Design Charts for Timber Beam‐Columns

A general procedure to construct design charts for rectangular timber columns with prescribed end eccentricities and initial bow is presented. The design charts use the new load and resistance factor design (LRFD) format. These charts can be used to check trail sections or obtain suitable combinations of axial load and moments for a particular section and slenderness ratio. The current design format requires repeated calculations of a series of factors. Values of maximum axial load to factored compressive resistance ratios, and moment-magnification factors for ratios equal to and below maximum can be obtained from a single chart as a function of slenderness ratio alone. Use of design charts is explained for both columns with axial load alone and combined bending and axial load via an example problem, in accordance with the Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code. Similar design charts may be developed to aid designers, reduce computational errors, and save calculation time.