Bonding Performance of Melamine–Urea–Formaldehyde and Polyurethane Adhesives for Laminated Hybrid Beams and Their Selected Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Beech (Fagus Sylvatica L.) is a prevalent tree species in Slovenia and is suitable for manufacturing glulam beams. However, beech wood has certain limitations that can potentially be mitigated by combining it with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) wood to create hybrid beams. This study aimed to determine the bonding performance of commonly used melamine–urea–formaldehyde and polyurethane adhesives for these hybrid beams. Moreover, how varying the proportion of beech wood in a hybrid beam affects its mechanical properties was examined. Shear and delamination tests (method B) were conducted, and EN 14080:2013 requirements were met in all cases. The four-point bending tests of the beams showed that hybrid beams containing 20% of beech wood in the cross-sectional height on each side of the neutral axis exhibited a similar modulus of elasticity values as pure beech beams, but their strength was not equally improved. Hybrid beams with 11% of beech wood did not show any improvement in bending stiffness or strength compared to pure spruce beams. It was noted that the presence of beech wood in a hybrid beam can influence its failure mode. Furthermore, analytical calculations showed that a symmetrical lay-up is preferable to an asymmetrical one to increase the effective modulus of elasticity.