Beam Panel

If you select the Beam Panel thickness type, you can describe the properties of a timber panel wall or another composite supporting structure consisting of members and surfaces in the dialog sections. Specific structures can be defined in additional tabs. A member-surface thickness type is generated from the parameters of the elements (chords and plates, inner studs, sheathing, connector), which also takes into account the compliance from the fasteners.

Dialog Box "New Thickness", Thickness Type "Beam Panel"

Main

In the Main tab, you define the general properties of the elements that the beam panel consists of.

Chords, Plates

Define the cross-section of the outer frame members. You can select this cross-section from the list or redefine it using the buttons and (see the chapter Cross-Sections).

If the panel edges do not have a uniform cross-section, select the “Different” check box. You can then assign the member cross-sections in the Beam Panel | Beams tab.

Inner Studs

In the Inner Studs section of the main tab, you can define the cross-section and spacing of the inner members. If no type has been defined for the inner studs yet, click the button. The “New Inner Stud Structure’’ dialog box appears.

Dialog Box "New Structure of Inner Ribs"

Select the “Cross-section” from the list. Use the buttons and to define a new cross-section (see the chapter Cross-Sections).

Then, specify the "Distance". Use the button to control whether the distance b_v refers to center-to-center or the gap (see the dialog graphic). The button allows you to switch from entering absolute values to relative distances. The center-to-center dimension and the gap refer to the x-axis of the surface. The first position is assumed to be the point furthest away in the negative x-direction.

The “Number of inner studs” is determined by the geometry of the surface.

Sheathing

In the Sheathing section of the Main tab, you can specify the properties of panels. Since timber panels are usually only provided with one-side sheathing, the “Different” check box is selected by default. You can then assign the sheathing in the Beam Panel | Sheathing tab for the front or back. If both sides are sheathed, deactivate the check box. Then, click the button to create a new type. The “New Sheathing” dialog box appears.

Dialog Box "New Sheathing"

Define the “Sheathing Thickness” by selecting the relevant entry from the list of predefined thicknesses. The button allows you to define a new thickness with the corresponding material. OSB, gypsum, or hardboard materials are usually suitable for timber sheathing. If necessary, you can specify the "Rotation of input axes".

Select the relevant case from the “Sheathing Pattern” list to indicate how the sheathing is arranged:

• Case 1: Full-surface sheathing
• Case 2: Vertical sheathing strips with a uniform width wsu
• Case 3: Horizontal sheathing strips with a uniform height hsu
• Case 4: Offset vertical sheathing strips with uniform width wsu and uniform height hsu
• Case 5: Offset horizontal sheathing strips with uniform width wsu and uniform height hsu
• Case 6: Parallel vertical sheathing strips with uniform width w_su and uniform height h_su

The first position is assumed to be the point furthest away in the negative x-direction or positive y-direction. If this is not the case, you can reverse the arrangement using the buttons or .

The “Adjust to boundary member centerlines” check box provides the option to center the plate edges on the cross-sections of the chords, plates. This adjusts the plate width accordingly.

Connectors

In the Connectors section of the main tab, you can define the properties of the connections between the chords, plates and inner studs, as well as between the sheathing and the inner studs.

Beam-to-Beam Connector

The connection between the chords, plates and inner studs is preset as hinged. To define a different connection type, click the button. The “New Beam-to-Beam Connector” dialog box appears.

Dialog Box "New Rib-Rib Connector"

There are two options you can select from the “Connector Type” list:

• Hinged: a member hinge around the y and z axes
• User-defined: an option for assigning a connector type with user-defined degrees of freedom and stiffnesses (see the chapter Member Hinges)

If there are no uniform hinge conditions for the connectors of beams, select the “Different” check box. You can then assign the connector types in the Beam Panel | Connectors tab.

Sheathing-to-Beam Connector

If no type has been defined for the connection between the sheathing and the inner stud, click the button. The “New Sheathing-to-Beam Connector” dialog box appears.

Dialog Box "New Sheathing-Rib Connector"

In this dialog box, you can specify how the chords, plates and inner studs are connected to the sheathing. The following options are available in the “Connector Type” list:

• Nail
• Staple
• User-defined

For nails, you can select the standard to be used for the stiffness calculation from another list:

• EN 1995 (Table 7.1)
• CSA O86 (A.11.7)
• NDS (SDPWS Table C4.2.3D)
• User-defined

For nails and staples, you can specify the “Connector dimension” (a nail diameter or a staple size) and the “Connector spacing.” This determines the connector stiffnesses that apply to the respective sides and directions. The “User-defined” option allows you to specify the parameters of the connection element and assign a “line hinge” (see the chapter Line Hinges). In this way, you can model nonlinear slippage curves, for example.

The stiffness from the connectors is taken into account for each direction. If this does not correspond to the actual conditions, select the “Consider connector stiffness in longitudinal direction only” check box.

If there are no uniform connectors on the chords, plates and inner studs, select the “Different” check box. You can then assign the connector types in the Beam Panel | Connectors tab.

Beam Panel | Beams

If you have checked the Different checkbox in the Chords, Plates section, you can define the cross-sections at the plate edges individually. Switch to the “Beam Panel | Beams” tab.

Defining Different Cross-Sections for Edge Ribs

In the “Top & Bottom Plate” section, you can assign the cross-sections that lie in the direction of the positive and negative y-surface axis – that is, the top and bottom frame section.

In the “Chords” section, you can assign the cross-sections that lie in the direction of the positive and negative x-surface axis (the “studs” at the panel edges).

Beam Panel | Sheathing

In the Sheathing section, the Different check box is activated by default. In the “Beam Panel | Sheathing” tab, you can specify whether the beam panel is sheathed on one or both sides and what the panels are made of.

Defining Double-Sided Sheathing

Select the sheathing(s) from the list “Sheathing Front -z” refers to the negative surface side (in the opposite direction of the local z-axis), while “Sheathing Back +z” refers to the positive surface side. Clicking on the button sets the sheathing of one surface side for the opposite side as well.

Use the button to define another sheathing type in the New Sheathing dialog box.

Beam Panel | Connectors

If you have selected the Different check box in the Connectors section, you can define the connections between the chords, plates and the inner studs, and between the sheathing and the inner studs individually. Switch to the “Beam Panel | Connectors” tab.

Defining Different Connectors

In the “Beam-to-Beam Connector” section, you can assign the connection types that exist between the chords, plates and the inner studs for the directions of the positive and negative y-surface axis – that is, between the top and bottom frame sections with the two frame studs and between the top and bottom frame sections with the inner studs.

Use the button to define another connector type in the New Beam-to-Beam Connectors dialog box.

In the “Sheathing-to-Beam Connectors” section, you can assign the connection types that exist between the sheathing and the chords, plates, as well as between the inner studs.