New splitting method for wood fracture characterization

Summary A testing procedure with a new and simple specimen shape is presented which is appropriate to characterize fracturing of inhomogeneous and complex materials like wood. With this, the fracture energy of spruce wood is determined in the TL and RL direction. The size effect, i.e. influences of specimen dimensions on K_IC and G_f (specific fracture energy) are investigated. Stress and deformation distribution in the newly developed specimens are analysed with FE methods. The measured load-displacement curves are approximated by bilinear softening diagrams and FE analysis. Based on these results, it is tried to interpret typical deviations from LEFM's behaviour by mechanisms like microcracking, crack branching or crack tip bridging.The authors thank Dr. A. Teischinger for supplying the testing material and Dipl. Ing M. Elser for preparation of the diagrams. Financial support of the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Wien is gratefully acknowledged.