Historically, timber design relied on experience and simple safety factors. Eurocode 5 introduced a common European basis for timber design, allowing for the use of advanced like Glulam and OSB, which offer greater architectural freedom and standardized performance. Key Design Pillars
: Unlike steel, timber is a natural material with knots and grain irregularities that influence its load capacity . Engineers must account for these using specific strength classes. Structural timber design to Eurocode 5
: As established in Eurocode 0, designs must ensure both the ultimate safety (strength) and everyday serviceability (deflection and vibration) of a structure. Historically, timber design relied on experience and simple