Bending Tests and Simulations of GLT Beams

Abstract

The paper reports on two specific research activities devoted on the one hand to detailed finite element simulations of glued timber beams with emphases on random nature of the modulus of elasticity and, on the other hand, to destructive testing of a set four glued timber beams having structural dimensions. While the stochastic simulations were founded on the knowledge of probability density distributions of the modulus of elasticity acquired from non-destructive testing of local moduli from 3600 regularly spaced indentation measurements, the destructive testing of beams in four-point bending aimed at providing information to be used a-posteriori in improving the original predictions in the framework of Bayesian statistics. In this regard the non-destructive testing together with stochastic simulations of beam deflections is assumed to provide prior information to be updated in the second Bayesian step. This, however, will be discussed elsewhere so that only necessary prerequisites are mentioned here.