Measurement of the shear modulus of wood by asymmetric four-point bending tests

We conducted asymmetric four-point bending tests of wood and obtained the shear moduli on the basis of Timoshenko's theory of bending. Akamatsu (Japanese red pine,Pinus densiflora D. Don) and shioji (Japanese ash,Fraxinus spaethiana Lingelsh.) were used for the tests. Asymmetric four-point bending tests were undertaken by varying the depth/span ratios; and Young's modulus and the shear modulus were calculated by Timoshenko's bending theory. Independent of the asymmetric bending tests, we also conducted three-point bending tests, free-freeflexural vibration tests, and numerical calculations by the finite element method. Young's and shear moduli obtained by these methods were compared with those derived from the asymmetric bending tests. Based on these comparisons, we concluded that the shear modulus can be properly obtained by the asymmetric four-point bending tests when the span is 20 times larger than the depth.     

Measurement of bending properties of wood by compression bending tests

We measured Young's modulus, proportional limit stress, and bending strength by the compression bending test and examined the applicability of the testing method by comparing it with conventional bending test methods. Long columns of todomatsu (Japanese fir,Abies sachalinensis Fr. Schmidt) with various length/thickness ratios were the specimens. A compressive load was axially applied to the specimen supported with pin ends. Young's modulus, the proportional limit stress, and the bending strength were obtained from the load-loading point displacement and load-strains at the outer surfaces until the occurrence of bending failure. Four-point bending tests were also conducted, and the bending properties obtained were compared with the corresponding properties obtained by the compression bending tests. Based on the experimental results, we believe that when the stress-strain relation is measured by the load-loading point displacement relation using specimens whose length/thickness ratio is large enough, the bending properties can be obtained properly using the compression bending test.     

Estimation of shear moduli of wood by quasi-simple shear tests

A quasi-simple shear test, which is the most direct method for examining the shear properties of sheet metals, has been applied to measure the shear moduli of wood. Buna (Fagus crenata Blume) with variously sized shear regions was used for the test specimens. Strain gauges were mounted in the center of the shear regions to measure the shear strains. The shear tests were carried out to determine the shear moduli in the radial and tangential planes. Apparent shear moduli obtained from the experimental results were corrected by finite element method (FEM) simulation of the shear region, where both shearing and bending are produced. It was found that the corrected shear moduli are roughly independent of test conditions, and their values are in good agreement with the data obtained from bending-shear tests. This suggests that the method employed here can effectively estimate the shear moduli of wood.Part of this research was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society of Materials Science, Osaka, May 2001     

Evaluation of rolling shear strength of plywood by flexural vibration method

The rolling shear strength of plywood was evaluated using a flexural vibration test. Test specimens were lauan and Douglas fir three-ply plywoods made from thick veneers. The dynamic shear and Young's moduli were determined using the flexural vibration method, which involved in-plane and out-of-plane flexural vibration. The rolling shear strength was determined using the static destructive method, which is dependent on the direction of the lathe check in the core veneer. Before and after accelerated aging treatments were conducted, there were relations between out-of-plane dynamic properties (out-of-plane shear and Young's moduli) and its rolling shear strength. It was concluded that the rolling shear strength is related not only to the shear property of the core but the flexural stiffness of two faces when the deformation of out-of-plane plywood was not restrained.Part of this work was presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of The Japan Wood Research Society, Kochi, April 1997     

Applicability of the losipescu shear test on the measurement of the shear properties of wood

We examined the applicability of the Iosipescu shear test for measuring the shear properties of wood. Quarter-sawn board of sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) and shioji (Japanese ash,Fraxinus spaethiana Lingelsh. were used for the specimens. Iosipescu shear tests were conducted with two types of specimen whose longitudinal and radial directions coincided with the loading direction. The shear modulus, yield shear stress, and shear strength were obtained and were compared with those obtained by the torsion tests of rectangular bars. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The Iosipescu shear test is effective in measuring the shear modulus and the yield shear stress. (2) To measure the shear strength properly by the Iosipescu shear test, the configuration of specimen and the supporting condition should be examined in more in detail.     

