Timber Design

Introduction
Structural timber design in Malaysia is using MS 544.
Standard include beam, column, truss and connection
Only cover design of beam and column.
Comparison between timber and concrete/steel
Timber

Concrete/steel

Natural material

Material produced from factory

Characteristic and properties are distinct and more

Strength can be determine

complex
Strength depend on axis
- flexural strength
- Tension is parallel to grain
- Compression is parallel to grain
- Shear is parallel to grain
- Compression is perpendicular to grain

e.g. Gred S275 (fy=275N/mm2)

Tension and compression strength

Moisture content
The behaviour of timber is significantly influenced by the existence and
variation of its moisture content
The moisture content
w=100 (m1-m2)/m2
Where:
m1 is the mass of the test piece before drying (in g)
m2 is the mass of the test piece after drying (in g)
Moisture contained in green timber
is held both within cells (free water)
and within the cell wall (bound water).

Fibre saturated point( FSP)

All free water has been removed but the cell walls are still saturated
Moisture below FSP properties considerable changes
Moisture above FSP properties remain constant

 The controlled drying timber is known as seasoning

Air seasoning stacked and layered

with air space open sided shed

Kiln drying dry out in a heated ,

ventilated and humidified oven

Defects in timber
Seasoning defect
Cause by uneven exposure to drying agent such as wind, sun etc.
Defect: twisting, cupping , bowing and cracking

 Natural defect
Most common: knot
Will decreased the physical properties of timber such as
tensile and compressive strength

Others : wane defect and shake defect

Material properties
Density
Is expressed as mass per unit volume
Principle properties effecting strength
Wood with thick cell walls and small cell cavity (heavy species) have higher
densities and strongest species.
higher density give higher shrinkage, stiffness and hardness.
Shrinkage
Occur during drying process as absorbed moisture begin to leave the cell
walls
Width and thickness change but length remains the same
Depends on initial moisture content value and the value at which it
stabilises in service
Result : Defect such as cupping, bowing etc

 Hygroscopic
Can absorb moisture and can reached an equilibrium moisture content
Anisotropy
Characteristic of timber because of the long fibrous of the cells and
their common orientation
Direction of grain
The elastic modulus of a fibre in a direction along its axis is
considerably greater than the across it
The slope of the grain can have an important effect on the strength of
a timber member.
Stress and strain
The strain for a given load increase with moisture content
Strain in a beam under constant will increased in damp
environment

 Creep
Demonstrate these behaviour as high stress levels induce increasing
strains with increasing time
The magnitude of long term strains increase with higher moisture
content
In structure where the deflection is important, the duration of the
loading must be considered
Reflect in MS 544-2-2001 by applying modification factor to admissible
stresses depend on type of loading
Fire resistance
Generally compares favourably with other structural material and its
often better than most.
Durability
In resisting the effects of weathering, chemical or fungal attack
E.g. Heartwood is more durable to fungal decay than the sapwood
Presence organic compound ( toxic to fungi and insect)

Classification of Malaysian timber

Classification of Malaysian timber

Heavy hardwood

Over 880 kg/m3

Medium
hardwood

720-880 kg/m3

Light hardwood

below 720 kg/m3

Softwood

i. Damar minyak
ii. Podo
iii. sempilor

Constructional
timbers
i. Balau
ii. Cengal
iii. Merbau

Moderately heavy
to heavy
construction

General utilities
timber

i. Keruing

ii. Meranti

ii. Mengkulang

ii. Rubberwood

iii. Tualang

i. Nyatoh
* For detail application
and physical appearance
of timber, please refer to
notes

Malaysian Timber Applications and Physical

Appearance

http://www.hangtuahfurniture.com/timbers/

Solid Timber beam design

Notation use in timber design
Type of Force
c = compression
m = bending
t = tension

Significance
g = grade
a = applied
adm = permissible
e = effective
Mean arithmetic = mean

Geometry
// = parallel
= perpendicular to
grain

Example :
m,a, = applied bending stress perpendicular to the grain

Grade stress (g) is define as the stress which can safely be permanently
sustained by material of a specific section size and of a particular strength
class or species ( Table 1,2 or 4 in MS544:Part 2)
Four grade depends on the defect (Basic, select, standard, common)
Less defect

Strength is graded by taking into account of defect by the process of

reduction strength ratio after grading

Solid Timber beam design

1.

