Effects of high drying temperatures and restraint on twist of larch (Larix)

Abstract

During drying, timber changes its shape, mainly as a result of specific properties such as shrinkage anisotropy, radial differences in longitudinal shrinkage and spiral grain. The distortion, causing severe downgrading, can be reduced by restraining the timber and by using special drying schemes. The research described here is related to a project on the improvement of shape stability of Norway spruce. In the present part, different larch species from three stands were dried at high temperatures (80, 120 and 170°C). The effects of restraint during presteaming, drying and steaming on short-term twist reduction were investigated. The permanency of drying distortions was investigated in subsequent moisture cycling. Results showed a clear dependency of twist on the distance to pith. Restrained specimens sawn close to pith experienced reduced twist. This twist reduction was permanent during subsequent moisture variations. Drying temperature did not significantly influence twist and twist amplitude in moisture cycling.     

REVIEWS—RESENSIES

The effect of various conventional seasoning treatments, restraint, storage, log diameter and position of boards in logs on the twisting behaviour of 19–20 year old P. patula timber was determined. The results indicate a distinct influence of restraint and to a lesser extent of temperature on twist, especially so on boards containing pith associated wood of the 27–36 em diameter class and all the boards, regardless of board position in the log, of the 17–23 em diameter class. The benefit of reduced twist through the application of restraint and higher temperatures was generally maintained after a 12 months storage period. It seems as if P, patula boards remain fairly stable during storage when only small moisture changes take place in the timber but the boards of the 17–23 em log diameter class and especially those containing pith associated wood, increased by 3–6° in twist with a loss in moisture content of only 3%.     

Geometric model to predict twist in unrestrained boards

A theory has been developed for calculating the twist that develops in boards during drying without restraint, as well as the deformation in cross-section that accompanies the development of twist. Calculations require a knowledge of only a limited number of parameters: width, thickness and length of the board, annual ring orientation, distance from the pith, radial, tangential and longitudinal shrinkage coefficients, and the variation of spiral grain angle (SGA) with distance from the pith. The theory is derived from geometrical and physical principles and shows that a complicated interaction between all the above parameters gives rise to twist. A novel coordinate system is used that is better adapted to the fact that spiral grain lies at an angle to the log axis rather than the usual Cartesian or cylindrical polar coordinates. Unlike the finite element models that have recently been developed this theory does not allow for the effect of stresses that develop in a board, although the theory in its present form can easily be extended to incorporate this effect. The advantage of this theory over the more exact finite element models lies in its educational value in that it clearly identifies the mechanisms that are responsible for twist. An associated MS Excel spreadsheet allows rapid analysis of different scenarios such as the effect on twist of changing the shrinkage coefficients, annual ring orientations and moisture content. The theory predicts that for radiata pine 100×50 mm boards maximum twist occurs near the pith, and that the direction of twist reverses when the distance from the pith is greater than about 120 mm. These predictions are shown to agree with experiment. The theory also predicts that if a radiata pine log is live-sawn (through-and-through sawn) there will be two regions in the mature wood where the quartersawn boards will have large negative twist values, but that this can be avoided by cant- or grade-sawing. In contrast, the theory also predicts that if the SGA is constant at 4° from pith to bark, board twist will decrease smoothly from pith to bark for all annual ring orientations without ever becoming negative.     

Effect of cross-sectional dimensions on bow and surface checking of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) boxed-heart square timber dried by conventional kiln drying

The effect of cross-sectional dimensions on bow and surface checking were investigated, using the boxed-heart square timber of two sugi cultivars with dimensions 80, 120, and 140 mm and length 1.9 m taken at two different heights above the ground. The smaller cross-sectional timber tended to have larger bow, less surface checking, and larger dimensional shrinkage. However, the drying defects were different between the cultivars and sampling heights, depending on the shrinkage properties of the juvenile wood and the heartwood proportion in the core part of the stem. The bow was larger in the smaller cross-sectional timber in which the longitudinal shrinkage was large in the juvenile wood. Surface checking was more prominent in larger cross-sectional timber containing sapwood in its outer part, which suggested the surface checking was induced by drying stress, owing to large moisture gradients between the heartwood and sapwood. The cross-dimensional shrinkage of the timber was larger in timber with larger tangential shrinkage.     

