Quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics analysis of the splitting failure of single dowel joints loaded perpendicular to grain

A quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics model based on beam on elastic foundation theory is applied for analysis of dowel joints with a single dowel loaded perpendicular to grain. The properties of the elastic foundation are chosen so that the perpendicular-to-grain tensile strength and fracture energy properties of the wood are correctly represented. It is shown that this particular choice of foundation stiffness makes a conventional maximum stress failure criterion lead to the same solution as the compliance method of fracture mechanics. Results of linear elastic fracture mechanics are obtained as a special case by assuming an infinitely large value of the foundation stiffness. Results of tests on so-called plate joints are compared with theoretical predictions, showing good agreement for variations in initial crack length as well as edge distance.     

Quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics analysis of splitting failure in moment-resisting dowel joints

This article addresses the splitting failure of moment-resisting dowel-type fastener joints, in which the failure may be attributed to the perpendicular-to-grain loading of one single dowel located close to the end of a beam. A quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics model based on beam on elastic foundation theory is applied. A simple approximation suitable for practical design is also proposed. Model predictions of the influence of edge distances and end distances are compared with test results.     

Quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics analysis of splitting failure in simply supported beams loaded perpendicular to grain by dowel joints

A quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics model based on beam on elastic foundation theory is applied for analysis of the splitting failure of dowel joints loaded perpendicular to grain. Simply supported beams symmetrically loaded by two dowels are considered, and the effects of edge distance, dowel spacing, and distance between dowels and supports are accounted for. The foundation modulus used in the beam on elastic foundation model is chosen so that the perpendicular-to-grain tensile strength and fracture energy properties of the wood are correctly represented. This ensures that a conventional stress analysis and failure criterion lead to the same solution as the compliance method of fracture mechanics. A semiempirical efficiency factor is proposed to account for the influence of the total beam depth, which does not enter the beam on elastic foundation model, but the effect of which is evident from tests. It is shown that the so-called Van der Put/Leijten model, which recently has been adopted in Eurocode 5, appears as a special case of the model presented. Tests on simply supported beams with a single dowel joint at midspan are compared with the theoretical predictions. Various edge distances, beam depths, and spans were tested.     

J-integral evaluation in cracked wood specimen using the mark tracking method

In this paper, an experimental analysis of the fracture parameters via the invariant J-integral for a cracked specimen made of wood is presented. The experimental test is realized using a sample made of Douglas fir loaded in opening mode. The sample geometry is a mix between the single edge notch and wedge splitting specimens, and the crack advances in the radial-longitudinal system, parallel to the wood rings. By using the optical mark tracking method, the displacement field evolution close to the crack tip is recorded during the test. The stress and strain fields are calculated using a finite element model generated from the experimental displacement fields. Further, the energy release rate is evaluated for different circular paths or crowns defined around the crack tip and for different loading values.     

Splitting strength of beams loaded perpendicular to grain by dowel joints

A linear elastic fracture mechanics model for calculation of the splitting strength of dowel-type fastener joints loaded perpendicular to grain (Van der Put/Leijten model) has previously been presented, and now forms the basis for design in Eurocode 5. The original Van der Put/Leijten model was derived using a number of simplifying assumptions, e.g., that the normal forces in the cracked parts of the beam can be ignored, leading to a solution that does not involve the effect of an initial crack. In the present article an extended version of the Van der Put/Leijten model is derived without any simplifying assumptions, and it is shown that the original Van der Put/Leijten model appears as a special case, namely by assuming that only contributions from shear deformations are significant. The model presented here involves the effect of an initial crack and may be characterized as a generalized linear elastic fracture mechanics model. Results of tests showing the influence of initial cracks of various lengths are presented and compared with the predictions.     

Fracture of multiply-bolted joints under lateral force perpendicular to wood grain

The crack initiation and propagation of multiplybolted joints subjected to lateral forces perpendicular to the grain were analyzed. Two types of bolted joint were subjected to lateral loads perpendicular to the grain. One had joints of two bolts aligned with the wood grain (type H), and the other had joints of two or three bolts aligned perpendicular to the grain (type V). The crack initiation and propagation were analyzed by means of the average stress method (ASM) and linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), respectively. The maximum loads calculated by LEFM agreed comparatively well with the experimental results, and it was proved that the LEFM was an appropriate tool to analyze the fracture of multiply-bolted joints subjected to a force perpendicular to the grain. It was also found that the multiply-bolted joints failed with the fracture of the wood before the joints yielded, and that it caused a considerable decrease of the maximum loads. The reduction of strength should be considered in the design of multiply-bolted joints subjected to lateral forces perpendicular to the grain.Part of this work was presented at the annual meeting of the Architectural Institute of Japan, Hikone, September 1996     

