Mechano-sorptive creep in wood fibres

In order to investigate the way in which fibre properties affect the mechano-sorptive creep phenomenon in paper, single wood fibres were exposed to tensile stresses at a constant humidity of 80% relative humidity (RH) and in a cyclic humidity environment varying between 80 and 30% RH. Contrary to earlier claims, it was demonstrated that single wood fibres exposed to a cyclic RH show a considerably higher creep than that corresponding to the highest RH experienced in the cycle, i.e., a mechano-sorptive behaviour. The creep strain rate at cyclic humidity was shown to be a function of the creep rate at constant climate, and to be an apparent linear function of the applied stress.     

Creep in chipboard

Summary Matched samples to those used in a previously reported investigation (under constant environments employing eight board materials and solid wood) were subjected to five different levels of stress under four different cyclic environments for periods of six months. Relative creep increased slightly and linearly with respect to stress within the range of stress levels adopted, as well as increasing with severity of the environment. All materials showed greater sensitivity to alternating humidity than to alternating temperature. The effects of the three prinicipal variables (stress level, environment, material), and the strong interactions among them, were quantified using analysis of variance and found to be similar to those under constant environments: the effect of environmental condition was found to be far greater on relative creep than that of either stress level or material. Averaging over all conditions and stress levels, relative creep increased progressively among timber, plywood, waferboard, chipboard and fibreboard, though this ranking order varied at different stress levels and environments due to the presence of strong interactions. At a stress level of 30% and a time of 43,200 minutes, the relative creep under alternating humidity of 3090% was on average fourteen times greater than that under a constant humidity of 65% (averaging across the nine materials); however, there was considerable divergence among the materials in this ratio. At the same level of stressing, the mean relative creep for all materials under an alternating temperature of 1030 °C was 1.6 times higher than at a constant temperature of 20°C. The ranking order of materials in their sensitivity to alternating temperature was different to that under alternating humidity.The statistical analyses in this paper were performed under contract to Building Research Establishment by Laura New of the Statistical Services Centre, Reading University     

竹材刨花板蠕变性能的研究

结构用刨花板由木质刨花和胶粘剂热压而成,属高分子材料,具有粘弹性。在负荷作用下产生弹性变形,在长期负荷下发生蠕变。试验表明,竹材制成的酚醛胶刨花板,在高湿环境下,比竹材脲醛胶刨花板有较好的抗蠕变能力;如在竹材刨花板上贴上一层竹席,则抗蠕变性能进一步提高。竹材脲醛胶刨花板比木材脲醛胶刨花板有较好的抗蠕变性能。在低湿度环境下,所有板材的蠕变性能差别较小。     

Effect of two relative humidity environments on the performance properties of MDF, OSB and chipboard.

The fatigue and creep performance of MDF, OSB and chipboard have been examined in two environments, namely 65%RH (standard environment) and 85%RH (high humidity). Parallel fatigue and creep tests have been performed in four-point bending on the three wood-based panel products in the two environments. The constant 65%RH environment is service class 1 and the constant 85% RH environment is indicative of a service class 2 environment as detailed in Eurocode 5. The non-interruptive technique of stress-strain hysteresis loop capture has been utilised to follow property changes of the fatigue samples during cyclic loading at a stress ratio of R equal to 0.1. Loop parameters such as loop area, dynamic modulus, and fatigue modulus have been used to characterise the response of these materials to fatigue loads in the two environments. Creep microstrains for the creep samples were recorded in parallel with the fatigue parameters. Fatigue and creep results at 85%RH were more variable than those reported at 65%RH for MDF, OSB and chipboard. In general, at R=0.1 and 85%RH, fatigue and creep microstrains were higher, dynamic stiffnesses were lower and hysteresis loop areas were higher than corresponding properties measured at 65%RH. MDF and chipboard were less moisture tolerant than OSB, this is reflected in the large changes in fatigue and creep parameters.     

