Intra-Ring Properties of Earlywood and Latewood Sections of Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) Wood

Abstract

Strength attributes of isolated microscopic sections of earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) tissues are evaluated for sessile oak (Quercus petraea). The properties measured at the micro-scale were then used to estimate the macroscopic strength characteristics of the wood. The bending strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE) in bending, and tensile strength of EW and LW sections were determined. The EW and LW ring width, annual ring width, and LW proportion were also determined. The estimated values were calculated using the EW and LW mechanical properties and LW proportions, while the measured values were determined using standard-sized test samples. The LW sections had higher values than the EW sections for all measured mechanical properties. The average EW and LW widths and LW proportion were 0.50 mm, 0.49 mm, and 49.3%, respectively. The estimated bending strength, MOE, and tensile strength values were 80.1 MPa, 2831.7 MPa, and 112.1 MPa, respectively. The estimated bending strength and MOE values were lower than the measured values, while the estimated tensile strength values were higher than the measured values.