TECHNI CAL GUI DANCE NOTE

Executive Summary
The Building Regulation and Approved Document A for England and Wales relating to dispro-
portionate collapse has been revised and came into force on 1st December 2004. This bulle-
tin provides opinion from the UKTFA to satisfy the Building Regulation requirement for timber
frame building structures. This opinion has been discussed at the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister (ODPM) and the principle agreed.
Design Guidance for disproportionate collapse is the guidance required to design platform
timber frame to reduce the sensitivity of a building to disproportionate collapse should an
accident occur from an unspecified cause.

Building Regulation Requirement:
The requirement from Part A of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2000 updated 2004:
A3 - Disproportionate Collapse states:
The building shall be constructed so that in the event of an accident the building will not suf-
fer collapse to an extent disproportionate to the cause.
Note: there is no limitation on building types or storey heights.

Changes from Pre Dec 2004 Regulation:
Omitted - Limitations on application which previously limited requirement A3 to 5 or more
storeys including basements but excluding room in the roof where the slope is less than 70
0
.

Guidance in the 2004 Edition of the Approved Document A - Structure, section 5:
The updated Approved Document Part A Structure includes as section 5 detailed guidance
and approach to achieving compliance with the Building Regulation requirement A3 for dispro-
portionate collapse. The guidance identifies different types of buildings, such as houses and
flats, and classifies them in accordance with the social risk factors that disproportionate col-
lapse will cause to the occupants; i.e. collapse of a single storey hospital is likely to cause
higher fatalities than a single family occupancy house. There are recommended design ac-
tions that increase in complexity with each increasing risk category. The risk categories are 1,
2A, 2B and 3 with 1 being the lowest risk category. Category 3 is not covered by this docu-
ment.

The spirit of the approved document is that buildings should be provided that are inherently
robust. As the building risk category increases additional strength of the building is required
over normal robust design. For lower risk buildings the approach is to adopt good building
practice, lateral restraint to walls and common anchorage details of floors to walls will be ac-
ceptable for the lower two risk classifications 1 and 2A. For category 2B, the use of effec-
tive horizontal ties together with vertical ties or notional removal of load bearing elements is
suggested. The guidance presented in section 5 of the approved document has referenced
steel, concrete and masonry codes for the size of forces that are to be considered for building
ties. Timber is not referenced although it is understood that future updates will include timber
once the material code has been revised to include guidance rules on disproportionate col-
lapse.
Number 3
Mar ch 2005
Head Office

The e-Centre
Cooperage Way Business
Village
Alloa FK10 3LP
Uni t ed Ki ngdom
Ti mber Fr ame
Associ at i on
Tel: 01259 272140
Fax: 01259 272141
London Office

The Building Centre
26 Store Street
London WC1E 7BT

Tel: 020 7235 3364
E-mail:
office@timber-frame.org
Timber is not referenced
although it is understood
that future updates will
include timber once the
material code has been
revised to include
guidance rules on
disproportionate
collapse.
DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR
DISPROPORTIONATE COLLAPSE
M MI L NE R - CHI L T E R N CL A R K E BO ND

Timber Codes:
The timber code BS5268 Parts 2,3 and 6.1/6.2 are likely to be revised in the future. Euro-
code EN1995 1 does not provide guidance specific to timber frame design against dis-
proportionate collapse, although consideration may be given in the EN1995 - 1 - 7 National
Annex for the UK which is under preparation.

Timber Frame Guidance to comply with A3:
Until a British code is available and referenced in the Building Regulation Approved Docu-
ment, the route for timber frame building designers is to adopt alternative information as
allowed within the approved document: Approved Documents are intended to provide guid-
ance there may well be alternative ways of achieving compliance with the require-
ments. Thus there is no obligation to adopt any particular solution contained in an Ap-
proved Document if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way.

Meeting A3 requirement:
Platform Timber Frame is a lightweight building process that under accidental damage is
known to be robust and has significant capacity to span over gaps caused by accidents. It
behaves differently from the materials referenced in the codes stated in the current ap-
proved document guidance. It is not, therefore, appropriate to adopt other material codes
or their approach in the design procedures for disproportionate collapse for platform timber
frame.

History of use, and full size testing carried out by TRADA and BRE, have demonstrated in-
herent resistance to accidental damage. Chapter 2 in the current edition of BRE/TRADA
design guide Multi-storey timber frame buildings provides the basis of the route to prove
compliance to the Building Regulation requirement A3. It is accepted that Chapter 2, writ-
ten by Chiltern Clarke Bond, requires updating to cross reference with the new Building
Regulation requirement. This paper provides the basis of the revision to the BRE/TRADA
guide and in turn provides information for the proposed British Standard revisions and EC5
National Annex references.

The information included in this paper relates to the agreed actions from a meeting held
with the Building Regulation Division of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, by a UKTFA
Technical Committee delegation on 15th November 2004.