Long-term deformation of MDF panels under alternating humidity conditions

Summary Creep tests were carried out on 19 mm thick commercial MDF panels, raw and overlaid with melamin resin-impregnated 80 g/m² paper.The tests were carried out under cyclic environmental conditions with relative humidity levels of 30%–90%, a steady temperature of 20 °C, 3 different stress levels, 20%, 30% and 40%, and using mid-span loading.The relative creep of the MDF panels was considerably higher than that in particleboards with similar characteristics. Creep behaviour of the raw panels seems to be strongly influenced by melamin coating of the boards' surfaces but not by the edge coating, except when both were combined.This study debates the convenience of comparing the rheological behaviour of MDF and particleboards by means of the relative creep.     

Long term bending creep of wood in cyclic relative humidity

Summary Long term creep and recovery test results of wood under a bending load of 10 MPa stress and subjected to relative humidity cycling are presented. In spite of the vast number of humidity cycles during these tests, the results do not give evidence of an existence of a mechano-sorptive creep limit. The results also indicate that the recovery is not complete on unloading when the humidity is cycled. A mechano-sorptive model that fits the test results is proposed. According to the model, the elastic bending deflection in a cyclic load of 10—3 MPa and subjected to natural outdoor relative humidity can be about doubled to account for the creep under ten years loading.     

Creep in chipboard

Summary Previous linear and curvilinear regression models for predicting the creep deflection of timber and timber products have failed to provide an adequately good fit. However, this paper shows that the 4-element (and to a lesser degree the 3-element) rheological model provides an extremely good fit to chipboard creep data.A set of experiments has been carried out on the creep behaviour of five commercially-available types of chipboard under 3-point sustained loading at constant temperature and humidity. This range of board types encompassed three types of glue — UF, MF/UF and Pf- and was loaded at two stress levels-30% and 60% of the short term ultimate stress. The lifetime of these specimens ranged from 25 days to over 31/2 years until either failure occurred or the load was removed.Creep curves based on 3- and 4-element rheological models have been fitted to the data from each specimen using an iterative least squares computer program which we developed. The validity of the two models is discussed, together with studies on the comparative behaviour of different board types and the use of the models as predictive tools.     

Creep in chipboard

Summary Samples of five chipboards, one waferboard, one plywood, one fibre building board and redwood timber (Pinus sylvestris) were loaded in 4-point bending under four stress levels: 30, 45, 67.5 and 75% of the short term ultimate, thereby extending earlier work at 60% stress level. Five environmental conditions were used at each stress level: 10°C 62% relative humidity (rh); 20°C 30% rh; 20 °C 65% rh; 20°C 90% rh and 30°C 68% rh. Deflections were recorded at least on a daily basis for a period of 6 months, unless failure of the sample occurred earlier. Values for the elastic, viscoelastic and viscous components of creep deflection were calculated for two time periods using the 4-element rheological model developed in an earlier paper: comparisons were made on the basis of the percentage contribution of each component. The relative proportions of the elastic, viscoelastic and viscous components making up total deflection were found to vary considerably with time, temperature, relative humidity, stress level and material. The relationships were complex with strong interactions occurring among environmental condition, stress level and material. Thus, for example, the effect of high temperature, or high relative humidity, in determining the magnitude of the viscous component was much greater at higher levels of stressing: waferboard appeared to be less sensitive to high humidity and solid timber more sensitive to high temperature than the other materials. T-tests further confirmed the complexity of the relationships. It is concluded that much of the variability in creep deflection recorded in Part 8 of this series is primarily due to changes in the percentage contribution of the viscous component.     