Quality of timber products from Norway spruce

Summary In a previous paper in this series it was concluded that the warp (twist, crook and bow) of structural timber products is of utmost importance for end-user satisfaction. In this paper, a study of the spatial variation of warp of fast-grown Norway spruce is presented. The material, 372 studs (45 × 70 × 2900 mm²), was cut from different radial and longitudinal positions in trees from two stands.The results indicated that twist and crook were at maximum near the pith. However, twist decreased much more rapidly with the distance from pith compared with crook. Crook associated with core studs was larger in the butt log than in the top log, while twist and bow in core studs appeared not to vary longitudinally. Heartwood formation in the butt log juvenile core did not diminish warp propensity. Twist was rather well correlated to the distance between pith and centroid of cross section. The ratio of grain angle to pith distance was the best parameter to predict twist. Presence of compression wood increased bow and crook significantly, while ring width, density and knot area ratio did not substantially contribute to explain warp variation.A moisture content change from 18% to 12% decreased the overall acceptability, expressed by stud grade yield, from 76% to 43%. Thus, timber products should be delivered at a moisture level close to the one expected in the finalized building in order to avoid excessive warp after delivery.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from EEC Forest programme, Contract No MA2B-0024, from NUTEK project No 9100554 and from Södra Timber AB     

Effects of basic density,annual growth and drying schedule on selected quality factors of dried Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) timber

Abstract

Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) timber is suitable for many uses in the mechanical wood industry. Drying it without any decrease in value, however, is difficult and slow. The purpose of this research was to compare the drying quality of Siberian larch timber dried with three different conventional schedules taking into account the density and annual growth of wood. Five drying tests were performed. The final moisture content (MC), MC gradient, cracks, deformations (bow, crook, twist and cup) and case hardening were measured from the dried timber. The basic density particularly affected the MC, as shown in the differences regarding dried wood, with the denser wood having higher final MC and MC gradient. It was also found that large annual growth increased some deformations. Most of the measured factors were best after drying at the highest temperatures used; however, a slightly different trend was observed for bow, twist and cup. MC factors and twisting were the most problematic properties in drying according to this study. Sorting Siberian larch timber, particularly according to density, would improve the MC properties of dried timber by ensuring sufficient drying time, as economically as possible, for each timber piece.     

Influence of growth stresses and material properties on distortion of sawn timber — numerical investigation

? The board distortion that occurs during the sawing and the drying process causes major problems in the utilisation of sawn timber. The distortion is highly influenced by parameters such as spiral grain angle, modulus of elasticity, shrinkage, growth stresses and sawing pattern.

? In this study a finite element simulation of log sawing and timber drying was performed to study how these parameters interact to affect board distortion. A total of 81 logs with different material combinations were simulated. From each simulated log four boards with different annual ring orientation were studied.

? The results showed that the elastic modulus, shrinkage coefficient and growth stresses had a large influence on the final bow and spring deformation. After sawing of the log into boards, the release of growth stresses was the main contributor to the bow and spring deformation. For boards with low modulus of elasticity, the bending distortion became larger than for the boards with high modulus of elasticity. The twist deformation was very small after sawing but increased significantly during drying of the boards. The results showed that spiral grain angle and the board location within the log were the main contributors to the twist deformation.

     

Potential for increasing volume yield by reducing planing allowance

About half the volume of sawlogs ends up as sawn and planed timber. The rest is lost due to drying shrinkage or is turned into by products. As the raw material is a major expense for a sawmill, it is important to reduce waste. To investigate how much the volume yield in the production of sawn and planed timber could be increased by reducing the target dimensions in the sawing stage in a sawmill, two groups of sawn timber were planed under similar conditions. One group consisted of sawn Scots pine timber with a large variation in twist. The other group consisted of sawn Norway spruce timber planed under different pressure settings. Using X-ray images, the minimum dimension for avoiding planer misses was calculated for each board, to find the smallest green target dimension. This was compared to actual measured dimensions. It was found that most sawn timber had unnecessarily large dimensions, and it was also found that a reduction in the target dimensions could increase the volume yield for sawn and planed timber by more than 3 percentage points. Boards with large twist would however need a higher planing allowance. The effect of the planer pressure setting was negligible.     

Numerical and experimental study of moisture-induced stress and strain field developments in timber logs

When solid wood dries from a green condition to a moisture content used for further processing, moisture-induced fracture and stresses can occur. The drying stresses arise because of internal deformation constraints that are strongly affected by the cross-sectional moisture gradient differential shrinkage and the inhomogeneity of the material. To obtain a better understanding of how stresses develop during climatic variations, the field histories of stresses (and strains) in cross sections in their entirety need to be studied. The present paper reports on experiments and numerical simulations concerned with analysing the development of strains and stresses during the drying of 15-mm-thick discs of Norway spruce timber log. The samples were dried at 23 °C and relative humidity of 64 % from a green condition to equilibrium moisture content. The moisture gradient in the longitudinal direction was minimised by use of thin discs simplifying the moisture history of the samples studied. The strain field history was measured throughout the drying process by use of a digital image correlation system. Numerical simulations of the samples agreed rather well with the experimental strain results obtained. The stress results also indicated where in the cross section and when fractures could be expected to occur during drying. More optimal drying schemes showed markedly reduced stress generation.     