Platform Timber Frame - A Design Process that provides inherent robustness, ef-
fective ties and anchorage of suspended floors:
Platform timber frame comprises wall and floor components mechanically fixed to each
other. The design process involves checking the capacity of the component interface
against the variable horizontal wind forces. Unlike other structural concepts such as post
and beam with discrete shear walls /bracing or portal frames, timber platform frame relies
on the full diaphragm action of the floors to transfer horizontal forces across to an evenly
distributed layout of load bearing walls. In platform timber frame the load bearing walls pro-
vide both vertical support and horizontal load resistance.

Increasing the height of a building for any specific location means an increase in the total
horizontal load per m length of the building. In platform timber frame each storey height of
Multi-storey timber frame
buildings a design
guide is available from
the UKTFA shop on
www.timber-frame.org.
Techni cal Gui dance Not e Page 2 of 6
Multi-storey timber frame buildings a design guide Chapter 2 provides guidance for the de-
sign process for Class 2B buildings where notional removal of load bearing walls is part of the
design check to comply with A3.

The guide is to be updated to include references to the new Building Regulations and clarify effec-
tive anchorage of floors to walls to comply with Class 2A and provide definitions for effective ties
for Class 2B.

Until the publication is revised this paper provides the updated information.
Platform Timber Frame
is a lightweight building
process that under
accidental damage is
known to be robust and
has significant capacity
to span over gaps
caused by accidents
horizontal wind load is transferred to the storey below, such that there is an accumulation
of horizontal load the further down the building you go. Therefore there will be a relative
increase in the mechanical fixing requirement on taller buildings at the lower storey lev-
els.

The timber frame designer should therefore be providing a robust connection at each and
every junction as part of the normal design process. While these timber frame junctions
have calculated strength, it is known that once the building is complete additional
strength is achieved in the framing undefined system strength - which is greater than the
sum of the parts.

The tests carried out on the BRE/TRADA TF2000 six storey test building at Cardington in
1998 demonstrated that conventional frames designed for wind loads and with cellular
plan layouts provided inherent robustness against unspecified accidents and it was con-
cluded that timber frames designed and built correctly were safe against disproportionate
collapse.
Recommended Design Procedures for Timber Frame:
For Class 1 and 2A buildings the effective anchorage of floors to walls is achieved in tim-
ber frame by the normal design process of designing the junctions against the horizontal
loads applied. As a minimum the junctions should comprise a density of nails equivalent
of 3.1mm dia at 3.3 per m run of wall junction.

For Class 2B buildings the effective horizontal tie of floors to walls is achieved in timber
frame by the normal design process of designing the junctions against the horizontal
loads applied. As a minimum the junctions should comprise a density of nails equivalent
of 3.1mm dia at 5 per m run of wall junction.

In each case the length of nails are to be relevant for the appropriate embedment depth.









Platform Frame and cellular construction
of timber frame construction. Natural an-
chorage strength of floors to walls.
Diaphragm action of timber frame floors
providing lateral resistance to the walls
and transfer loads to racking walls
(shear).
Techni cal Gui dance Not e Page 3 of 6
The tests carried out on
the BRE/TRADA TF2000
six storey test building at
Cardington in 1998
demonstrated
that ...timber frames
designed and built
correctly were robust
against disproportionate
collapse.
Courtesy TRADA Technology

Techni cal Gui dance Not e Page 4 of 6
Compliance with Section 5 Approved document A - Building usage type and risk category matched to A3
design requirement:
The following design rules and guidance is for building layouts that are considered to be cellular in shape, i.e. the plan
wall to wall ratio is generally no greater than 2:1.
The following table has been derived from Section 5 of the 2004 Building Regulation document A:

Timber Frame Building Usage
Type
Risk
Category
A3 - Risk design check
Single occupancy buildings from
1 to 4 storeys, i.e. Detached
Houses, Bungalows, Terrace
Houses, Town Houses.
Class 1
For conventional timber frame structures of cellular plan form no
additional design check is required above normal design processes
and specifications.
Balloon frame and top hung floor structures are to be checked for
minimum nailing and avoidance of rotation at the connection.

Hotels, flats, apartments and
other residential buildings not
exceeding 4 storeys.
Note: on a project by project ap-
proved basis,5 storey buildings
with the lower storey constructed
in steel or concrete frame that in
turn has been designed for class
2B, the top 4 storey timber frame
can be classified as class 2A
(based on the principles of note
2, table 11,section 5 Approved
Document A3). Note: room in the
roof is classified as a storey.
Class 2 A
For conventional timber frame structures of cellular plan form the
demonstration of robustness is proven by the use of common proven
details to provide anchorage of suspended floors to walls. The com-
mon details are as referenced in Figure 2. The design process shall
include the wind load transfer at each interface and a minimum nail-
ing of the equivalent of 3.1 mm dia nails at 3.3 per meter run at
each interface.
Balloon frame and top hung floor structures are to be checked for
minimum nailing and avoidance of rotation at the connection.

