Abstract
Eucalyptus globulus Labill stands out as one of the hardwood species produced in Europe with prominent mechanical properties, which is undergoing a growing interest in extending added value. The development of engineered wood products with this species and its application in timber structures involving numerical finite element simulations requires knowledge of the mechanical properties for the different orthotropic material directions. The aim of the present study is to determine the main mechanical properties of E. globulus from small clear specimens, necessary for the development of finite element models. The work provides experimental results on the ultimate capacity and modulus of elasticity considering different stresses: tension parallel and perpendicular to the grain, compression parallel and perpendicular to the grain (in radial and tangential directions), shear and longitudinal static bending. The work is complemented with experimental data on timber-to-timber friction coefficients for 0°, 45°, and 90° orientation angles, which are useful in the modeling of traditional joints. Very high values of ultimate stress and modulus of elasticity for the different mechanical properties were obtained, highlighting the great potential of this species for structural applications.
Highlights
The increasing political and social demands regarding the use of eco-friendly building materials are leading in recent years to a strong rise in the use of wood due to its CO2 absorption capacity and the quality of renewable natural resource.There is growing interest in Europe towards glued laminated structural products made of hardwoods due to several reasons, such as the shortage of softwoods, large stocks of hardwoods, and policies of re-afforestation for several hardwood species due to better adaptation to soil and climate conditions
In order to determine the modulus of elasticity in tension parallel to the grain, Et,0, strains at a central area of the specimen of 50 mm length were measured during testing using a digital image correlation (DIC) technique, ARAMIS 3D of 12 MPixels (GOM mbH, Braunschweig, Germany) [23]
Load-displacement curves in tension parallel to the grain are shown in Figure 3a left
Summary
There is growing interest in Europe towards glued laminated structural products made of hardwoods due to several reasons, such as the shortage of softwoods, large stocks of hardwoods, and policies of re-afforestation for several hardwood species due to better adaptation to soil and climate conditions. In most cases, these products reach greater bending strengths than those of the highest. Eucalyptus globulus Labill is a temperate-climate hardwood with growth in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and America [2]. In Europe, it can be found mainly in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
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