Effect of Loading Rate on Mechanical Properties of Micro-size Scots Pine Wood

Abstract

The use of micro-size samples is becoming more important to determine the mechanical properties of wood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the loading rate on the micro-mechanical properties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood. The bending strength, modulus of elasticity in bending, compression strength parallel to the grain, and tensile strength parallel to the grain were determined using micro-size test samples. Three different loading rates were used for each test. The first loading rates were determined according to related ISO standards, and the second and third loading rates were determined as half- and quarter- of the standard loading rates. The results showed that the loading rate had significantly affected the modulus of elasticity and compression strength of Scots pine wood. However, the loading rate had no significant effect on the bending and tensile strength of the Scots pine wood. When the loading rate decreased, the mechanical properties of micro-size Scots pine wood were decreased.