Effective lateral resistance of timber–plywood–timber joints connected with nails

In this study, an experimental study was conducted on the nailed timber–plywood–timber joints extended from the standard wall–floor joints of wooden light frame constructions, where the bottom plates of shear walls are nailed to the floors consisting of joists and floor sheathings nailed to them. The principal conclusions are as follows: The allowable lateral resistance of the nailed timber–plywood–timber joints can roundly be estimated by neglecting the plywood panels if their densities are higher than those of the timber main-members and they are fastened effectively onto the timber main-members. The stiffness of the timber–plywood–timber joints is less than that of the control timber–timber joints, which is improved by increasing the number of nails used to fasten the plywood panels onto the timber main-members. The stiffness of the joints whose floor sheathings are glued onto the joists is equivalent to the control timber–timber joints. The timber–plywood–timber joints with appropriate specifications have greater energy capacity until the failure than that of the control timber–timber joints. This ensures their energy capacity, which is important in dynamic resistance, to be equivalent to the control timber–timber joints.     

Three-dimensional modelling of wood fracture in mode I, perpendicular to the grain direction at fibre level

A coupled experimental and numerical modelling approach was used to investigate the mechanism of softwood fracture at the fibre level. First, a three-dimensional mixed lattice-continuum fracture model was developed to investigate the mechanism of wood fracture, taking into account the porosity of its structure and its heterogeneities at the fibre level. The critical volumes in the specimen where crack propagation was more probable were modelled by a lattice that could show the alternation of earlywood and latewood fibres, and the other regions were considered as the continuum medium. The proposed model was used to investigate the mode I fracture of a small softwood sample in RL orientation. Secondly, a method was developed for microscopic observation of the crack trajectory and investigating the mechanism of initiation and propagation of cracks. This approach was used for microscopic investigation of the fracture behaviour of spruce specimens in mode I and RL orientation. The results of the numerical study were compared with the experimental results. The prepeak and postpeak behaviour of the obtained stress-displacement curve and also the crack opening trajectory in cross-section and longitudinal section in the model and experiments were in good agreement. Both the model and the microscopic observation showed that in mode I fracture and RL orientation, the main trajectory of the crack propagates in the earlywood ring.     

Fracture in Norway spruce wood treated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Physisporinus vitreus</Emphasis>

Changes in the fracture behaviour of Norway spruce tonewood after fungal treatment were studied. Specimens were incubated for 6, 9 and 12 months with Physisporinus (P.) vitreus. Fracture tests were performed in a compact-tension fracture experiment set-up, and the results were compared with the morphological analysis of the degraded wood structure and transverse sections of the crack tip viewed under light and fluorescence microscopy. It was evident that both the failure load and critical stress intensity factors were reduced in wood after prolonged incubation periods. Weight losses were significantly higher in sapwood than in heartwood. With prolonged incubation periods, the frequency of unstable fracture and brittle behaviour of the wood increased. In untreated wood, cracks were initiated in the earlywood. The process involved both delamination of the cells within the middle lamellae and rupture of the cell walls, inducing a zigzag crack tip pattern. In fungally treated wood, cracks often commenced from the intersection between late- and earlywood, resulting in a straight tangential crack line. Micrographic images showed that P. vitreus was more active in the secondary walls of latewood tracheids. In this region of the wood, the cell walls were strongly degraded after 9–12 months of incubation, resulting in a reduction in tensile strength, even though the wood did not show strong features of decay at the macroscopic level.     

Axially loaded glued-in hardwood dowels

The failure load of axially loaded hardwood dowels glued-in parallel to the grain direction of the jointed timber parts is considered. Two simple theoretical solutions using linear elastic fracture mechanics/ideal plasticity and linear elastic stress analysis, taking into account the finite shear stiffness of the bond line are, presented and compared with experimental results. Theory shows that bond line shear strength is the governing strength property for ductile joints and fracture energy is the governing strength property for brittle joints. Bond line shear strength and fracture energy are determined by means of curve-fitting. Received 24 April 1997     

Numerical analysis on tensile performance of bolted glulam joints with initial local cracks

