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DESIGN DATA

Subject

It is required to check the shear strength of a 47 x 245 mm hardwood floor joist, strength class
D50, supported on a 48 x 63 mm (ex 63 x 100) sawn timber ledger nailed to a beam. The joists
are notched over the ledger on their lower edge, as shown in the figure below.

Notches on the loaded side of a beam produce a stress concentration. EC5 allowsfor this
@ect in beams that are endnotched on their lower edge, by providing a factor, k~,,,
which
reduces the design value of the shear strength. The shear capacity of the notched beam
is then calculat~from this reduced shear strengthand the cross-sectionalarea as reduced
by the notch.
Clause 5.1.7.2

Clause 3.1.5

Service class

Service class 1
Timber stmngth

class and properties

prEN 338
,

Table 6c in the NAD assigns HS grade Keruing, Kani and Opepe to strength class D50.
It is thus roughly equivalent to SC7.

Strength class

D50

Shear strength fV,t

4.6 N/mm*

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END-NOTCHED BEAMS

Actions
The reaction of 2.8 kN at the support consists of:
total dead weight (permanent duration)

G,

520 N

floor imposed load (medium-term)

Qk

2 280 N

Partial safety factors for loads and materials

YG

ULTIMATE

1.35
1.5
1.3

YQ

YM

LIMIT STATE - Strength

Design value of actions

Design shear force

V,

=
=

TGG

YQQL

1.35 x 520 +

1.50 x 2 280

47 mm
245 mm
182 mm
Omnl
0
24 mm

4 122N

Strength modification factors

Stress concentration factor

Thickness

Full depth
Effective depth

k
i&k,

Therefore
Distance from centre of reaction to comer

he
a

@ TRADA

1994. FCQ

182
=245

i
x

=
=
=
=

0.743

TRADA, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. pK

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For solid timber

minimumof

1.0 and

l+-

(5.1.7.2c)

l.li I.
fi

dm+ d-1
0.8:

(5.1.7.2d)

- a2

5[1 + O]
=
JB

JO.743(1 - 0.743) + 0.8;;

4-1

[
=

0.630

Therefore

k,

0.630

Load sharing

In accordance with traditional British design practke, domestic jloor joists spaced not
more than 610 mm apart may be considered as a load-disttibution system.
Clause 5.4.6

k,,

1.1

0.723 N/mm*

Shear dxength

Design shear stress

=

1.5 x 4 122
47 x 182

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Xughenden
Valley.

High Wycombe. Bucks. HP14 4ND. UK

A1994.

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Design shear strength

=

fv.d
?d

/
/
=

lcAAk&k

0.630x 1.1 x0.8 x4.6

1.3

YM
<

1.96 N/mm2
SkW
strength

fv,d

satisfactory
I

In a full design, it wouldbe necessary to check the bending strength and the deflection as
well.

REDUCTION IN STRESS-CONCENTRATION

USING SLOPING NOTCI$

Shear strengthis rarely critical infloorjoists, but it can be critical in short, heavily loaded
beams. when necessary, the stress concentrationproduced by a rectangular notch can be
alleviatedby sloping the side of the notch, as shown in the preceding diqram.

Slope of notch

k,

30 to horizontal
=

tan 30

1.732

minimumof 1.0 and

(5.1.7.2d)

51+

1.1 x 1.732
Jm

=
Jo.743~1

0.731

Therefore

bTRADA1994.F

- 0.743)

k,

TRADA, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe. Bucks. HP14 4ND. KJK

0.731

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END-NOTCHED BEAMS

By sloping the side of the notch at an angle of 30, the shear strength is flectively
increased by a factor of
(0.731 - 0.630) x 100
0.630

l6 og
.

NOTCH ON UPPER (UNLOADED) EDGE

Notches on the upper edge of a joist or beam are sometimescut to make wayfor pipes or
cables, as shown in the figure below. In such cases, it may be assumed that there is no
stress concentration (i.e. k, = I .O), but the design shear stress should be calculated as
before on the reduced cross-section.
(5.1.7.2b)

__
1L--T--

he

-_

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TRADA, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. UK

0 TRApA1994.