Creep in chipboard

Summary Deflection under 4-point bending of a range of board types was measured for up to six months. Results were obtained under steady-state conditions of stress level (30%, 45%, 60%, 67.5% and 75% of the short term breaking stress), relative humidity (30%, 65% and 90% rh) and temperature (10°C, 20°C and 30°C). These results are presented in terms of relative creep and creep modulus. The relative creep for all board types increased with increasing stress level, increasing relative humidity and increasing temperature. An analysis of variance investigating variations between materials showed significant differences in relative creep. When the relative creep of all materials was compared over all conditions and all stress levels, plywood and waferboard had consistently low relative creep values. High alkaline cured PF chipboard and non-British Standard UF chipboard had consistently high relative creep values. The creep modulus of MUF bonded chipboard decreased with increasing log₁₀ (time) under all conditions. Creep modulus also decreased with increasing stress level.The statistical analysis in this paper was performed by Anne Hasted and Laura New of the Statistical Services Centre, Reading University     

Creep in chipboard

Summary Samples of five chipboards, one waferboard, one plywood, one fibre building board and Scots pine timber were loaded in four point bending at a stress equivalent to 60 per cent of the short term failing stress under five combinations of temperature and relative humidity for a period of six months, or until prior failure.Irrespective of whether creep behaviour was assessed in terms of total deflection, viscous component of deflection, relative creep, creep modulus, or deflection at, or time to failure, significant differences were obtained with variations both in temperature and relative humidity. The effect of temperature, at fixed humidity, was slightly greater between 20°C and 30°C than between 10°C and 20°C, while the effect of humidity was appreciably greater between 65% and 90% rh than between 30% and 65% rh. Fitting of hyperbolic curves to the data permitted the prediction of creep behaviour with a good degree of fit at any combination of temperature and humidity within the experimental range.Differences in response to environmental conditions existed among some of the boards. Thus the ranking order of the materials was slightly different under variable humidity than it was under variable temperature. It was possible to describe these differences in terms of the variation that occurred among the materials in the relative proportion of the elastic, viscoelastic and viscous components of deflection.     

Long-term experiments with end-cracked wooden beams

Summary The duration of load effect for the fracture thoughness in mode II loading (forward shearing mode) has experimentally been determined for wood. The end-cracked beam specimens used were exposed to a constant load which corresponds to a nominal load level between 60 and 85% of the short-term capacity. The relative humidity was kept constant at 65% for two experimental series and changed cyclically between 40 and 90% for six experimental series. The length of a whole cycle was two weeks. In contrast to constant humidity conditions the time to failure was drastically reduced. For an end-cracked spruce beam loaded to 75% of its short-term capacity the lifetime was reduced from 2.5 months to 4 days.     

The variable parameter rheological model of wood

How to establish the rheological model to simulate creep behavior of wood and wood-based composites under change-load has not been solved in research of wood rheology. This paper presents a new model—variable parameter rheological model. The bending creep behavior of small clear poplar specimens under different constant load levels were examined. The load levels within 50% of rupture load of the specimens, and the experimental creep behavior were simulated by the variable parameter Maxwell model. The results show that using only one model of variable parameters may simulate the creep behavior of wood under different constant load levels very well. Applying the generalized Boltzmanns superposition principle, the variable parameter rheological model can be used to simulate the creep behavior of wood under change-loads conveniently and accurately.     

Wirkungen von Temperatur und Luftfeuchtigkeit auf die Embryonalentwicklung und das Eischlüpfen bei der SchildzeckeHyalomma marginatum Koch (Acari,Ixodidae)

Effect of temperature and relative humidity on embryonic development and egg hatch ofHyalomma marginatum Koch (Acari, Ixodidae) Effect of different temperatures (25, 30, 35, 40°C) and relative humidity (RH) levels (50, 75, 90%) on embryonic development and hatching ofHyalomma marginatum was investigated. The percentage of dead eggs and embryos, percentage of morphologically normal larvae, percentage of abnormally hatched larvae and percentage of larvae with morphological malformations were determined for each condition. Embryonic development and egg hatch proceeded at 25–35°C in all relative humidity levels tested. However 50% RH was unfavourable for these processes. The optimal conditions for larval development were found to be: temperature of 25–30°C and relative humidity of 75%. Under these conditions 72.7–87.8% of examined egg hatched into normal larvae.     

