Starting with version 2012, Advance Design can optimize sections of timber elements according to the rules of Eurocode 5 and specific National Appendices.
As an example, structure timber elements (Figure 1) will be optimized to meet the criteria of strength and stability. They are made of glued laminated timber – GL24 – which can be chosen from the materials library available in Advance Design.
Figure 1. Timber structure
Calculation assumptions for timber elements verification (optimization mode – Figure 2a, allowable maximum/minimum work ratio – Figure 2b, re-dimensioning of cross sections – Figure 2c) can be modified through the "Calculation assumptions" window.
Figure 2. Assumptions used at optimization of the timber sections
After running the Finite Element Analysis and the Timber Expert, the work ratio of each timber element can be viewed in the "Suggested shapes" window. The sections which have the work ratio outside the proposed limits can be replaced with the shapes suggested by the Timber Expert (Figure 3).
Figure 3. List with the suggested timber sections
Note: By accepting the suggested shapes, the application will modify automatically all the corresponding sections.
After re-launching the calculation and the Timber Expert, check again the work ratios (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Work ratios for timber sections, after optimization