Technical Guidance Note (Level 1, No. 19): Soil bearing capacity

One of the most common structural elements is the timber floor joist. This is normally found in residential properties, but can also be seen in medium sized commercial developments. This Technical Guidance Note will explain the principles behind the design of timber floor joists and provide a worked example. All of the advice given will be in accordance with BS EN 1995-1-1 Eurocode 5: Design of Timber Structures – Part 1-1: General – Common rules and rules for buildings. (This article was updated in October 2016 to reflect errata issued since its original publication.)

This Technical Guidance Note defines the concept of fatigue and how its effects can be countered.

This Technical Guidance Note describes the concept of biaxial bending of columns, as well as the effect direct bending has on column design. The guidance given here can be applied to columns made from any material, be it steel, concrete, timber or even glass.