beforehand.

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