Permissible stress design

Introducing the safety margin by considering structural behaviour
under working/service load condition and comparing the stresses
thereby induced with permissible values

stress induced by working loads

failure stress
factor of safety

Permissible
stress value

The applied stress are determine using elastic analysis ( assume the
structure in elastic behaviour) and refer to elastic theory
The material is homogeneous (have same physical properties)
The material is isotropic ( elastic properties same in all direction)
The material obey Hookes law

 The value of tensile strength is greater than that of the compression

strength
Both compression and tension have linear behaviour
Design to resist combined bending and axial stresses
Compression ductility is present before failure occurs, whilst in
tension brittle, sudden failure occurs.
With the assumption:
The material is elastic, which implies that it will recover
completely from any deformation after the removal of load
The modulus elasticity is the same in tension and
compression. The value is much lower when the load is
applied perpendicular to the grain than when it is applied
parallel to the grain
Plane section remain plane during deformation.
During bending this assumption is violated and reflected
in non-linear bending stress diagram throughout crosssections subject to a moment

 In designing strength ( axial bending or shear strength ) must satisfied

below relationship
applied stress permissible stress
where :
Applied stress is determined using elastic theory
Permissible stress is determined by:
permissible stress, adm = Grade stress( g) x modification factors(K)
(excluding for permissible deflection)

2.

Moisture content
Properties of timber in MS 544 : part 2 categorized all the grade into
dry and wet
19% of moisture is proposed to achieved higher strength
Moisture content (MC) > 19 % ( wet) use wet stress in calculation
Moisture content (MC) < 19% ( Dry ) use dry stress in calculation

3.

Modification factor
Modification factor for stress grade in beam design
i.
Duration of loading,K1
ii. Load sharing system, K2
iii. Bearing stress, K3
iv. Shear at Notched End, K4
v. Form factor, K5
vi. Depth factor, K6

i.

Duration of loading,K1 ( Table 5, MS 544 : Part 2)

Is used depend on the duration of loading being considered

No increase in stress

Stress increased up to 25 %
Stress increased up to 50 %
Stress increased up to 75 %

From building CP 3: Building factor

A = element cladding, roof , etc
B = all buildings with dimension > 50
C = all building with dimension > 50

ii.

Load sharing system, K2 (Clause 10 : Ms 544 : Part 2)

If the number of element is 4 or more and the distance between

element (spacing) is less than 610 mm, and which has adequate
provision for the lateral distribution load, K2 = 1.1

Emean is used for K2 = 1.1 and Eminimum for K2 = 1.0 ( no load sharing)

iii.

Bearing stress, K3 (Table 6 : MS 544 : Part 2)

At any bearing on the side of timber, the permissible stress in

compression perpendicular to the grain is depended on the length
and position of the bearing

For bearing length < 150 mm and located 75 mm or more from end
of member, K3 should be determined according to Table 6

Bearing stress of any length and bearing located at any place and
have length > 150 mm, K3 = 1.0

Refer to
Table 6 : MS 544
Page 22

iv. Shear at Notched End, K4 ( Clause 11.4, MS 544 : Part 2)

Square corned notches at the ends of a flexural member cause a stress
concentration which should be allowed as follow;
Bottom notch

Top notch

v. Form factor, K5 ( Clause 11.4, MS 544 : Part 2)

Grade bending stresses apply to solid timber members of rectangular
cross section, K1 = 1.0
For other shapes of cross section, the grade bending stresses should
be multiplied by the modification factor K5:
Where ;
K5
=
1.18 for solid circular section
K5
=
1.41 for solid square sections loaded on a diagonal
vi. Depth factor, K6

The grade bending stress is applied to timber member having a

depth of h >3 00 mm.

