F3

FLOOR JOISTS

DESIGN DATA

Subject
It is required to check the adequacy of 47 x 200 mm regularised domestic floor joists of Strength
class C24 timber on an effective span of 3.600 m spaced at 600 mm centres.

Service class
EC5 defines three service classes which relate to the moisture content of timber. Service
class 1 corresponds to a moisturecontentin mostsofnvoodsof 12 % or less, which is likely
to occur in centrally heated buildings. For members made of solid or glued tkminated
timber, designs which are validfor Service class 1 will also be validfor Service class 2.

Service class 1
Timber properties
For C24 timber BS EN 338 gives
Shear strength
Bending strength
Compression strength perpendicular to grain
Mean modulus of elasticity parallel to grain
Mean shear modulus
Average density

fv.k
fW.
fc,$,k
E,,,,
G,.
Pm,

=
=
=
=
=
=

2.5
24.0
5.3
11 000
690
420

N/IllII?
N/Ill&
N/lIlIl12
N/mm*
N/rlUll2
kg/m3

section
properties
For section propemes, target sizes are used.
Clause 3.2.3 P(I)
The UK preferred target sizes for sawn sofrwoodsare shown in Tables 3 and 4 in the
Introductionto the Design Lkunples. For regularised timber, a total of 5 mm is planed
off the top and bottom su@aces if the original depth exceeds 150 mm.

Breadth
Depth
Effective span
Bearing length

b
h
L
e

=47
=195
= 3600
=50

Area

Section modulus

w,

Second moment of area

I,

16of44

mm
mm
mm
mm

47 x 195
47 x 195*
6
47 x 1953
12

9 165 mm2

297 900 mm3

29040ooomnl*

TRADA, HughendenVaUey, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. UK

OTR@DA19!M.F

F3

9.81 p_A

Self-weight

FLOOR JOISTS

109
9.81 X 420 X 9 165
109

Actions

o 038 IrN,m

Weight of floor decking, ceiling, etc.

= 0.40 kN/&;

Permanent load: floor decking etc

imposed load (domestic)

0.40 x 0.600

self weight
Therefore

0.240 kN/m

0.038 kN/m

Gk

Q,c =

Medium-term imposed load:

1.50 x 0.60

1.50 kN/m*

0.278 kN/m

0.900 kN/m

There is a differentktion in EC5 between the duration of loadfor self we&ht (permanent
duration) and for imposed occupancy loading, e.g. dwellings, offices, schools, etc.
(medium-termduration).

Partial

safetyfactors

Partial safetyfactorsfor actions and materialsmay be obtainedfrom T&&s 6 to 8 in the

Introductionto the Design Examples, or from Tables I and 2 of the Nm.

Permanent actions

YG

1.35

Variable actions

YQ =

1.5

Mater&l factor for timber

Ytvl =

1.3

ULTIMATE LIMlT STATE

Design values of actions

I Clause 2.3.2.2P(l)

By inspection, it is evident that the medium-termload case will be critical.

Design load

Fd

YG

1.35 x 0.278 + 1.50 x 0.900

Gk

YQ

QI;

1.725 kN/m

Shear force

v,

1.725 x 3.600
2

3.105lcN

Bending moment

M,

1.725 x 3.600*
8

2.795 kN/m

=TRADA1994.F

TRADA, HughendenValley, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. UK

17of44

F3

FLOOR JOISTS

Strength modification factors

k&for medium-termload duration in Service class 1 = 0.80 (see Table 8)
Table 3.1.7
It is assumed thatthe floor deck constructionwillrestrainthe compressionedge of thejoist
against lateral displacement through the length of the beam - in this condition kht =
Clause 5.2.2(5)
1.0.
Thefloor constructionis presumed to be able toprovide lateral distributionof load so the
Clause 5.4.6(2)
load sharing factor k, = 1.1
Clause 3.2.2a

The depth of the section > 150 mm so k,, = 1.0

The bearing factor, kc.,, increases the effecnvebearing strength, so it is unnecessary to

calculate kc,, unless the unfactored bearing strengthproves to be inadequate.

Strength verifications
Shear stress

Shear strength

lSV,
7d

A
=

0.51 N/mm

1.1 x 0.8 x 2.5

1.3

1.69NtmmZ

9.38 N/mm2

16.25 N/mm2 i

1.32 N/mm2

fv.d

w,
f m.Y*d
1.1 x 0.8 x 24.0
1.3

Compression perpendicular to grain

Bearing stress

Shear
strength
satisfactory

Md

Bending stress

Bending strength

1.5 x 3.105 x ld
9 165

%Q,d

b0,
=

3.105 x 103
47 x 50

BC?Ildillg
strength
satisfactory

F3

Ekaring strength

fc.9Q.d

FLOOR JOISTS
kodfc9ok
. .

