Effect of carpenter bee nests on timber building components Based on computed tomography (CT)

Abstract

The effects of carpenter bee nests were determined for components of timber buildings. An eaves purlin structure was taken as the experimental object, and medical computed tomography (CT) was used to reconstruct the sectional image of the eaves purlin. The digital image reconstruction technology was used to obtain three-dimensional (3D) images of the two eaves purlins. One eaves purlin was not damaged, and the other was seriously eroded by carpenter bees. The carpenter bee nests were displayed, and the two eaves purlins were simulated by the directional force and the uniform directional force. When the eaves purlin was under the downward pressure of the roof, the shear force at both ends of the eaves purlin and the pressure at the middle were relatively large. The results show that CT is an accurate and efficient technology for detecting the mechanical properties of timber building components. Nests are usually distributed in the eaves purlin eroded by carpenter bees, which destroy the stability of the eaves purlin structure and have a great impact on the stability of timber buildings. Therefore, this method to evaluate the damage degree of timber building components is very important for the protection of timber buildings.