Under varying climate conditions, cracks are commonly observed in bolted joints, owing to the shrinkage of wood and confinement from slotted-in steel plates and bolts. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed to investigate the mechanical behavior of bolted glulam joints with initial cracks. Wood foundation was prescribed in the model to simulate the local crushing behavior of wood surrounding the bolts. The behavior of wood in compression and the foundation were defined as transversely isotropic plastic in the software package ANSYS. Cohesive zone model was applied in the numerical analysis to consider the propagation of initial cracks and brittle failure of wood in the bolted joints under tension load. The numerical model was validated by the experiments conducted on full-scale specimens and it is indicated that the numerical model has good ability in predicting the failure modes and capacity of tension joints with local cracks. To further investigate the influence of crack number, length and locations, a parametric study was conducted with the verified model. Moreover, to study the effects of cracks on the behavior of bolted joints with different failure modes, another bolted joint including bolts with different strength grades and diameters was designed and analyzed in the parametric study, which was expected to have bolt yielding failure mode. It was found that the initial cracks can decrease the capacity and initial stiffness of tension joints by up to 16.5 and 34.8%, respectively.     

Three-dimensional modelling of wood fracture in mode I,perpendicular to the grain direction at fibre level

Abstract

A coupled experimental and numerical modelling approach was used to investigate the mechanism of softwood fracture at the fibre level. First, a three-dimensional mixed lattice–continuum fracture model was developed to investigate the mechanism of wood fracture, taking into account the porosity of its structure and its heterogeneities at the fibre level. The critical volumes in the specimen where crack propagation was more probable were modelled by a lattice that could show the alternation of earlywood and latewood fibres, and the other regions were considered as the continuum medium. The proposed model was used to investigate the mode I fracture of a small softwood sample in RL orientation. Secondly, a method was developed for microscopic observation of the crack trajectory and investigating the mechanism of initiation and propagation of cracks. This approach was used for microscopic investigation of the fracture behaviour of spruce specimens in mode I and RL orientation. The results of the numerical study were compared with the experimental results. The prepeak and postpeak behaviour of the obtained stress–displacement curve and also the crack opening trajectory in cross-section and longitudinal section in the model and experiments were in good agreement. Both the model and the microscopic observation showed that in mode I fracture and RL orientation, the main trajectory of the crack propagates in the earlywood ring.     

Crack propagation in notched wood specimens with different grain orientations

Summary The cracking patterns of load induced cracks were studied by in-situ testing of compact tension specimens within the specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscrope. The cracks propagated in a generally straight path parallel to the grain, regardless of the orientation of the notch. On a microscopic scale, the crack could not be described as an ideal parallel-walled crack as assumed in fracture mechanics models. Many irregularities such as tortuosities, branching, discontinuities and bridging between the crack walls could be seen. Observations were carried out at the tip of the stable crack and at the same zone after the crack was induced to propagate beyond it. The processes taking place in this zone are discussed. The implication of these observations on the applicability of linear elastic fracture mechanics to wood are also discussed.When this work was carried out, Dr. Bentur was on leave at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana     

Capacity prediction of welded timber joints

Linear vibration welding of timber structural elements provides new opportunities to potentially achieve structural joints. This paper investigates to which extent welded joints can be considered for load-bearing structural joints. On the basis of a series of experimental and numerical investigations on a series of welded single-lap joints, failure modes were identified, and the associated failure criterion was quantified. A probabilistic method subsequently allowed accurately predicting the capacity of the tested wood welded joints exclusively based on objective input data, including an estimate of the scattering due to the material’s inherent variability.     

Statistical and reliability analysis for mixed-mode fracture tests applied to wood material

The integrity of timber structures is mainly related to its capacity to resist crack propagation under various load conditions. However, this phenomenon is random by nature, and the need to incorporate statistical information is mandatory for practical use in structures. This paper aims at defining a probabilistic model in order to characterize the scatter of the toughness test results of timber. The instantaneous failure tests are performed using the mixed-mode crack growth specimen. The crack tip growth is recorded by a video camera for mixed-mode ratios of 15°, 30° and 60°, where the relative displacement of loading points is recorded by LVDT sensor. The experimental energy release rate is evaluated by the compliance method. As large scatter of the energy release rate is observed, the statistical analysis is performed by using the bootstrap simulation, in order to characterize the probabilistic models in the opening and shear crack modes. The reliability analysis is then performed in order to underline the impact of the statistical uncertainties on the rupture of wood material.     

Shear strength of beam splice joints with glued-in rods

Splitting failure in beam splice joints with glued-in rods parallel to grain in endwood subjected to pure shear is considered. A simple theoretical expression based on beam-on-elastic-foundation theory and quasi-non-linear fracture mechanics is presented for calculation of the joint strength. Tests were conducted on jointed beams in a four-point bending test setup in which the joints were located at the point of pure shear force. Hardwood dowels with a diameter of 12mm and a glued-in length of 120mm were used as rods, and various beam cross sections and dowel configurations were tested. The theory presented is found to agree well with test results in all cases in which the edge distance of the glued-in rods is relatively small. Some test results indicate that the theory may be conservative in case of large edge distances.     