Estimation of the shear strength of wood by uniaxial-tension tests of off-axis specimens

To determine shear strength we conducted uniaxial-tension tests of off-axis specimens and examined the proper off-axis angles. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) and katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. and Zucc.) were used for the studies. Uniaxial tension tests of the specimens with various off-axis angles were conducted, and the shear stress at failure was obtained. Independent of the tension tests, torsion tests were conducted, and the shear strengths were obtained. Comparing the data of the uniaxial tension and torsion tests, we examined the validity of estimating shear strength by the off-axis tension test. The shear strengths obtained from the tension tests coincided well with those measured by the torsion tests when the specimen had an off-axis angle of 15°–30°. In this off-axis angle range, the tensile stress perpendicular to the grain might have a serious influence on the shear strength, and we thought that the shear strength predicted by uniaxial tension tests should be treated as an approximate value despite the simplicity of the tension test. Other test methods should be adopted to obtain the precise shear strength of wood.     

Young’s modulus obtained by flexural vibration test of a wooden beam with inhomogeneity of density

The object of this study was to investigate the inhomogeneity of density within a beam from a relationship between the dynamic Young’s moduli from the Euler-Bernoulli elementary theory of bending (E _n) and resonance mode numbers (n), which is plotted as the “E-n” diagram in this article. Rectangular beams with dimensions of 300 (L) × 25 (R) × 5mm (T) of Sakhalin spruce (Picea glehnii Mast.), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.), Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora Zieb. et Zucc.) and white oak (Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia Oerst.) were used for specimens. Small parts of beams were replaced with a small portion of another species to examine the influence of the inhomogeneity of density on E _n. A free-free flexural vibration test was undertaken and E _n was calculated by the Euler-Bernoulli theory. The resonance frequency of a specimen with inhomogeneity of density was simulated by modal analysis. The density distribution in the longitudinal direction of the specimen for which E _n did not decrease monotonically with n was obtained. From the modal analysis, the inhomogeneity of density was equivalent to a concentrated mass attached to a uniform beam. The pattern of the E-n diagram was changed by replacing a part of the specimen with another species. Specimens for which E _n did not decrease monotonically with n had a high density part because of indented rings, knots, or resin.     

Measurement of the dynamic modulus of elasticity of wood panels

This study investigated the dynamic modulus of elasticity (DMOE) of wood panels of Fraxinus mandshurica, Pinus koraiensis, and Juglans mandshurica using the natural frequency measurement system of fast Fourier transform (FFT). The results were compared with the static modulus of elasticity (E _S) tested by a mechanical test machine. The results show a significant correlation between E _S, transverse vibration DMOE (E _F), and longitudinal vibration DMOE (E _L). For all of these species, the correlation between E _S, E _F and E _L is more significant than the individual species, which indicated that the FFT method is universal. The correlations between E _S and sample’s density (ρ) are significant, but the correlation coefficient of E _S and ρ is lower than those between E _F, E _L and E _S. The E _S of wood is more accurately tested by the analysis based on FFT measurement than by the estimation based on density. __________ Translated from Scientia Silvae Sinicae, 2005, 41(6): 126–131 [译自: 林业科学, 2005, 41(6): 126–131]     

Influence of loading point on the static bending test of wood

We conducted three-point bending tests by changing the condition at the loading point and then examined the influence of the loading point on the test data. Yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipfera L.) was used for the tests. First, using loading noses with various radii, static bending tests were conducted by varying the depth/span ratios. Deflections were measured from the displacement of the cross head and at the point against the loading nose: Young's and shear moduli were obtained from the modified Timoshenko's bending equation proposed in a previous paper. Then a similar testing procedure was undertaken by inserting cushion sheets of Teflon between the specimen and the nose. After the measuring these moduli, bending strengths were measured using the loading noses and cushion sheets. The following results were obtained: (1) When the deflection was measured from the displacement of the cross head, the radius of the loading nose had an influence on the additional deflection when the depth/span ratio was high, causing the dependence of the shear modulus on the radius. In contrast, the radius had little influence on the measurement of Young's modulus. By placing cushion sheets between the nose and the specimen, the effect of the radius was moderated. When the deflection was measured at the point against the loading nose, the radius of the nose had little influence on the additional deflection; hence the loading nose had little influence when obtaining Young's and shear moduli. This tendency was commonly observed regardless of whether the cushion sheets were in place. (2) When the specimen had a high depth/span ratio, the bending strength increased with the increase in the radius of the loading nose. However, the influence of the radius was small when the specimen had a low depth/span ratio. There was no significant effect of the cushion sheets used here on the measurement of bending strength.Part of this paper was presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998     

