A Unified Design Method for the Racking Resistance of Timber Framed Walls for Inclusion in Eurocode 5

A recent European research programme sponsored by Wood Focus OY identified a need for a unified approach in Europe to the design of timber framed walls for racking resistance. Such an approach should improve on and thereby make redundant current design methods viz.
• Methods A and B in Eurocode 5 (Ref a)
• Methods 6.1 and 6.2 in BS 5268 (Refs band c).
Work by Kallsner et al (Refs d and e) was effective in linking the principles underlying the different design approaches and, following a number of early drafts, the method presented herein was proposed. It is written so as to be a direct substitution of Methods A and B in EC5 hence the numbering of the sections. It is not viewed as a final draft since the detailed development and checks were cut short by the time scale of the research programme. However the effectiveness of the method was checked by trials on a number of hypothetical wall units the results of which are reported.
The authors hope that the design approach will attract comment and development that could be incorporated prior to submission for adoption by both Code bodies in order that Europe should have a single design approach supported by all parts of the timber frame industry because it offered advantages over existing methods. ... mehrAlthough not an objective of the research programme, the new approach can be more easily used with other similar frame type or sandwich panel systems.