杉木生材含水率分布及其对气干的影响

以人工林杉木为研究对象,研究生材状态下不同厚度锯材含水率的差异,比较含髓心、钝棱与其他类型等3类锯材的含水率差异,建立生长轮宽度与锯材含水率的关系,分析生材状态含水率对锯材气干周期的影响。研究结果显示,25mm和40 mm的锯材含水率差异极显著;含髓心锯材含水率最低,其次是其他类的,最大是含钝棱锯材;随着生长轮宽度减少,锯材含水率增大;生长轮宽度为4 mm时,是生材含水率分界线,即当生长轮平均宽度小于和不小于4.0 mm时,锯材含水率差异极显著;25 mm和40 mm厚不同含水率锯材各2组气干至含水率25%,低含水率锯材较高含水率的气干周期分别缩短57%和66%。     

Finite element study of growth stress formation in wood and related distortion of sawn timber

Lack of straightness in timber is the most frequent complaint regarding solid (and laminated) timber products worldwide. Nowadays, customers demand higher quality in the shape stability of wood products than they did earlier. The final distortion of timber boards is mostly caused by moisture-related stresses in wood (drying distortions) and growth-related stresses (distortions appearing when logs are split up to timber boards by sawing). To get more knowledge on how these distortions can be reduced in wooden products, there is a need for improved understanding of this material behaviour through good numerical tools developed from empirical data. A three-dimensional finite element board distortion model developed by Ormarsson (Doctoral thesis, Publ. 99:7, 1999) has been extended to include the influence of growth stresses by incorporating a one-dimensional finite element growth stress model developed here. The growth stress model is formulated as an axisymmetric general plane strain model where material for all new annual rings is progressively added to the tree during the analysis. The simulation results presented include how stresses are progressively generated during the tree growth, distortions related to the redistribution of growth stresses during log sawing, and distortions and stresses in drying reflecting the effects of growth stresses. The results show that growth stresses clearly vary during tree growth and also form a large stress gradient from pith to bark. This in itself can result in significant bow and crook deformations when logs are sawn into timber boards. The distortion results from the simulations match well with the results observed in reality. The parametric study also showed that the radial growth stress distribution is highly influenced by parameters such as modulus of elasticity, micro fibril angle and maturation strain.     

竹材热压干燥过程中的水分迁移特性研究

研究了竹材热压干燥过程中的水分迁移特性.结果表明:在整个干燥过程中,前期含水率降低较快,后期含水率降低较慢.竹材平均干燥速度与次表层竹材的干燥速度相近;在含水率较高的干燥初期,水分迁移的阻力在竹材表面,水分迁移主要靠毛细管张力作用;在含水率较低的干燥后期,水分迁移的阻力在竹材内部,水分迁移主要以扩散方式进行,干燥速度取决于木材内部水分移动的速度.竹材热压干燥过程中的水分移动,主要受温度梯度和含水率梯度的共同作用.     

55mm厚红桉板材气干特性的研究

对55mm厚红桉板材气干特性与规律的研究结果表明,当红桉板材的含水率在30%以上时,在广州的2、3、4月份进行气干比较合适,在其它月份则应采取适当保护措施,以防止产生干燥缺陷;板材气干到含水率25%时即进行窑干,具有较好的经济效益;板材窑干前应进行调湿处理,以降低含水率梯度,从而有效避免表裂的发生.     

Twist of wood studs: dependence on spiral grain gradient

Distortions due to moisture changes during drying or in service are a major problem for construction timber. Twist, caused mainly by the cylindrical geometry, the orthotropic nature of the wood material, and the tendency of the wood fibers to grow in a spiral around the stem, is often regarded as the most detrimental distortion of sawn timber. There is a need for a basic mechanical understanding of how the twist distortion arises and also a need for a simple formula to predict the amount of twist distortion. In this article such a formula is proposed, and theory and experimental data that indicate the validity of the formula are shown. The first term in the formula is a modification of a traditional expression which is proportional to the mean value of the spiral grain angle in the cross section in question. The second term in the formula is new and is proportional to the gradient of the spiral grain angle, and this term normally counteracts the first term so that a stud with a left-handed spiral grain might achieve a right-handed twist. Linear elastic finite element method (FEM) results and comparisons with experimental data show that the formula works well and that linear FEM calculations exaggerate the twist, which is probably partly due to nonlinear effects. The formula could be used to predict the twist of sawn timber from measured spiral grain angles on the log surface.     