The behaviour of particle board and hardboard beams during moisture cycling

Summary The effects of creep at constant conditions of moisture content and the effects of deformations occurring during cycling of moisture content have been studied in loaded beams of particleboard and hardboard. The variations in stiffness in loaded and unloaded beams of particleboard during moisture cycling were also determined. Contrary to the findings of some workers but in agreement with the findings of another, the increases in the deflections of loaded beams of particleboard during cycling of moisture content were due mainly to desorption of moisture. Qualitatively similar behaviour was found for particleboard, hardboard and wood but quantitatively the effects were greatest in particleboard and hardboard. It appears that the basic mechanism of the transient effects in bending, arising with the simultaneous action of load and change in moisture content, may be similar in wood, particleboard and hardboard.     

Creep in chipboard

Summary The effect of moisture and level of stressing on the rate of creep and time to failure is studied for UF and MUF bonded particleboard. Response curves were fitted to a 4-element rheological model with a high degree of accuracy for four levels of stressing and for three levels of relative humidity at 20°C. Values of relative creep increased with time and also with increased levels of stress and r.h. The ratio of stress to deflection — presented either as the creep modulus or as isochronous curves — decreased rapidly with time. Particleboard is demonstrated to exhibit non-linear viscoelastic properties, particularly at the higher levels of stress. Deflection was increased and time to failure decreased when r.h. was raised from 65 to 90 per cent, but no significant statistical change was noted between 30 and 65 per cent r.h. Increased levels of stress caused a decrease in both deflection and time to failure. Greater deflection at failure and longer time to failure were recorded for MUF board, but for the UF board the 90 per cent r.h. had a more pronounced effect in increasing deflection and decreasing the time to failure. Predictions are made on the long-term stress loadings for different humidity conditions.     

Cantilever experimental setup for rheological parameter identification in relation to wood drying

Wood exhibits a pronounced time dependent deformation behavior which is usually split into ‘viscoelastic’ creep at constant moisture content (MC) and ‘mechano-sorptive’ creep in varying MC conditions. Experimental determination of model rheological parameters on a material level remains a serious challenge, and diversity of experimental methods makes published results difficult to compare. In this study, a cantilever experimental setup is proposed for creep tests because of its close analogy with the mechanical behavior of wood during drying. Creep measurements were conducted at different load levels (LL) under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. Radial specimens of white spruce wood [Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss.] with dimensions of 110 mm in length (R), 25 mm in width (T), and 7 mm in thickness (L) were used. The influence of LL and MC on creep behavior of wood was exhibited. In constant MC conditions, no significant difference was observed between creep of tensile and compressive faces of wood cantilever. For load not greater than 50% of the ultimate load, the material exhibited a linear viscoelastic creep behavior at the three equilibrium moisture contents considered in the study. The mechano-sorptive creep after the first sorption phase was several times greater than creep at constant moisture conditions. Experimental data were fitted with numerical simulation of the global rheological model developed by authors for rheological parameter identification.     

Fatigue and creep in chipboard

Summary Structural grade chipboard used as floor decking can be exposed to a combination of creep loading, and fatigue loading at a wide range of frequencies. Creep loads are produced by static masses such as machinery. Fatigue loads arise from intermittent loads such as fork lift trucks in motion, people in motion, or vibrating machinery.Four-point bend tests in fatigue and creep have been performed simultaneously on matched sets of four structural grade chipboard samples. The aim was to examine the effect of frequency on the fatigue performance of chipboard by following the rate of microstrain development in each case at the same peak stress. The ratio of the minimum to the maximum fatigue stress (the R ratio) was set at R = 0.1. Fatigue tests were performed at three different frequencies classified as low, medium and high, determined by the rate of application of stress.The performance of chipboard in flooring applications is shown to be highly dependent on the loading frequency. Increasing the frequency increased the number of cycles to failure as did reducing the stress level. Using hysteresis loop capture to monitor damage accumulation during testing indicates that there is a fatigue limit for chipboard loaded at constant amplitude at some point just below 20% of its static bending strength.This research was supported by the Building Research Establishment who also supported the postgraduate case award in conjunction with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)     