Crack influence on load-bearing capacity of glued laminated timber using extended finite element modelling

Abstract

Most of the cracks are caused by changes in temperature and relative humidity which lead to shrinkage and swelling of the wood and thereby induce stresses in the structure. How these cracks influence the strength of the wooden structure, especially the shear strength, is not well understood. However, it is reasonable to expect that cracks have an impact on the shear strength as they preferably run along the beams in the direction of grain and bond lines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the load-bearing capacity of cracked glulam beams and to find a model that could predict the failure load of the beams due to the cracks. Three-point bending tests were used on glulam beams of different sizes with pre-manufactured cracks. An orthotropic elastic model and extended finite element method was used to model the behaviour of the cracked beams and to estimate the load-bearing capacity. The conclusions were validated by numerical simulations of the mechanical behaviour of three-point bending of glulam beams with different crack locations. The crack initiation load was recorded as the failure load and compared to the experimental failure load. The results of the compaction simulations agree well with the experimental results.     

Finite element analysis of stress and strain distributions in mortise and loose tenon furniture joints

We studied the effect of loose tenon dimensions on stress and strain distributions in T-shaped mortise and loose tenon （M＆amp;LT） furni-ture joints under uniaxial bending loads, and determined the effects of loose tenon length （30, 45, 60, and 90 mm） and loose tenon thickness （6 and 8 mm） on bending moment capacity of M＆amp;LT joints constructed with polyvinyl acetate （PVAc） adhesive. Stress and strain distributions in joint elements were then estimated for each joint using ANSYS finite element （FE） software. The bending moment capacity of joints increased significantly with thickness and length of the tenon. Based on the FE analysis results, under uniaxial bending, the highest shear stress values were obtained in the middle parts of the tenon, while the highest shear elastic strain values were estimated in glue lines between the tenon sur-faces and walls of the mortise. Shear stress and shear elastic strain values in joint elements generally increased with tenon dimensions and corre-sponding bending moment capacities. There was consistency between predicted maximum shear stress values and failure modes of the joints.     

Mode I fracture and acoustic emission of softwood and hardwood

 The Mode I fracture behaviour of two softwoods (spruce and pine) and three hardwoods (alder, oak and ash) was studied in the RL crack propagation system using the splitting test in combination with monitoring acoustic emission (AE) activity. Test parameters measured included notch tensile strength, specific fracture energy, characteristic length and AE cumulative counts, AE amplitudes as well as parameters characterizing the frequency spectra of the emitted acoustic emission events. The notch tensile strength was found to correlate with density. The specific fracture energy and characteristic length showed the different crack propagation process between the softwoods and hardwoods. The softwoods fractured in a more ductile way and the hardwoods showed a more linear elastic behaviour. This finding was supported by the AE measurements showing much less cumulative counts for the hardwoods indicating that less microcracks were formed and that processes like fiber bridging were not so effective. Differences in the frequency domain of the AE signals between softwoods and hardwoods could not be detected. Received 13 January 1999     

Estimation of failure lifetime in plywood-to-timber joints with nails and screws under cyclic loading

The performance of plywood-sheathed shear walls is determined at the plywood-to-timber joints. In joints with dowel-type fasteners, such as nails and screws, the fastener is fractured under reversed cyclic loading (e.g., seismic force), reducing the ductility of the joint. The fracture is caused by low-cycle fatigue due to the reversed cyclic bending of the fastener. Therefore, evaluating the fatigue life is important for estimating the ultimate displacement. The main objective of this study is to estimate the ultimate displacement of the joints and to enable load–displacement calculation of single shear joints under reversed cyclic displacement when bending fatigue failure of the fastener occurs. Single shear tests were conducted under different loading protocols, and the damage performances of the fasteners were determined by subjecting them to reversed cyclic bending tests. Based on the results, the failure lifetimes of joints with dowel-type fasteners were estimated. In addition, the fracture mechanism of these dowel-type fasteners was elucidated. CN50-type nails and wood screws with dimensions of 4.1?×?38 and 4.5?×?50 mm were used as fasteners. The single shear tests showed that the smaller the displacements per cycle, the lower are the ultimate displacement and ductilities of the joints. Moreover, load–displacement relationship up to fastener failure can be approximately estimated by combining the yield model and failure lifetime.