Examination Timber and Timber Structures I

CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

PLEASE WRITE DOWN YOUR NAME AND STUDY NUMBER ON EACH PAGE THAT
YOU HAND IN.

Equations can be found on the separate document. It is NOT allowed to use additional information.

Question Subject minutes Points

1.1-1.5 General
2.1-2.3 Stress distribution in a tapered
beam
3.1-3.4 Stability of a façade column
4.1 -4.2
5.1-5.2

PROBLEM 1: General
Question 1.1 Structure of wood
Timber is an anisotropic building material. Which directions can be distinguished ?
Give the terms and a sketch of a piece of timber indicating the directions.

Question 1.2 Wood properties

Juvenile wood is part of a tree.
a. Please indicate the area of juvenile wood in the cross‐section of the stem. 
b. Are the mechanical properties of juvenile wood higher than of mature wood?  Motivate your 
answer with two explanations. 

Question 1.3 Climate conditions

In the design of a structure the climate conditions should be considered in the design.
a. Explain the concepts of  ‘use classes’ and ‘service classes’. 
b. Give an example in which context these concepts are used. (one example for each concept) 

Question 1.4 Properties of wood

Draw the crack(s) you expect in a roundwood cross section. Why do these occur in roundwood poles
after they drying ?

Question 1.5 Mechanical properties

Strength are needed in design calculations of timber structures. Strength values derived from small
clear wood cannot be used for structural size timber. Explain why not.

Question 1.6 Creep

Explain which factors are needed to calculate the creep deformation of a timber beam under live loads.

1
 Examination
n Timber and d Timber Stru uctures I
CT411 10
We ednesday, Ap pril 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

Question 1.7 S
Strain and stress
s distrib
bution in cro
oss laminateed timber
Figuure 1 shows a drawing of a cross-lamiinated timberr panel (CLT
T or X-lam) tthat is assem
mbled by
crosss-wise gluingg of strength-graded spruuce planks. The
T shown X-Lam panel cconsists of five
fi layers off
plankks, layers A to E.
Figuure 2 shows a sketch of poossible loadiing situationss of floor plaates made froom cross-lam
minated
timbber panels whhere the outer layer (layerr A and E) iss oriented parallel (a) or pperpendiculaar (b) to the
spann.

F
Figure 1: X-llam panel

(aa)

(b)

Figure 2: Looading configurations (a)) and (b)

2
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

Question 1:
Draw the stress and strain distribution over the height of the cross section for both loading
configurations. Draw a large enough sketch in order to indicate clearly the distributions.
Question 2:
Consider only loading configuration (a) and substitute the perpendicular layers B and D with Azobé
hardwood (D70) planks; the parallel layers A, C and E are still made of spruce.
Draw now the stress distribution over the height of the cross section together with the stress
distribution of the X-Lam panel from Question 1 (all spruce). Choose a large enough scale and
different colors or dashed lines to clarify the differences in stress distribution between the spruce panel
and the mixed spruce-Azobé panel.

3
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

PROBLEM 2: Stress distribution in a tapered beam

Consider a tapered beam under an uplift force. This causes a bending moment in the beam, which
results in tension stresses in the upper area of the cross section of the beam. Consider a triangular
piece of the upper area of a tapered beam as shown in the figure below. The tension stresses in the
tapered part cause shear stresses and stresses perpendicular to the grain.

Question 2.1 Express both the force perpendicular to the grain Ft;90 and the shear force parallel to
the grain Fv,0 in Ft,0, (Hint: use the equilibrium of forces and moments).

Question 2.2 The tension stress perpendicular to the grain σt,90 and the shear stress parallel τ to the
grain can be expressed in the tension stress parallel to the grain σt,0 and the angle α of
the taper alpha in the following way:

, ∗

; , ∗

Derive these 2 expressions.

Question 2.3 In Eurocode 5 the verification of the interaction of stresses is done with the following
condition:
, , , ∗ ,
See for km,α the equation sheet. This interaction formula can be derived from the
failure criterion of Norris:

4
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

, , , , ,
1
, , , ,

Take A=B= 1 and C=1,77.

In the Norris and Eurocode 5 formulas the bending stress is used instead of the tension
strength parallel to the grain. So use:
, , , ,

Show that the EC 5 condition can be derived from the Norris equation.

