Thermo-hygro-mechanically coupled modelling of wood including two-phase moisture diffusion for transient simulation of wooden structures at mechanical and climatic loads

Abstract

A model to predict the thermo-hygro-mechanical behaviour of wood is introduced. The description of the transport processes of moisture and heat are combined with a model for the mechanical response. Moisture transport is represented by a two-phase multi-Fickian approach, considering bound water and water vapour. For the mechanical response, a moisture- and temperature-dependent, orthotropic, elastic material formulation is used. The theoretical basis of the model and the numerical implementation of the monolithic solution into a Finite Element framework are discussed as well as its verification and validation. With this model at hand, arbitrary wooden structures can be simulated in a transient manner subjected to climatic and mechanical loads. In the contribution, the approach is applied to the analysis of a panel painting by L. Cranach the Elder.