The grade bending stress should be multiplied by the depth

modification factor
(h 2 92300)
K 6 0.81 2
(h 56800)

For solid and glued laminated beams

 Lateral stability for solid and laminated beams

The depth to breadth ratio of solid and laminated beams of
rectangular section should be checked that there is no risk of buckling
under design load.
Alternatively the recommendation of Table 7: MS 544 : Part 2 should
be followed:

Solid beam design : Flexural member

Beam are the most commonly used structural element
E.g : floor joist , trimmer joist around opening, rafter, etc
The cross section of timber beam may be one of a number of frequently
used sections such as those indicated in Figure

 Principle considerations in design all beams:

i.
Bending
ii. Shear
iii. Bearing
iv. Deflection
v. Lateral stability
Size of timber may be govern by the requirements of:
a) Elastic section modulus (z)
To limit the bending stress and ensure that neither torsional buckling
of the compression flange nor fracture flange induces failure
b) Cross-section
To ensure the vertical and/or horizontal shear stress do not induce
failure
c) Second moment of area
To limit the deflection induced by bending and/or shear action to
acceptable limits

 Bearing area
Provided at the ends of beam is much larger than is necessary to
satisfy the permissible bearing stress requirement
Lateral stability
Should be check
Frequently provided to the compression flange of a beam by nailing of
floor boards, roof decking etc
Most timber beams are designed as simply supported and the effective
span

i.

Bending
Applied bending stress is determined using simple elastic bending
theory
m,a ll = M a
Z

Where : m,a,ll
Ma
Z

maximum applied bending stress parallel to grain

maximum applied bending moment
elastic section modulus about the axis of bending
(usually the x-x axis)
The permissible bending stress is given by
m,adm ll = m,g,ll x K1 x K2 x K5 x K6
Where : m,g,ll is grade bending stress parallel to the grain
Must satisfy
m,a, ll m,adm, ll

ii. Shear
The grade and hence permissible stresses given in the MS relate to the
maximum shear stress parallel to the grain for a particular species or
strength class
Rectangular cross-section
the maximum horizontal shear stress occurs at the level of the
neutral axis and is equal to 1.5 x average value

a ,ll
Where:
a,ll
V
A

1.5V

maximum applied horizontal shear force

maximum applied vertical shear force
cross-sectional area

 The magnitude of a,ll must not exceed adm,ll given by

adm,ll
=
g,ll x K1 x K2 x K4
where

g,ll

grade stress parallel to the grain

And a,ll adm,ll

For other type of section

Fv Au y
bI x

Where
= the shear parallel to grain stress at the level being considered
Fv = the vertical external shear
Au= the area of the beam above the level at which is being calculated
y= the distance from the neutral axis of the beam to the centre of the area Au
Ix = the complete second moment of area of the beam at the cross-section being considered
b= the breath of the beam at the level at which is being calculated

If FvAuy/Ix is evaluated, this gives the total shear force parallel to grain above the level
being considered per unit length of beam

 Bearing
The behaviour of timber under the action of concentrate loads, e.g at
positions of support , is complex and influenced by both the length
and location of the bearing, as shown in Figure (s) and (b)
The grade stress for compression perpendicular to the grain is used to
determine the permissible bearing stress

 The actual bearing stress is determined from:

c,a,= P/Ab
Where :
P
applied concentrated load
Ab
actual bearing area provided
The actual bearing area is the net area of the contact surface and
allowance must be made for any reduction in the width of bearing due
to wane, as shown in Figure below

In timber engineering, pieces of wood with wane are frequently not

used and consequently this can be ignore

iv. Deflection
In the absence of any special requirements for deflection in building, it is
customary to adopt arbitrary limiting value based on experience and
good practice
The combination deflection due to m (bending) and s(shear) should
not exceed (0.003 x span) or 14 mm whichever is the lesser (clause 11.7
MS 544)
total (m+s) 0.003 x span or 14 mm
Limitation to minimize the risk of cracking/ damage to brittle finished,
unsightly sagging or undesirable vibration
Deflection for solid beam is usually based on the bending action of the
beam ignoring the effects of shear deflection ( when designing ply-web
beams)