Duration-of-load and creep effects in strand-based wood composite: a creep-rupture model

In order to investigate the creep and duration-of-load (DOL) effects in thick strand-based wood composite products, a creep-rupture model is proposed linking the accumulated damage to creep deformation. Results from long-term constant load tests have been interpreted by means of this creep-rupture model, which is capable of representing the time-dependent deflection and time-to-failure data at different stress levels. The predictions of the model have been verified using results from ramp load test at different rates of loading. The creep-rupture model incorporates the short-term strength of the material, the load history and predicts the deflection history as well as the time-to-failure. As it is a probabilistic model, it allows its incorporation into a time-reliability study of wood composites’ applications.     

Shear creep and mechanosorptive behavior of nail-plate-jointed laminated-veneer lumber

The objective of this research was to evaluate the mechanosorptive deflection of shear creep of nail-plate-jointed laminated-veneer lumber. The joint was composed of steel gusset and nails, 40 mm in length and 2.8 mm in diameter (Zn40). The specimens were loaded parallel (PA) and perpendicular (PE) to the grain. Shearing loads applied were 50 and 100kgf, and the load levels were 11% and 22% (PA) and 7% and 14% (PE) of the maximum strength obtained from static testing. The creep test specimens were loaded for 1500h. A few general conclusions could be drawn from this study: The mechanosorptive deflection (_ms) is defined as _ms = _t — (_c + _sh) — _o, where _t, is total deflection, _c is pure creep, _sh is shrinkage-swelling behavior, and _o is the initial deflection. Changes in relative humidity may cause more severe creep deflection than constant humidity, especially during the drying process. The mechanosorptive deflection is greater at the lower load level than that at the higher load level. The mechanosorptive effects seem to be somewhat more resistant in the parallel direction than in the perpendicular direction.     

Laboratory studies on the effect of temperature and humidity on the life table of the whitefly,Aleurotuberculatus takahashi David & Subramaniam (Hom., Aleyrodidae) from southeastern China

The present paper deals with developmental duration, emergence, longevity and fecundity ofAleurotuberculatus takabashi David & Subramaniam at different temperatures and humidity levels. The developmental time from egg to adult was 81.8, 56.9, 39.6, 29.9, 20.6 days at 15±1, 20±1, 25±1, 30±1, 35±1°C under constant relative humidity (RH) of 70±5%, respectively. At 25±1°C, the total developmental time was slightly affected by humidity, ranging from 46.4 days at 40±5% RH to 39.2 days at 90±5% RH. The developmental threshold and the thermal constant for the stage from egg to adult were 10.1°C and 542.8 day-degrees. It was estimated that the whitefly has about 10 generations a year in Fuzhou region in southeastern China. Lowest mortality rates of 12.4% for the egg, 6.8% for the nymph and 3.1% for the puparium were obtained at 15±1°C, while they were highest with 92.1% for the egg, 48.2% for the nymph and 36.3% for the puparium at 35±1°C. The mortality rates were slightly affected by humidity, ranging from 17.6% at 40±5% RH to 27.9% at 90±5% RH for the egg, 11.2% at 40±5% RH to 19.6% at 90±5% RH for the nymph, and 6.4% at 40±5% RH to 11.6% at 90±5% RH for the puparium. The emergence rate of adults decreased as temperature increased, ranging from 89.1% at 15±1°C to 21.5% at 35±1°C, so did the longevity of adults, ranging from 9.6 days at 15±1°C to 2.9 days at 35±1°C. The number of eggs per female was significantly affected by temperature (P.01), valuing 29.4 eggs per female at 15±1°C, 36.7 at 20±1°C, 52.4 at 25±1°C, 42.9 at 30±1°C, and 6.1 at 35±1°C. The optimal temperature for reproduction was about 25°C.