YM
0.8 x 5.3

1.3

3.2CN/mm2

The load distributionfactor, k,=, is not applicable to the bearing strength of the bottom
rail, because only one member is involved. If necessary, its calculated bearing strength
Clause 5.1.5
could have been increased by the factor kc,,.

SWtiOll

adequate in
shear, bending
and bearing for

medium-term
loads

SERVICEABILITY LIMIT STATE - Deflection

Service loads
With only one variable load, service lo&
loads.

Permanent service load

Medium-term service load

Fdlti

are equal to the unfactored characteristic

(4.la)

Gk

0.278 kN/m

Qk

0.900 klWm

Deflection formulae
It is necessary to calculate separately the deflections due to permanent and medium-term
loadings, as the kdcr
factors for time-relateddeformation (creep) are differentfor each load
duration.

Flexural deflection caused by u.d.1.

5Fff, L4
3$%&y

Shear deflection due to u.d.1.

bTRADA1994.F

TRADA,

4 FudlL2
8 G-A

HughendenValley, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. UKI

19of44

F 3

FLOOR JOISTS

t$ = form factor = 1.2 for rectangular section.

Separate values for G_

are given in BS EN 338 and are equivalent to E0,_J6.

lhe instantaneous d@lection is calculated using E,,_

and G_.

Clause 4.1(3)

Alternatively, the o!eflection may be calculated using Formula 1 in the Introduction to the
Design Examples, Bending and De&&on Formulae.
=

uo

precamber (zero in this case)

defZction due to permanent loads
deflection due to variable (imposed) loads

UJ +

4
U2

Ulb?*

Clause 4.3.1(l)

u2 - ug

The recommended de$Lxtion limits are:

instantaneous imposed load

u2*

Clause 4.3. I (2)

<e
300

final imposed load

uzjin

Clause 4.3.1(3)

<s
200

final total load

me

Clause 4.3. I(3)

Igar_l

200
instantaneous total load utjnrr+ uzMI s

UK NAD Clause 4.4.3

a
or 14.0 mm
333

The method given in Clause 4.4.3 for assessing the effects of vibration relates only to twoway spanning residential floors, i.e. supported on four sides. For typical UK one-way
spanningfiors, the vibration criteria may be considered to be met by complying with the
total load instantaneous deflection limits given in the UK National Application Document,
e
or 14 mm, whichever is less.
i. e.
333
For beams without precamber, it is unnecessary to check u2& since ulvrJFn
is always
greater.

Instantaneousdeflection
Permanent load

Qlsl

=
=

5 x 0.278 x 3 6004
1.2 x 0.278 x 3 600*
384 x 11 000 x 29 040 000 +
8 x 690 x 9 165
1.90 + 0.09

1.99 mm

Medium-term load

%ii,

=
=

5 x 0.900 x 3 6004
1.2 x 0.900 x 3 6002
384 x 11 000 x 29 040 000 +
8 x 690 x 9 165
6.16 + 0.28

Total instantaneous deflection

z3of44

u1,bs4

TRADA,

utiIlSt

Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe,

6.44 mm

8.43 mm

Bucks. HP14 4ND. UK

I
a TRADA

1994. F(a)

F3

FLOOR JOISTS

Final deflection
Final deflections are obtained by instantaneousdefections x (1 + kWh as described in
Clauses 4.1(4) and 4.1(7)
I

Values of kW may be obtained from Table 9, or from Table 4.1 in EC.4. For actions of
permanent duration on solid timber in Service class 1, k, = 0.80. For actions of
medium-termduration, kdcr= 0.25.

Permanent load
=

Ul,fi

ul,imdl

kef)

UZ.dl

k!efl =

Ul.fi" +

%in

1.99 x (1 + 0.80)

3.58 mm

6.44 x (1 + 0.25)

8.05 mm

3.58 + 8.05

11.63 mm

Medium-term load
=

UZ,fin

kt.fi

Maximum

recommended deflections
I

UZ.imt

3600

12.00 mm

Actual = 6.44 mm

lS.OOmm

Actual=

10.81 mm or 14.0 mm

10.81 mm

300

hai

3600

ul,inst + U2,im

<

3600

200

333

Instantaneous
deflection
satisfactory

11,63 mm Final deflection

I
satisfactory
*

Actual = 8.43 mm

Vibration
deflection
satisfactory

The joists proposed are adequate for both strength and st@ess. The critical design
parameter is the total instantaneousdeflection limitation of L/333 Fhich relates to
vibration. Since deflection is inverselyproportional to the modulus of &asticity,timber
from Strength class Cl8 witha value of EO,_ = 9 OooN/n& could aUo be used. This
wouldproduce a total instantaneousdeflection of
8.43 n 11 Ooo
go00

aTRADA1994.F

10.30 mm < 10.81 mm

TRADA, Hughenden Valley, High Wycmbe, Bucks. HP14 4ND. U&

21of44