Course content

• Properties of timber as a building material
• Wood mechanics
• Engineering wood products
• Timber components and timber structural systems
• Design of cross-sections and stability of timber components
• Introduction to timber connections
• Structural fire design of timber components
• Main principles for structural analysis of timber structures
• Serviceability Limit State: deflections

Learning outcome

Timber Structures 1 is the first of the two courses within design of timber structures. The course covers basic topics related to the structural analysis and design of timber components according to Eurocode 5. Together with TKT4212 Timber Structures 2, the course offers a rather comprehensive basis in the analysis and design of timber structures.

Timber Structures 1 has the following learning objectives:

Knowledge. The students shall have knowledge about:

• Timber as a structural material: environmental properties and contribution to sustainable construction, micro- and macro- structure of wood, defects, anisotropy, mechanical properties, failure modes, moisture effects, time-dependent effects (creep and stress relaxation), durability.
• Strength-grading.
• Engineering wood products and their properties: solid timber, glued-laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, laminated veneer lumber, plywood, timber panels, etc.
• Timber components and timber structural systems (beams, columns, trusses, portal frames, arches, light-timber frames, cross-laminated timber buildings, post-and-beam systems, bracing systems).
• Resistance of cross-sections subjected to axial or shear force, bending or torsional moment, as well as combination of these.
• Stability of timber members, subjected to axial compression or bending moment, as well as combinations of these.
• Typology and basic principles of timber connections.
• Mechanical behavior of timber components exposed to fire.
• Main principles for structural analysis of timber structures.
• Verification of deflections for the Serviceability Limit State.

Skills. The students shall be able to:

• Perform all necessary Ultimate-Limit State design verifications of timber components, according to Eurocode 5 and determine the necessary cross-sectional dimensions.
• Identify and assess the implications of anisotropy, moisture and time-dependent effects, on the response of timber components.
• Propose structural timber systems (e.g. trusses, portal-frames, arches, post-and-beam systems, CLT-based systems) and describe the transfer of gravity and lateral loads to the foundation.
• Carry out simple Finite Element Analysis and determine load effects of timber structures.

General competence:

• The theoretical foundation for analysis and design of timber components.
• Structural design of timber components.
• The background for relevant clauses in Eurocode 5.

Digital competence:

• Modelling of timber systems, by skilled use of Finite Element software. 1st order linear-elastic analysis, linearized-buckling analysis and simple 2nd order analysis.

Sustainability competence:

• Safe, cost-effective, and material-efficient design of timber components.
• Evaluating the feasibility of using timber for simple structures, to take advantage of wood being a renewable material with low greenhouse gas emissions.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, exercises (hand calculations and PC) and laboratory demonstration.

2/3 of assignments must be approved for admittance to examination. Teaching materials are provided in English. Students are free to choose Norwegian or English for written assessments.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of statics and structural mechanics corresponding to TKT4116 Mechanics 1 and TKT4122 Mechanics 2. Basic knowledge of loads and load combinations corresponding to TBA4125 - BM4 Design of Buildings and Structures.

Course materials

Eurocode 5 (parts EN 1995-1-1 and EN 1995-2, Amendments and Norwegian National Annex) and related standards.

Lecture notes and presentations given during the semester.

Recommended supplementary textbooks:

- KIT,Blaß and Sandhaas: Timber Engineering - Principles for Design, ISBN 978-3-7315-0673-7

- Swedish Wood, Design of Timber Structures, ISBN 978-91-985212-5-2

Credit reductions