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COURSE NAME: STRUCTURAL DESIGN III (TIMBER & MASONRY)

COURSE CODE: BCE 4102
COURSE LEVEL: YEAR IV, SEMESTER I

ASSIGNMENT I: Timber design to EC5

Question 1
The figure below shows a uniformly loaded solid timber beam with a cross-
section of 85 mm wide by 300 mm deep. The strength class of structural
timber is C22. The characteristic permanent (including self-weight of the
beam) and variable actions are 0.40 KN/m and 3.0 KN/m, respectively.
Assume:
𝑥
• The span of the beam is 𝐿 = 4 + 𝑚, where 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 the last digit of your
10
Kabale University registration number (e.g for student registration
𝟕
number is 2019/A/KCE/0097/G/F, the span of the beam is 𝑳 = 𝟒 +
𝟏𝟎
m = 4.70m);
• The beam is torsionally restrained along the whole length;
• The average moisture content of the beam does not exceed 20%
during the life of the beam;
• The beam is for service class 2 and the critical load duration class is
medium-term
Check its bending capacity in accordance with the guidelines given in
Eurocode 5, part 1-1
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Question 2
A 100 mm thick reinforced concrete roof slab of a new building is supported by glulam
timber (GL 32h) beams spaced at 2.5m center to center. Each beam is 500 mm deep by
250mm wide and spans 9m simply supported onto solid timber columns. Characteristic
imposed loads: 1.5KN/m2; Unit weight of concrete: 25KN/m3
a) Assuming that the slab provides effective lateral restraint to the glulam beams,
check the adequacy of the beams in bending.
b) Check the adequacy of the glulam beams in shear
c) Each column supporting the ends of each glulam beam consists of 250mm x
100mm C24 solid timber sections. The columns are pinned at the top and
bottom, and additional mid-height pin restraint is applied to the minor axis only.
Assuming the reaction from the roof beam is transmitted through the center of
the column (i.e no eccentricity), check the adequacy of the column in
compression.

Question 3
A sawn softwood floor joist in C24 is 75 mm wide by 250 mm deep and I supported on
a 120 mm wide bearing. The joist supports an intermediate floor and the loading is due
to imposed floor loading. The joist is part of a load sharing system. The joist has a top
notch at its end that is 150 mm long by 60 mm deep as shown below.
The ultimate design shear force at the support is 15KN. Check that the ultimate shear
capacity of the joist at the support is adequate.
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Question 4
A 75 mm by 200 mm deep sawn timber beam in a domestic residence supports the
characteristic loading shown below. The beam has a clear span of 2.75 m, the bearing
length has been restricted to 100 mm at each end, is of strength class C24 to BS EN
338:2003, and functions in service class 2 conditions. The beam is laterally restrained
against lateral buckling along its length.

Given that Gk.udl = 1.3 kN/m (characteristic uniformly distributed permanent action)
Qk.udl = 1.5 kN/m (characteristic uniformly distributed medium-term action)
Gk.p = 1.00 kN characteristic point load at mid-span