EXAMPLE 1 LVL ROOF BEAM

It is required to check the adequacy of a 4.00 m clear span Kerto LVL beam 75 mm x 400 mm supporting a
trussed rafter roof. For the applied loads, see Figure 19. It can be assumed that the compression edge is fully
restrained and adequate bearing is provided. For comparison purposes the beam will be checked using both
BS 5268 Part 2 and EC5 Part 1.1.

Snow load 4.12 kN/m

Ceiling imposed load 1.31 kN/m
Self weight of total structure 5.45
kN/m

4.1 m

Figure 19

BS 5268 PART 2

EC5 PART 1.1

SERVICE CLASS

Moisture content 20% Service class 2

(Cl 1.6.4)

Moisture content 20% Service class 2

Cl 6.3a NAD

TIMBER PROPERTIES

GRADE STRESSES
From Table 6

CHARACTERISTIC VALUES
From Table 7

Bending parallel to grain as a joist

Shear parallel to grain as a joist
Modulus of elasticity mean
minimum
Shear modulus

13.9 N/mm2
1.5 N/mm2
12750 N/mm2
10400 N/mm2
E
= mean
20

=
=
=
=

fm,k
fv,r,0,k
E0,mean
E0,05

=
=
=
=

51 N/mm2
5.1 N/mm2
14000 N/mm2
12400 N/mm2

G0,mean = 960 N/mm2

DIMENSIONS OF SECTION PROPERTIES

Breadth of beam section
Depth of beam section
Span between bearing centres

b
h
L

= 75 mm
= 400 mm
= 4100 mm

Bearing length

lbearing

= 100 mm

Area of cross section

Section modulus

75 400
6

= 30000 mm2

Wy

= 2 x 106 mm3

Iy

= 400 x 10 6 mm4

= 2 10 6 mm 3
Second moment of area

75 400 3
Ixx =
12
= 400 10 6 mm 4

13

A = 75 400 = 30000 mm 2
Zx =

Note: In EC5 the major bending

axis of a rectangular section is
designated y-y as shown below

BS 5268

EC5

LOADS

ACTIONS

BS 5268 treats snow load as a medium term duration

load and the storage and total self-weight as long term
duration loads, hence the medium term case will be
critical ie
w
= 5.45 + 1.38 + 4.12 = 10.95 kN/m

EC5 treats the snow load as short term duration, the

storage load as long term and the total self weight as
permanent loads. Critical case is short term with the
snow load dominant and adopting the characteristic
load combination given in EC1 Part 1
Fd = (1.35 x 5.45) + (1.5 x 4.12) + (0.7 x 1.5 x 1.38)

Cl 9.10 EC1.1

= 14.99 kN/m
STRENGTH CHECK

BENDING CHECK
Bending moment

10.95 41
. 2
8

Md

14.99 41
. 2
8

= 31.50 kN/m

= 23.01 kN/m
Bending stress m,a,// =

23.01 10 6
2 10

m,d =

= 11.50 N/mm2
Bending strength m,adm,//= K3 x K7 x grade stress
Depth factor

K7

= 0.81

fm,d

(400 2 92300)
400 2 56800)

3150
. 10 6

= 15.75 N/mm2

2 10 6

k h k crit k mod f m. k
M

Depth factor kh: Step lecture A9 recommends no

modification is made for depth effects.
Instability factor k crit: Effective length from TRADA
DA3. Lef = 1.0 x L = 4100 mm

= 0.94

m,crit =

0.75 E 0,05 b 2

L ef h
0.75 12400 75 2
=
4100 400

m,adm,// =
=
Bending stress
=
Bending strength

SHEAR CHECK
Shear force
Shear stress

fm ,k

NAD Cl 6.5a

= 31.9

51
= 1.26
31.9

rel,m

kcrit

= 1.56 - 0.75 rel,m

= 1.56 - 0.75 x 1.26
= 0.62
0.62 0.9 51.00
=
= 21.89 N/mm2
13
.

m , crit

1.25 x 0.94 x 13.9

16.33 N/mm2
1150
.
= 0.70 OK
16.33

fm,d

10.95 4.1
= 22.45 kN
2

Vd

14.99 41
.
2

15
. 30.73 10 3
= 1.54 N/mm2
30000

fv,d

15.75
2189
.

15
. 22.45 10 3
=
30000

= 0.72 OK

= 30.73 kN

= 1.12 N/mm2
Shear strength
Shear stress
Shear strength

= K3 x grade stress
= 1.25 x 1.5 = 1.88 N/mm2
112
.
=
= 0.60 OK
188
.

14

k mod f v, k
M
154
.
3.53

0.9 51
.
= 3.53 N/mm2
13
.

= 0.44 OK

Eq 5.2.2a
Eq 5.2.2d

EC5

BS 5268
SERVICEABILITY

INITIAL DEFLECTION
For a UDL the elastic + shear deflection =
. UDL L 2
5 UDL L 4 12
+
384 EI
8 G 0, mean A

5 4100 4
12
. 4100 2 20
= w

+
384 12750 400 10 6 8 12750 30000

FUDL

= 0.853w
Design load: By inspection, the medium term case is
critical
ie w
= 10.95 kN/m as previously calculated.

5 4100 4
12
. 4100 2

384 14000 400 10 6 8 960 30000

= 0.745 FUDL
To provide a low risk of cracking in a plasterboard
ceiling, the characteristic load combination given in
EC1 Part 1 will be used. By inspection, the short term
case will be critical with the snow load dominant.
= 5.45 kN/m
Fd2 = 4.12 + 0.7 x 1.38
Fd 1
= 5.09 kN/m

Deflection= 0.853 x 10.95

= 9.34 mm

u1, inst = 0.745 x 5.45 u2,inst = 0.745 x 5.09

= 4.06 mm
= 3.79 mm

CREEP DEFLECTION
Not considered in BS 5268

Creep will be calculated using the quasi-permanent

Table 4.1
load combination using a kdef,perm of 1.0
A value of 2 = 0.3 is assumed, for this example only,
for the long term ceiling imposed load pending a
value being given in EC1.1 NAD. This recognises that
it is likely that areas of the ceiling will be unloaded.
Fd.creep = 5.45 + (0 x 4.12) + (0.3 x 1.38)
EC1.1 Eq 9.18

ucreep

TOTAL DEFLECTION
= Initial deflection
= 9.34 mm

ufin
u2,fin

DEFLECTION LIMITS

= 5.86 kN/m
= 0.745 kdef,perm Fd,creep
= 0.745 x 1.0 x 5.86
= 4.37 mm

= u1,inst + u2,inst + ucreep

= 4.06 + 3.79 + 4.37
= 12.22 mm
= u2,inst + ucreep
= 3.79 + 4.37
= 8.16 mm

The deflection limits for u fin and u 2,fin are taken from
TRADA WI Sheet 4 - 24 Serviceability limit states for
timber in buildings.
span
4100

=
= 16.4 mm
ufin
250
250
span
4100

=
= 13.76 mm
u2,fin
350
350

0.003 x span = 0.003 x 4100

= 12.3 mm
If smaller depth used ie 360 mm, deflection limits
exceeded
If thinner section used ie 63 mm, depth to breadth
ratio exceeds 6.3 see BS 5268 Table 16.

Deflection

Repeat calculations will show that a 63 x 400 mm

deep section is 1% over stressed which the designer
may consider acceptable.

use 75 x 400 mm Kerto LVL.

15