 The maximum shear deflection induced in single span simply supported

beam of either rectangular or square cross-section may be determined
from:

where:
A
Mmax

=
=

the cross sectional area of the beam

the maximum bending moment in the beam

v. Lateral stability
A beam in which the depth and length are large in comparison to the
width (i.e. a slender cross-section) may fail at a lower bending stress
value due to lateral torsional buckling, as shown in figure below:

 The critical value of bending moment which induces this type of failure is
dependent on several parameters, such as: the relative cross-section
dimensions (i.e. aspect ratio), shape, modulus of elasticity (E), shear
modulus (G), span, degree of lateral restraint to the compression flange,
and the type of loading.
This problem is accommodated in BS 5628-Part 2:2001 by using a
simplified approach based on practical experience, in which limiting ratios
of maximum depth to maximum breadth are given relating to differing
restraint conditions. In Table 7 of MS 544 Part2, values of limiting ratios
are given varying from 2, when no restraint is provided to a beam, to a
maximum of 7, for beams in which the top and bottom edges are fully
laterally restrained

Terms of Sawn Timbers

Table B3A/3b: For Rough Sawn/ Full Sawn
This timber is not dressed or surface, but sawed, edged and trimmed.
The dimension is oversize to allow for shrinkage and before fully
seasoned.
Table B4: Dressed or Surface Timber
This timber has been dressed by planning for smooth surface and
uniform dimension. The dimension is measured at dry

Example 7.1: Timber beam Design

A main beam of 3 m length spans over an opening 2.8m wide and
supports a flooring system which exerts a long-duration loading of
3.9kN/m, including its own self-weight over its span. The beam is
supported by 50 mm wide walls on either side. Carry out design checks to
show that (75 x 200) mm deep sawn section of strength group 4 of timber
at 19% of moisture content with standard grade.

Example 7.2: Timber beam design

A floor beam carries a critical uniform load of DL + FLL of 2kN/m with
moisture content more than 19%. The beam has a 9 clear span of 4.5m
and is to be sawn and the width of both support are 150 mm. Using
shearing stress criteria only, determine the required size for a select grade,
yellow meranti if
a) The ends are not notched
b) The bottoms at each end have a 25 mm deep and 150 mm long

Example 7.3: Timber beam design

A timber floor spanning 3.8m c/c is to be designed using timber joist at
400mm centres. The floor is subjected to a domestic imposed load of
1.5kN/m2 and carries a dead loading including selfweight of 0.35kN/m2.
Carry out design checks to show that a series of 50 mm x 200 mm strength
group 4 (SG4) sawn standard grade timber under dry condition is suitable
or not.

Timber column design

Introduction
Example of axially members or members in members in combined
axial force and bending are
Post or columns
Vertical wall studs
Truss
Bracing element
Etc

Design of compression member

The main considerations for compression members are:
Slenderness ratio
Relates to positional restrain of ends, lateral restraint along the
length and cross-sectional dimensions of the member
Axial compression and bending stress
The effective length Le ( Clause 12.3)
should be derived from either:
Table 9 in MS 544: Part 2: 2001 for the particular end conditions
The deflected form of compression member affected by any
restraint and or fixing moment (s). the effective length is
considered as the distance between adjacent points of zero
bending moment which the member is in single curvature

Le = coefficient x L

From Table 9:MS 544: Part 2 : 2001 Clause 12.3:

a) Restraint at both ends in position and in direction
b) Restrained at both ends in position and one end in direction
c) Restraint at both ends in position but not in direction
d) Restraint at one end in position and in direction and at the other end
in direction but not in position
e) Restrained at one end in position and in direction and free at the
other end

 Slenderness ratio () (Clause 12.4 of MS 544: Part 2)

Slenderness ratio is calculated by using formula below:

Where
Le
i
Simplify of i
i
Where:
b

=
=
=

effective length
radius of gyration
(I/A)

b/12

the least lateral dimension

 The slenderness ratio should not exceed (Clause 12.4)a value of;
180
any compression members carrying dead and imposed loads
other than loads resulting from wind
any compression member, however loaded, which by its
deformation will adversely affect the stress in another
member carrying dead and imposed loads other than wind
250
any member normally subjected to tension or combined and
bending arising from dead and imposed load, but subjected to
a reversal of axial stress solely from the effect of wind
any compression member carrying selfweight and wind loads
only