Hotels, flats, apartments and
other residential buildings greater
than 4 storeys but not exceeding
8 storeys.


Class 2 B
For conventional timber frame structures of cellular plan form nor-
mal design processes shall apply with the use of common proven
details to provide effective ties of suspended floors to walls. The
common details are as referenced in Figure 2. The design process
shall include the wind load transfer at each interface and a minimum
nailing of the equivalent of 3.1 mm dia nails at 5 per meter run at
each interface shall be provided.
In addition;
a check that upon the notional removal of each supporting load
bearing wall or column (one at a time in each storey of the building).
The design process for notional removal of load bearing walls or key
element design is provided in the BRE and TRADA book multi-
storey timber frame buildings a design guide- Chapter 2, including
the definition for length of load bearing walls, loading and strength
enhancements. Key element design to be used when notional re-
moval is not practical.

Balloon frame and top hung floor structures are to be checked for
minimum nailing and avoidance of rotation at the connection.
Techni cal Gui dance Not e Page 5 of 6
Inherent robustness of typical floor to wall junctions- each interface is designed to resist horizontal forces
Diagrammatic details suitable for solid timber, I-joists and metal web beams.



Load bearing wall
removed at this
floor level
Allowable
Floor
Collapse
Allowable Wall
Collapse
Explanation of the allowable damage to an accident of unspecified cause.

Find us on the Web at:

www.timber-frame.org
Future Guidance:
For buildings that fall outside the scope of platform frame cellular layouts, the following can be used to obtain approval
prior to commencement of design and is based on the proposed revision to BS5268 Part 2 for effective tie forces that are
to be checked in timber frame structures shall be followed:
Further Information:
The ODPM website has two relevant reports - direct links in brackets:
Revised guidance on meeting compliance requirements of Regulation A3 (www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/
documents/page/odpm_breg_600385.pdf)
Guidance on robustness and provision against accidental actions (www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/page/
odpm_breg_600384.pdf)


Techni cal Gui dance Not e Page 6 of 6
Whilst the UKTFA has had this document reviewed by the UKTFA Technical Committee, the UKTFA accepts
no liability and offers no warranties in relation to it and its contents, to its fullest extent such liability can be
excluded by applicable law. Users are therefore required to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of the
contents of this Technical Guidance Note for the users specific intended purpose.

Timber Frame Building
Usage Type
Risk
Category
A3 - Risk Design Check
Single occupancy buildings from 1
to 4 storeys, i.e. Detached Houses,
Bungalows, Terrace Houses, Town
Houses constructed using innova-
tive techniques and where the
floors do not provide a proven me-
chanical fixity.
Class 1
Horizontal tie force at each junction to be checked for normal wind load-
ings.

Hotels, flats, apartments and other
residential buildings not exceeding
4 storeys, constructed using inno-
vative techniques and where the
floors do not provide a proven me-
chanical fixity.
Single storey educational buildings.
Class 2 A
Carry out a design check for an accidental horizontal effective tie force of
5kN/m of support wall length. The tie force being a peripheral and inter-
nal force at floor junctions.
For single storey educational buildings there are no floors. It is taken
that Regulation A3 is achieved by ensuring that the roof is adequately tied
together and anchored to the walls using good practice. TRADA research
in 1990s has shown trussed rafters to have appropriate robustness
against disproportionate collapse.

Hotels, flats, apartments and other
residential buildings greater than 4
storeys but not exceeding 8 sto-
reys.

Constructions using balloon frame,
Innovative construction types and
where the floors do not provide a
proven mechanical fixity

Single storey Hospitals

Up to 3 storey educational build-
ings
Class 2 B
Design check for accidental horizontal effective tie force of 7.5kN/m of
support wall length with the addition of;
a check that upon the notional removal of each supporting load bearing
wall or column (one at a time in each storey of the building) that the
building remains stable and that the total area of each floor that is al-
lowed to collapse adjacent to the wall being removed does not exceed
15% of the total floor area of that storey or 70m
2
, whichever is smaller.
Note - no collapse is to take place further than the immediate adjacent
storeys to the load-bearing element being removed see Figure 3.
Where the notional removal of such lengths of walls or columns would
result in an extent of damage in excess of the above limit, then such ele-
ments should be designed as a key element. The design process for
notional removal of load bearing walls is provided in the BRE and TRADA
book Multi-storey timber frame buildings a design guide- Chapter 2,
including the definition for length of load bearing walls.
For single storey hospitals there are no floors so the rules require clarifi-
cation with the Local Building Control and it is likely that compliance will
be achieved by ensuring that the roof is adequately tied to the walls.
For trussed rafter roofs no additional checks are required as TRADA re-
search in the early 1990s demonstrated the robust strength of trussed
rafter roofs. For joisted flat roofs the designer is to provide evidence that
the roof plate is tied together so that it can bridge over removed supports.