Standard Timber Frame Specifications

Structural Integrity

• As defined by the Timber Frame Engineering Council in the "Standard for Design of Timber Frame Structures," the frame must be able to support the loads anticipated to bear on it both during and after the construction phase. This includes live (that is, temporal loads) and dead loads (such as system and engineering components). The frame should also be able to withstand the battering of wind, rain and other natural assaults on the structure.

Wood Selection

• The timber chosen for framing must be of sufficient integrity and bulk to carry the intended loads and to stand up to the environmental forces of the climate in which the structure will be located. According to the standards of the Timber Frame Engineering Council, "lumber shall be identified by the grade mark of, or certificate of inspection issued by, a certified grader, a lumber grading or inspection bureau, or an agency recognized by the American Lumber Standards Committee."

Design

• The overall design for the frame must conform to the best understood concepts of physics and engineering as they pertain to load and weight distribution, as well as material stress. Particular attention should be paid to connections and joints. Whether these connections are created as a result of notching and fitting two pieces of wood together by means of a mortise and tenon-type joint, or if they are attached by a secondary steel or other metal fastener or support, a structural engineer would be able to consult and evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the frame and evaluate which aspects of the specifications might bear reconsideration.