滇产黄毛青冈木材干燥特性的研究

鉴于百度试验法时木材干燥特性研究的不全面性,首先利用百度试验法开展了滇产黄毛青冈材干燥特性的初步研究,提出了预报干燥基础,再据此以地板坯料为干燥对象开展干燥工艺的试验研究,以全面归纳分析黄毛青网材的干燥特性。百度法研究表明：黄毛青冈材的初期开裂为4级,内裂为5级,截面变形1—3级,干燥速度为1-2级。地板料干燥工艺研究表明：采用研究提出的预报基准,23mm厚黄毛青冈地板坯料从初含水率52．3％干燥到12．9％,干燥周期为492h,但干燥质量达不到国家标准中对地板料干燥质量的要求,严重变形和过高的含水率偏差是此中主要原因。综合评定后认为,黄毛青冈属难干材,文中还就其干燥工艺的优化提出了建议。     

龙竹竹材的微波干燥特性研究

对龙竹竹材在微波干燥下的干燥特性进行了研究。结果表明:微波功率和竹材构造对干燥特性有显著影响;竹材径向干缩率大于弦向干缩率;纵向干燥速度大于弦向和径向;竹材水分排除主要沿纵向,其次为弦向;竹材试件尺寸大小对竹材干缩率没有影响,试件长度对干燥速度有较显著影响。     

硬杂小径木材干燥技术初探

我国森林资源中小径材的蓄积量占有相当大的比重,其中以硬杂树种数量最多。小径材具有带髓心、弯曲度大、节疤多等自然生长特征及干燥易裂开等问题,给干燥技术和后续加工增添了很大难度。通过对柞木、桦木等树种小径材的实验室及工业试验,认为:硬杂小径材在干燥过程中不宜采用高温介质处理,以采用较缓和的水分蒸发强度和中、低温介质为宜,应保持锯材厚度方向较平稳的温度梯度。     

Measurement of spiral grain with computed tomography

Spiral grain is a feature of wood that affects the shape of the sawn timber. Boards sawn from logs with a large spiral grain have a tendency to twist when the moisture content changes. In sawmills the spiral grain in logs is judged manually. For research purposes the spiral grain in stems and logs is normally measured by destructive methods. In this study the spiral grain of the stems was measured nondestructively with a computed tomography (CT) scanner. Twelve Norway spruce (Picea abies) stems from two stands in Sweden were scanned with a CT scanner with one cross-sectional scan every 10mm along the stem. Concentric surfaces at various distances from the pith were reconstructed from the stack of CT images. In these concentric-surface images, which show various internal features of the log. the spiral grain angle was measured at different distances from the pith and at different heights in the stem. The destructive measurements of the spiral grain were carried out on disks from the top ends of the logs. On these disks the spiral grain was measured at different distances from the pith with a protractor. Finally, the results from the destructive method were compared with the results from analysis of the CT images. The nondestructive and destructive measurements were compared in pairs with the same radial and approximately the same height position in each pair. The correlations (r) between the two methods were 0.81 and 0.71. respectively, for the two stands. It was concluded that it is possible to measure the spiral grain angle nondestructively with a CT scanner.An outline of this study was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto     

竹材热压干燥过程中的水分扩散研究

采用非稳态法测定龙竹竹材热压干燥过程中的水分扩散系数,并探讨了温度对水分扩散系数的影响.结果表明:干燥温度越高,干燥各阶段水分扩散系数及平均水分扩散系数也越大;初始高含水率阶段,随含水率逐渐降低,水分扩散系数呈逐步增加趋势,在纤维饱和点附近时达最大值;随后,随含水率逐渐降低呈逐步减少趋势.     

不同加热方式下白桦小径木锯材的表层应力

研究小径木白桦锯材在连续加热方式和间歇加热方式(间歇2 h和间歇6 h)干燥过程中表层应力的产生、发展变化规律.结果表明:3种加热方式下锯材表层应力的变化趋势基本一致,但无论是干燥前期或干燥中期,间歇加热锯材的表层应力明显小于连续加热锯材的表层应力,间歇6 h锯材的表层应力最小.间歇阶段使干燥过程中木材的干燥应力得到了释放,延长间歇时间有利于降低锯材表层应力.同一含水率水平下,弦切板的表层应力比径切板的表层应力大.