PD 6693-1-2025 PDF

Full title and description

STB PD 6693-1-2025 — Published Document PD 6693-1 (national adoption as STB): Recommendations and complementary provisions for the design of timber structures (wall diaphragms, racking resistance, fastenings and relevant details) referenced to Eurocode 5 / EN 1995‑1‑1. This publication is a national (STB) edition of PD 6693‑1 issued in 2025 and intended for designers, structural engineers and authorities working with timber-frame building design and compliance in jurisdictions applying STB documents.

Abstract

PD 6693‑1 provides non‑contradictory complementary information and calculation procedures used with Eurocode 5 (EN 1995‑1‑1) for the design of timber buildings. The document covers methods to calculate racking strength of timber wall diaphragms, stabilising/destabilising moments, anchorage of bottom rails, sheathing and fastener capacity, serviceability checks and worked examples for common timber‑frame configurations. The STB 2025 edition is a national adoption intended to align Eurocode guidance with local regulatory and practice needs.

General information

• Status: Active / national published document (STB adoption of PD 6693‑1).
• Publication date: 2025 (PD text listed by distributors with early‑2025 publication references; national STB identifier shows 2025).
• Publisher: STB (national standards publisher / national adoption) — original PD text originated as a BSI Published Document (PD 6693‑1). English and Russian language copies are distributed by recognized standards resellers.
• ICS / categories: 91.010.30 (Technical aspects — construction); 91.080.20 (Timber structures).
• Edition / version: 2025 (STB national edition of PD 6693‑1).
• Number of pages: Approx. 60–70 pages (original PD 6693‑1 published PD editions typically ~68 pages).

Scope

This document gives non‑contradictory complementary information for use with Eurocode 5 (EN 1995‑1‑1) and the National Annex where applicable. It addresses design principles and calculation procedures for timber building elements, with particular emphasis on wall diaphragms (racking), fastener/perimeter fixings, stabilising and destabilising moments, uplift and anchorage requirements, and serviceability checks for common timber‑frame building forms. Worked examples and tables are provided to support practical design.

Key topics and requirements

• Calculation of racking strength and design racking resistance for wall diaphragms (including modification factors for openings and diaphragm geometry).
• Definition and calculation of stabilising and destabilising moments for diaphragm panels and their use in racking capacity checks.
• Requirements and examples for anchorage of bottom rails to resist uplift and horizontal transfer of loads to foundations.
• Sheathing combination and fastener/perimeter fixing capacities (tables and worked detail values for common sheathing types such as plasterboard, OSB, plywood, etc.).
• Serviceability limits, combinations of actions relevant to timber frames and simple worked examples applying Eurocode 5 rules with PD complements.
• Guidance on relating test results (panel racking tests) and product performance to design procedures where relevant.

Typical use and users

Primary users are structural and civil engineers, timber‑frame designers, building control officers, manufacturers of timber‑frame systems and specialist contractors. The document is used to produce compliant calculations for racking and anchorage in timber buildings, to interpret Eurocode 5 requirements in a practical manner, and to support specification of fasteners and sheathing in design and detailing. It is also used in training and as a reference in technical offices involved in timber construction.

Related standards

Relevant companion standards and references include EN 1995‑1‑1 (Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures — general rules and rules for buildings), associated National Annexes, product standards for timber and fasteners (e.g., EN 338, EN 14250, EN 1991‑1‑4 for wind actions), and earlier BSI PD documents on timber design. PD 6693‑1 is explicitly intended as complementary information to EN 1995‑1‑1.

Keywords

timber, timber frame, wall diaphragm, racking strength, PD 6693, Eurocode 5, EN 1995‑1‑1, anchorage, fasteners, sheathing, serviceability

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: STB PD 6693‑1‑2025 is the 2025 national (STB) publication of Published Document PD 6693‑1, providing complementary guidance to Eurocode 5 for the design of timber structures (notably wall diaphragms and related details). It reproduces PD calculation methods and worked examples in a national adoption format.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers calculation procedures for racking resistance of walls, stabilising/destabilising moments, bottom‑rail uplift and anchorage, fastener/perimeter fixing capacities, sheathing combination factors, serviceability checks and worked examples applying Eurocode 5 principles.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Structural engineers, timber‑frame designers and detailers, building control authorities, manufacturers and contractors involved in timber building construction and compliance.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The STB 2025 edition is presented as an active national document for 2025. PD 6693‑1 has seen previous PD editions (for example PD 6693‑1:2012 and later BSI PD editions); users should check whether any later amendments or national updates have been issued in their jurisdiction. For the underlying PD history and earlier page/edition details see the PD records.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — PD 6693 is a multi‑part Published Document series giving complementary information to Eurocode 5; PD 6693‑1 covers general/common rules and rules for buildings. Other PDs and parts may address different or more specific timber topics; the PD series as a whole complements EN 1995.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: timber, timber frame, racking, wall diaphragm, anchorage, Eurocode 5, PD 6693, fasteners, sheathing, serviceability.