TIMBER Bending Stress in Beams:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood

Advantages:
1. Renewable
2. Machinable
3. Good strength-to-weight ratio
4. Will not rust
5. Aesthetically pleasing

Disadvantages:
1. Can burn.
2. Can decay or rot and can be attacked by insects such as
termites and marine borers. Moisture and air promote
decay and rot in wood. General Formula:
3. Holds moisture. M Mc
4. Susceptible to volumetric instability (i.e., wood shrinks). fb  
S I
5. Properties are highly variable and vary widely between
species and even between trees of the same species. Where:
There is also variation in strength within the cross section fb = bending stress
of a tree log. M = bending moment
S = Section Modulus
Summary of Factors Affecting the Strength of Wood I = moment of inertia
1. species group
2. moisture content/ seasoning For rectangular section:
- (dry or green lumber), 15% or less
6M
- air dry, kiln dry fb 
3. duration of loading bd 2
4. size and shape of the wood member
- depth Shear Stress in Beams
- notch
- dressed size versus nominal size
5. defects/distortions
6. direction of the primary stress with respect to the
orientation of the wood grain
7. ambient temperature.
- > 100˚F

Nomenclature of Structural Wood Member General Formula:

Beam Deflection:
NSCP 2010 PROVISIONS
601.2.1 Allowable Stress Design
Design using allowable stress design methods shall resist the
different load combinations in accordance with the applicable
requirements of Section 604.
601.2.1 Conventional Light-Frame Construction
The design and construction of conventional light-frame wood
structures shall be in accordance with the applicable
requirements of Section 604 and the NSCP Volume 3 on
Housing.
SECTION 615: STRESSES
615.1 General
… The allowable unit stresses for the respective species and
grades or fabricated products is set forth in Table 6.1 and Table
6.15 for lumber.
Values therein indicated are reference design values. All the
tabulated design values include reductions for safety and are
primarily intended for direct application of ASD.
Adjusted design values are determined by multiplying the
reference values by the appropriate adjustment factors. A
prime is added to the symbol of the reference value to indicate
that the necessary adjustments have been applied to obtain
the adjusted design value:
Ft’ = Ft x (product of adjustment factors)
For a design to be acceptable, the actual stress should be less
than or equal to the adjusted value Ft’.
ft ≤ Ft’
615.3 Adjustment of Stresses
The allowable unit stresses specified in this chapter shall be
subject to applicable adjustments.
615.3.1 General
The adjustments shall be as set forth in the footnotes to the
appropriate stress tables and to the requirements of this
section:
615.3.4 Duration of Load
Values for wood and mechanical fastenings (when the wood
determines the load capacity) are subjected adjustments based
on the following variations in the duration of load:
1. Where a member is fully stressed to the maximum allowable
stress, either continuously or cumulatively, for more than 10
years under the conditions of maximum design load, the values
shall not exceed 90% of those in the tables.
2. When the accumulated duration of the full maximum load
during the life of the member does not exceed the period
indicated below, the values may be increased in the table as
follows:
The adjustment factors for duration of load are not cumulative.
For combined duration of loadings, the adjustment factor shall
not be smaller than the required for the longer duration of
loading.
The above adjustment factors do not apply to compression
perpendicular to the grain design values based on deformation
limit, or to modulus of elasticity.
Wet Service or Moisture Factor, cm
Classification according to moisture content:
1. Dry: < 22% moisture content
2. Partially seasoned: 22% - 28% moisture content
3. Green: > 28% moisture content
Values of cm:
Moisture content < 16%, cm = 1.0
16% to 28%, cm is by interpolation
> 28% cm = 0.60 for design strength, 0.80 for modulus of
elasticity.
615.3.5 Size Factor
When the depth of a rectangular sawn lumber bending
member 125mm or thicker exceeds 300mm, the bending
values, Fb, shall be multiplied by the size factor:
For beams of circular section that have a diameter greater than
340mm, or 300mm or larger square beams loaded in the plane
of the diagonal, the size factor CF may be determined on the
basis of a equivalent conventionally loaded square beam of the
same cross-sectional area.
- Cumulative with form factor, except for I and box beams
- Cumulative with slenderness factor
- Not applicable to visually graded lumber 50mm to 100mm
thick , or to machine stress-rated lumber.
Temperature Factor
Wood members shall not be used in areas subject to
temperatures above 66 C , unless the exposure is infrequent
and any permanent loss in strength is accounted for in the
design. (Sec. 615.3.9, NSCP)
 well as the ends, unsupported length lu is the distance between
such points of intermediate lateral support.

When Cs does not exceed 10, the full allowable stress in

bending Fb may be used.

When Cs exceeds 10 but less Ck, F’b shall be determined as

follows:

Section 615.1.1 Repetitive Member Factor

1. Three or more parallel members of Dimension lumber
or structural composite lumber.
2. Members spaced not more than 600mm
3. Members connected together by a load distributing
element such as roof, floor, or wall sheathing.

Cr = 1.15

For all other framing system Cr = 1.0

Section 615.3.6 Slenderness Factor and Flexural Stress

When the depth of a bending member exceeds its breadth,
lateral support may be required and the slenderness factor Cs
shall be calculated by: When cs is greater than Ck but < 50:

In no case shall cs exceed 50.

The design values for extreme fiber in bending Fb and modulus

of elasticity, E, used in the formulas for F’b shall be modified to
account for moisture service condition, duration of loading,
temperature and type of treatment in accordance with the
Section 615.3 except that the modification for size factor
shown in 615.3.3 shall not be used. Design values for extreme
fiber in bending adjusted for slenderness factor, F’b are not
subject to further modifications for moisture service condition,
duration of loading, temperature, type of treatment or size.

F’b shall not exceed the value of Fb modified for moisture

content, duration of loading, temperature and type of
treatment.

615.3.7 Form Factor

The allowable unit stress in bending for non-prismatic
members shall not exceed the value established by multiplying
such stress by the form factor cf determined as follows:

Unsupported Length:
When the compression edge of a beam is supported
throughout its length to prevent its lateral displacement, and
the ends at points of bearing have lateral support to prevent
rotation, the unsupported length lu may be taken as zero.

When lateral support is provided to prevent rotation at the

points of end bearing but no other lateral support is provided
throughout the length of the beam, the unsupported lu is the
distance between such points of end bearing, or the length of
the cantilever.

When a beam is provided with a lateral support to prevent

rotational and lateral displacement at intermediate points as
The form factor adjustment shall be cumulative with the size
factor adjustment, except for lumber I beams and box beams.

Modulus of elasticity adjustment cv (Sec.615.3.8, NSCP)

When deflections are critical to stability of structure, and
where there is exposure to varying temperature and relative
humidity under sustained loading conditions

Visually graded sawn lumber Cv = 0.25

Machine stress-rated sawn lumber Cv = 0.11

The average E values shall be multiplied by (1- Cv ) or (1-

1.65Cv ) to obtain an E value exceeded by 84% and 95% for
individual pieces, respectively.