Application of modal analysis by transfer function to nondestructive testing of wood I: determination of localized defects in wood by the shape of the flexural vibration wave

This study was intended to detect nondestructively some defects such as knots and grain deviations in wood using modal analysis. The shapes of flexural vibration waves at the first mode generated by the tapping of wooden beams were determined using the transfer function. The wave shapes obtained were compared with the theoretical wave shape for a uniform material; and the possibility of detecting defects in wood was examined. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The shapes of flexural vibration waves at the first mode of wooden beams free of defects coincided almost completely with the theoretical wave shape. (2) The shapes of flexural vibration waves of wooden beams containing defects such as knots clearly differed from the theoretical wave shape, especially near the defect. (3) Based on these results, it should be possible to detect the presence of defects and to determine their location in wood.Part of this report was presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999. This article is translated from the Japanese edition published inMokuzai Gakkaishi Vol. 47, No. 4, 1988     

Application of modal analysis by transfer function to nondestructive testing of wood II: modulus of elasticity evaluation of sections of differing quality in a wooden beam by the curvature of the flexural vibration wave

 The shape of the flexural vibration wave of wooden beams at the first mode was detected using the transfer function. The dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOE) of beam sections of differing quality was estimated from the ratio of the curvature of the wave shape in this section to that of a clear beam. The results were as follows: (1) If a section with a lower dynamic MOE was introduced into a clear wooden beam, the curvature of the wave shape in that section became higher. (2) The ratio of the MOE and the reciprocal of the curvature ratio were highly correlated. (3) The MOE of a defect could be estimated, and the position of the defect could be determined accurately by examining the curvature of the flexural vibration wave shapes. Received: March 22, 2002 / Accepted: May 15, 2002 Part of this report was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, April 2000. This article is translated from the Japanese version, which was published in Mokuzai Gakkaishi 47(5), 2001 Correspondence to:Y. Ishimaru     

Characterization of major,unused, and unvalued Indonesian wood species I. Dependencies of mechanical properties in transverse direction on the changes of moisture content and/or temperature

Mechanical property changes due to the moisture content (MC) and/or temperature changes were examined for 15 Indonesian wood species. A static bending test was carried out at 20°C, 65% relative humidity (air-dry), and water-saturated at 20°C (wet-20) and 80°C (wet-80). For individual test conditions, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) increased linearly with specific gravity regardless of wood species; however, maximum deflection did not correlate with specific gravity for any MC or temperature conditions. The relative values of MOE and MOR measured in wet-20 to air-dry conditions were variously affected from slightly to strongly depending on the wood species. However, the relative values always decreased markedly when saturated in water at 80°C, regardless of wood species. The relative MOE, MOR, and maximum deflection values due to the change in MC or MC and temperature combined were independent of specific gravity but may be dependent on wood type: softwood or hardwood.     

Influence of span/depth ratio on the measurement of mode II fracture toughness of wood by end-notched flexure test

The influence of the span/depth ratio when measuring the mode II fracture toughness of wood by endnotched flexure (ENF) tests was examined. Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla Sarg.) was used for the specimens. The ENF tests were conducted by varying the span/depth ratios; and the fracture toughness at the beginning of crack propagation G_IIc was calculated by two equations that require the load-deflection compliance or Young's modulus. Additionally, the influence of the span/ depth ratio on the load-deflection compliance was analyzed by Timoshenko's bending theory in which additional deflection caused by the shearing force is taken into account. The following results were obtained: (1) When the span/depth ratio was small, the fracture toughness calculated with the data of load-deflection compliance was large. In contrast, the fracture toughness calculated with the equation containing Young's modulus tended to be constant. (2) In the small span/depth ratio range, the load-deflection compliance was estimated to be larger than that predicted by Timoshenko's bending theory. (3) To obtain the proper fracture toughness of wood with a single load-deflection relation, the span/depth ratio should be larger than that determined in several standards for the simple bending test method of wood, 12:16.