Development of a TS on numerical design of timber structures - Verification and validation of numerical models, analyses, and results

The present transition in the design process from manual and analytical to computer-aided, numerical structural analyses is a major challenge and opportunity in structural engineering. To ensure the appropriate use and implementation of computer-aided, numerical structural analyses, key aspects are (i) technical and software capabilities, (ii) available information and education, (iii) verification and validation of models, analyses, and results, and (iv) standardisation of design methods. In the 2nd generation of the Eurocodes, parts of the standards are dedicated to numerical design, e.g. EN 1990 Annex X and FprEN 1993-1-14. In timber structures, the working group CEN/TC 250/SC 5/WG 11 ‘Numerical Design’ was initiated in 2024, which is developing a Technical Specification (TS) on ‘Design assisted by numerical methods’ until 2027. This contribution aims to provide an overview of the work on the TS and, in particular, to discuss one of its core topics, the verification and validation of numerical models, analyses, and results.