ECS 444

Basic Timber and Steel Design

Topic 2: Structural Timber Design

2.3 Design of Compression Members
COURSE OUTCOME

CO 1 : Apply engineering knowledge of

basic fundamentals design of steel and
timber structures.

CO 2 : Design the basic structural

components of steel and timber using
relevant codes of practices.

2
PROGRAMME OUTCOME

PO 2 : Identify, formulate, research literature and

analyse complex civil engineering problems
reaching substantiated conclusions using first
principles of mathematics, natural sciences and
engineering sciences.

PO 5 : Create, select and apply appropriate

techniques, resources, and modern engineering
and IT tools, including prediction and modeling, to
complex civil engineering problems, with an
understanding of the limitations.

3
 Structural and Materials Division
LEARNING
Faculty of Civil OUTCOMES
Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA Pahang

At the end of this lesson, students should be able

to:
 Explain the failure modes of compression
member.
 Design the timber compression member.

4
Introduction

 Timber section are commonly used in

construction as axially loaded members
or members in combined axial force and
bending.
 Members of a truss, posts or columns,
vertical wall studs and bracing elements
are typical examples.
Introduction
• Example: columns, vertical wall studs, stanchions or
struts and girders.
Stud walls Top rail/plate Cladding material

Studs

Noggings

Diagonal braces

Bottom rail/plate

(a) Elevation
y
Studs

x x

610 mm maximum for

load sharing
y
(c) Cross-section
Mode of Failure
 Column is generally applied to relatively heavy vertical members.
 Mode of failure in short column is crushing or shearing at an angle of
approximately 45 degrees to the axis But actually in construction L/b >
four.
 Struts are commonly used for smaller compression members which
may not be in vertical position. Fail in buckling.
 Long column will fail in buckling and the failure load is dependent on
the modulus of elasticity and is governed by the well known Euler
formula.
 Column of ‘intermediate’ length will fail by a combination of crushing
and buckling.
 Because of these, the design of columns requires a modification factor
to take care of buckling which is related to the slenderness ratio of the
member.
 The effects of these characteristics are to introduce initial curvature,
secondary bending and consequently premature failure by buckling
before the stress in the material reaches the failure value. The stress at
which failure will occur is influenced by several variables, e.g.
 The cross-sectional shape of the member
 The slenderness of the member
 The permissible stress of the material
Design of Compression
Members
 Compression members include posts or columns,
vertical wall studs and struts in trusses and girders.
 Permissible stresses for timber members subjected
to compression in the direction of the grain and
governed by the particular conditions of loading given
in Clause 9 and 10 and by the additional factors
given in Clause 12.
 There are two categories of compression members:
 Members subject to axial compression (without bending).
 Members subjected to combined axial compression and
bending.
Design Consideration
 The main design considerations for
compression members are:
 Slenderness ratio.
This relates to positional restrained of ends, lateral
restrained along the length and cross-sectional
dimensions of the member.
 Axial compression and bending stresses.
 Deflection. Only for member both axial and bending.
The maximum deflection = 0.003 x height of column
Consideration on the Design of Compression Members

a) Straightness of the compression members (Clause 12.1)

- the straightness of columns should put more attention.
- the limiting bow is to approximately 1/300 of lengths.
b) Size factor (Clause 12.2)
- the grade compression stress in Table 2,3 and 4 apply to all solid
members graded to MGR.
c) Effective length (Clause 12.3)
- the effective length of a compression member should be derived from
either:
i) the deflected form of the compression members as affected by any
restraint and/or fixing moment (s), the effective lengths being the
distance between adjacent points of zero bending between which the
member is in single curvature or
ii) Table 9 (MS 544 Part 2) for the particular end conditions;

Table 9 Effective length of compression members (Table 18, BS 5268 : Part 2)

End Conditions Le/L

Restrained at both ends in position and in direction 0.70

Restrained at both ends in position and one end in direction 0.85
Restrained at both ends in positions but not in direction 1.00
Restrained at one end in position and in direction and at the 1.50
other end in direction but not in position
Restrained at one end in position and in direction and free at
2.00
the other end

The effective length is determined by:

 Positional restrained at each end of the column (i.e. whether or not there is
relative sway between the two ends)
 Directional restrained at ends (i.e. whether or not there is fixity at one or
both ends)
 Lateral restrained along the length
Effective Length,
 Effective length of a compression members are given in Table
9,MS544:P2.
 Effective length is obtained by multiplying a relevant coefficient taken from
Table 9 by the actual length, L.