PROBLEM 3: Stability of a façade column

Consider a simply supported façade column loaded by a uniformly distributed wind load qd and a
compression force Fd ( see drawing below). a uniformly distributed wind load qd causes a bending moment
around the y-axis of the column. Strength class is C24. Service class 1. The column has a square cross
section of 130 mm x 130 mm. The span l = 4 m.

qd = 3 kN/m
Fd = 20 kN
l = 4,0 m
b x h = 130 mm x 130 mm
strength class C24, service class 1.

For the verification of the stability of a column under compression and bending around both axis the
formulas (1) and (2) are applicable.

5
 Examination
n Timber and d Timber Stru uctures I
CT411 10
We ednesday, Ap pril 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

(1)

(2
2)

Question 3.1 V
Verify the staability of thee column.

Question 3.2 The column is

T i adapted innto a truss, seee the figure below . Calcculate the ben nding
m
moment in th
he column A A, the compreession forces in beams B and the extraa
c
compression force due too the truss acttion in colum
mn A. To dettermine the forces
f in the
t
truss elementts you may aassume the ax xial stiffnesss of the elemeents as infiniite and
n
neglect the sllip in the connnections.

Question 3.3 F the situattion describeed in question

For n 3.2., verify
y the columnn A for stabiliity.

Question 3.4 Verify the traansfer of the compression

V n force at the contact areea of column n A with
b
beams B, as indicated
i in tthe drawing.. Strength cllass of all eleements C24. Beams B
h
have a cross section of 1330 mm x 71 mm. Use thee Hankinson formula:

6
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

Take kc,90 = 1

7
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

Problem 4
For the roof structure of a one-storey building a design is made for a glulam portal frame. Fig. 1 gives
an impression of one bay of the building. The frame is loaded by 6 girders that carry the roof load. Fig.
2 describes the mechanical model for the frame.

Profile dimensions and material specifications are given in fig.3.

The pattern of the fasteners of the moment-resisting joints is uncommon in the sense that two different
pin diameters are used. In fig. 4 details with respect to the joint are given.

figure 1 Mechanical scheme for the frame figure 2

dowels with diameter

D1=16 mm

Beam dowels with diameter

150x900 GL24H D2=24 mm

Column
2x 75x900 GL24H
dimensions in [mm] figure 3 figure 4

It is clear that the stiffness of the moment-resisting joints influence the structural behavior of the frame. For the
load case in fig. 2 the moment in the joint is given by:

F.L 1 H EIbeam EIbeam

MA= . , where  = and  =
2
2 (1   2 ) L EIcolumn L.Kr
3

8
 Examination Timber and Timber Structures I
CT4110
Wednesday, April 12, 2011
14.00 - 17.00 hrs

Consider the following dimensions and loads:

Span of the frame: L= 18 m.

Height of the frame: H= 4 m.
Joint geometry: R= 350 mm.
Dowels, two types D1 = 16 mm
D2 = 24 mm
Design force: F = Fd = 30 kN

All questions relate to the load case in fig. 2. The self weight of the beam may be neglected.

Question 3.1 Calculate the rotational stiffness Kr of the joint.

Question 3.2 Proof by calculation that the design section forces in the beam in point A, caused by
the loads Fd have the following magnitude:
MA,d = 146 kNm.
Nbeam,d = 36.5 kN.
Vbeam,d = 90 kN.

Question 3.3 Proof by calculation that the loads on both dowel types as a result of the Shear force
Vbeam,d in the beam have the following magnitude:
RD1,V = 9 kN
RD2,V = 13.5 kN

Question 3.4 Proof by calculation that the loads on both dowel types as a result of the Moment MA,d
in the beam have the following magnitude:
RD1,M = 42.1 kN
RD2,M = 44.7 kN

Question 3.5 Make a schematic drawing (alike figure 4) of the joint area (scale 1:5 ) with all
fasteners on it. In this picture draw the individual fastener loads, caused by the loads
on the beam. Graphically construct the resulting fastener loads for all individual
fasteners in the drawing.

Question 3.6 Describe the rest of the procedure to check the load bearing capacity of the joint, using
the results of question 3.5.