 Modification factor for compression members, (K8)

Can be determined using either Table 10 or calculated from the
equation (Appendix D)
1/ 2

(1 ) E
(1 ) 2 E
2 E

K8 1 / 2

(1 / 2
2
2
3

1
.
5

2 c
c
c

Where:
c
E

=
=
=
=

permissible stress (c,ll x K1)

minimum modulus of elasticity, Emin
slenderness ratio
0.005

Member subjected to axial compression only

The axial compressive strength (c,a.ll):

Where:
P
A

c,a,ll

=
=

axial compressive load

cross-sectional area

P/A

Permissible compressive stress, (c, adm.ll) (clause 12.5 MS 544)

For 5:
c, adm.ll
=
c, g.ll x K1 x K2
For 5:
c, adm.ll
=
c, g.ll x K1 x K2 x K8
Verification
c,a.ll

c, adm.ll

Member subject to axial compression and

bending
Clause 12.6 of MS 544
Members subject to eccentric
Load act through a point at a certain distance from the centroidal axis,

 Members which are restrained at both ends in position but not in direction and
subject to bending and axial compression, should be proportioned that (must
satisfy):
m,a ,ll

c ,a ,ll
1
1.5 c ,a ,ll K 8 c ,adm,ll
m,adm,ll 1

Where
m,a,ll
m,adm,ll
c,a,ll
c,adm,ll
e

=
=
=
=
=

applied bending stress

permissible bending stress
applied compression stress
Permissible compression stress
Euler critical stress

=
=
=
=
=

M/Z
m,g,ll x K1 x K2 x K5 x K6
P/A
c,g,ll x K1 x K2 x K8
2 E and E = E
min
( Le / i ) 2

Example 7.4: column design

A Nyatoh timber column with standard grade at 19% of moisture content
is 4 m in height. The column is restrained at both ends in position but not
in direction.
a) Determine an appropriate size of rectangular cross-section column
so that the axial long term load of the column is more than 25kN
b) Check that the column is adequate to resist long term axial load of
12kN and a bending moment of 0.8kNm about its x-x axis.

Method 1: using Table 10

Table 10. MS 544

E/c, ll

= Le/i

140

160

700

0.195

0.154

800

0.217

0.172

c ,ll

763.16

Le
i yy

153.85

Method 2: Equation (Appendix D)

1/ 2

(1 ) 2 E
(1 ) 2 E
2 E

K 8 1 / 2

(
1
/
2

32 c
32 c 1.52 c

0.688 (0 / 473 0.212)

1/ 2

0.177

Example 7.5
A column is loaded and supported as indicated. The column is a surfaced
(150 x 250)mm, common grade Penaga used at 16% maximum moisture
content. The loading is combination of DL+FLL+WL. Determine the
maximum allowable concentric load, P that the column can adequately
support.

Example 7.6
Check that a 100 mm x 250 mm rough sawn section as shown in Figure
below is adequate as a column if the load is applied 90 mm eccentric to its
x-x axis. The column is 3.75m in height and has its ends restrained in
position but not in direction.
Given :
Timber (Dry)
Strength grade
Design load (long term)
Design load ( medium term)

=
=
=
=

SG5
common
25 kN
30 kN

Example 7.7: column with different length

A column is loaded and supported as shown in figure below. The column
has a surfaced 150 x 250, common grade Penaga used at 16% maximum
moisture content. The loading is a combination of DL+ FLL + WL.
Determine the maximum allowable concentric load, P that the column can
adequately support

Example 7.9 : Other shape

Round columns design of a column with round cross section can be
based on the design calculations for a square column of the same cross
sectional area.
Example
A 150mm diameter log, 4m long is used as a compression member in a
foundation system. The member is considered to be pinned at the top, but
fixed at the bottom. It is made of select grade Kempas and is not surfaced.
It is used in an environment with high moisture content and normal
duration. Determine the maximum concentric load for the member

Assignment 2
Redesign beam in Example 7.1 and must satisfied all the verification
(Individual assignment)
Dateline of submission : 21st December 2012 before 5.00pm