AS 1 & 2 Steel and Timber Design Handout 01.

Introduction to Timber Design

Engr. Kats Mendoza

TIMBER AS A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL

 Timber is a material that is used for a variety of structural forms such as beams, columns, trusses, girders,
and is also used in building systems such as piles, deck members, railway sleepers and in formwork for
concrete.
 Timber from well-managed forests is one of the most sustainable resources available and it is one of the
oldest known materials used in construction.
 High strength to weight ratio
 Capable of transferring both tension and compression forces
 Naturally suitable as a flexural member
 Good insulating properties against heat and sound
 Timber can easily be shaped and connected using nails, screws, bolts and dowels or adhesively bonded
together.
 The limitations in maximum cross-sectional dimensions and lengths of solid sawn timbers, due to available
log sizes and natural defects, are overcome by the recent developments in composite and engineered wood
products.
 Finger jointing and various lamination techniques have enabled timbers (elements and systems) of uniform
and high quality in any shape, form and size to be constructed; being only limited by the manufacturing
and/or transportation boundaries. Timber structures can be highly durable when properly treated, detailed
and built.
 Timber is very sensitive to environmental conditions; for example moisture content, which has a direct
effect on the strength and stiffness, swelling or shrinkage of timber.

Source: Structural Timber Design by Porteous and Kermani

ASSIGNMENT W-1.