Le  coefficien t  L
Slenderness Ratio,

 The load-carrying capacity of compression members is a function of the
slenderness ratio, , which as the effective length, LE, divided by the radius
of gyration, r :
LE

r
The radius of gyration, r , is given by

I
r  
Where,  A
I = second moment of area
A = cross sectional area
Usually b < d,
b
r
12
 Slenderness Ratio (cont.)
 Clause 12.4 MS544:P2 recommends that the slenderness ratio should not
exceed a value of :

   180 , for (i) compression members carrying dead and imposed loads
other than loads resulting from wind. (ii) 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 , for any members subject to reversal of axial stress from the effect
of wind and any compression member carrying self-weight and wind loads
only.
Permissible stress (Compression without bending)

For λ < 5 – without undue eccentricity loading

δ c,adm,II = δ c,g,II x modification factor K1, K2

Load duration Load sharing

For λ ≥ 5
δ c,adm,II = δ c,g,II x modification factor (size, moisture content,
duration load and load
sharing and K8)
K8 = modification factor for compression member
Modification Factor for
Compression Members, K8
 Refer to Clause 12.5 MS544:P2
 The modification factor for compression members, K8
can be determined using Table 10 MS544:P2 or
calculated from the equation given in Appendix D
1
 1 1     E    1 1     2 E   2E 
2 2
2
K8          
2 2 N  c    2
2
2 N  c  N   c 
2 2
 
Members Subjected to Axial
Compression Only
P
The axial compression stress, δ c,ɑ,II =
A

P= axial compression load

A = cross-sectional area
The permissible stress,
C p  K8  C
K 8 = value from Table 10
C = compression // to grain modified by load duration
factor
Axial concentric and eccentric loads.
Load P y y ey y ye
y

ey
x x x x x
ey

y y y y
Concentric load Eccentric load Eccentric load Eccentric load
Load = P Load = P Load = P Load = P
M=0 Mxx = P · ey Myy = P · ex Mxx = P · ey
Myy = P · ex
Example 1: A Solid Column without
Lateral Loading
Design a solid column without lateral loading.
Design data:
Axial load (DL+imposed) per column = 60kN
Actual length of column = 4.7m
column is fixed at one end and pinned at the other end, i.e.
column is restrained at both ends in position and one end in
direction.
Spacing of column = 4.5m
Timber: Strength group SG3, standard grade, green (green
stress is assumed because columns are normally wet when
constructed because of their size)
 Design for members subject to axial compression and bending
Members subjected to axial loads as well as side pressure caused by wind
So the column should satisfy the interaction formula,

 m,a  c,a
 1
   c ,a    c ,adm

 m ,adm 1  1.5  K 8 
 
  e  
Where δ m,a : applied bending stress
δ m,adm : permissible bending stress
δ c,a : applied compression stress
δ c,adm : permissible compression stress (including K 8)

δe : Euler critical stress =  2E  2E


 2
 Le r  2
K8 : modification factor for column as given in Table 10
Note :
For load sharing member multiply by K2 = 1.1

Deflection, Z   c ,a   m,a 
y '  n   0.005 Le
A   e   c ,a 
Under wind load

5 WL4
 X  0.003Le
384 E1
In general
 Step in design of solid timber column with bending
1. Find a trial section (Table 3 MS 544 Part 2)
2. Calculate the geometrical properties

bh 2 i
I i, A,hλ

Z xx  A
6 12
3. Find the grade stresses
Compression // and bending and Emin
4. Bending
a) Obtain max bending moment due to wind loading.
and calculate applied bending stress,
wL 2
M
M  m ,a 
8 Z
b) Calculate permissible bending stress = δ c,adm,ll x K2 x K7 x K8
Check that δ m,adm > δ m,a
5. Compression
a) Obtain applied compressive stress,   P
c ,a
A
b) Calculate the compressive stress for short column.
δ c,adm = δc x K1 x K2

Calculate buckling modification factor K8 if λ ≥ 5

Check that δ c,adm > δ c,a

6. Check the interaction formula i satisfied.

Example 2: A Solid Column with Lateral
Loading

Solid hardwood column with lateral load. Solid timber column of strength
grade SG3 tropical hardwood dry has cross section 75 x 125 mm and
effective length 3600 mm and carries 19 kN axial load. One of a series
spaced at 2400 mm centers with 600 N/mm2 wind loading and braced
against buckling in the weaker direction. Assume very short term
loading. Check that the interaction formula does not show or seem
greater than unity. Height of column is 4000mm.
 THANK YOU
SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CLASS!