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TimbyrNode

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TimbyrNode reduces truss or frame design time from weeks to days and from days to hours. It leverages the IDEA StatiCa Connection solver for dowelled and bolted mass timber connection design and within a minute guides you to a manufacture-ready physical connection in Tekla Structures. Precision is achieved with an omnidirectional auto-alignment algorithm that adjusts the plate polygons and fasteners. The inevitable slight differences between the physical and analytical models are automatically corrected. The detailer’s effort is only a few clicks. STEP export included.

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1. Input

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Reads directly from IDEA StatiCa Connection application (.ideacon) files. Members, geometry, materials, and per-shear-plane bolt forces are pulled from the live CBFEM model.

 

IDEA StatiCa models each bolt as a real beam element with its actual bending stiffness. With a flexible bolt the forces split evenly within each inner timber strip - 50/50 across its two faces. With a rigid bolt, the inner-face split becomes asymmetric, drawing more force onto the face closer to the joint centre.

 

Same 3-plate connection, two bolt sizes:

  • M12: [1.00, 0.45, 0.55, 0.55, 0.45, 1.00] — middle face 1.22× first-inner face

  • M24: [1.00, 0.40, 0.60, 0.60, 0.40, 1.00] — middle face 1.50× first-inner face

 

Following runs can be started by loading a session file (.tce) saved by the initial structural engineer with an IDEA StatiCa Steel license. Requires IDEA StatiCa v25.1 or later.

 

2. Eurocode 5 (EN 1995-1-1) checks

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Full EN 1995-1-1:2004 check stack for steel-to-timber bolted and dowelled connections, applied per shear plane using the CBFEM-derived forces from IDEA StatiCa.

  • Johansen failure modes per fastener (all modes a–m)

  • Group check with effective fastener number n_ef (§8.2.4)

  • Perpendicular splitting (§8.1.4)

  • Block and plug shear (Annex A)

  • Multi-plate, multi-shear-plane support: 1-plate (2 shear planes), 2-plate (4 shear planes), 3-plate (6 shear planes)

  • Edge distance and spacing checks (Tables 8.4 and 8.5)

  • Fire design per EN 1995-1-2 (R30–R120)

  • 1995-1-1:2004 and draft FprEN 1995-1-1:2024 run side by side

 

For every shear plane TimbyrNode computes a Johansen resistance using the correct timber thickness for that plane and reports the governing utilisation across all planes.

 

Classical hand-calculation assumes forces split equally and compares the total bolt force against a sum of per-plane capacities. This is a simplification that relies on plastic redistribution at ultimate load which works in ductile regimes. It is unconservative in non-ductile ones (thin timber, thick bolts, brittle mode governing, minimum-thickness violations on FprEN 2024). TimbyrNode is the only tool known to consume IDEA StatiCa's actual per-plane CBFEM forces and apply Johansen plane-by-plane - the physically honest result in every regime.

 

3. Session files (.tce)

 

Every session saves to a plain-text .tce file. No proprietary format, no encryption, no IDEA StatiCa licence needed to open one.

 

Why it matters:

  • Email a connection to a colleague, checker or client for review - they only need TimbyrNode to open it

  • Open the file in any text editor to audit inputs or compare revisions

  • Files stay readable years later without needing the original software

  • Reopen any saved session to continue the check where you left off

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4. PDF output

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A single PDF report ready for building-authority submission.

  • Per-fastener EC5 derivation

  • Group check math: n_ef, splitting, block and plug shear

  • Per-plane Johansen mode summary

  • Edge and spacing check results

  • Fire design result

  • Embodied carbon and steel weight

 

5. STEP output

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3D geometry as STEP AP214 (ISO 10303-21).

  • Analytical B-Rep, not tessellated

  • Plates as extruded polygons with CIRCLE holes

  • Bolts and dowels as analytical CYLINDRICAL_SURFACE

 

6. Tekla output

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Pushes the connection straight into Tekla Structures.

  • Automatic plate-edge and fastener alignment 

  • Recesses and dowel holes as boolean cuts

  • Bolts as native bolt group elements

  • Works with Tekla Structures 2022 and later

  • Works with multiple Tekla instances running at the same time - you choose which

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