Commentary: MSc teaching of timber structural analysis

Since analysis is the concomitant of design, any analysis assumptions not adhered to at the design stage should trigger multiple cycles of the iterative loop shown in Figure 1. In practice, ductility is relied upon to legitimise the need for activity in only the first half of this loop, which expedites the overall process. This point directly impacts the current global renaissance in timber construction, because timber's reduced ductility dictates that structural analysis should closely reflect actual behaviour under load if we are to reduce safety factors and so truly unlock the decarbonising potential of this renewable construction material....