Composite Structures Research Articles

Reflections of stress: Ozone damage in broadleaf saplings can be identified from hyperspectral leaf reflectance

Tropospheric ozone (O3) causes widespread damage to vegetation; however, monitoring of O3 induced damage is often reliant on manual leaf inspection. Reflectance spectroscopy of vegetation can identify and detect unique spectral signatures of different abiotic and biotic stressors. In this study, we tested the use of hyperspectral leaf reflectance to detect O3 stress in alder, beech, birch, crab apple, and oak saplings exposed to five long-term O3 regimes (ranging from daily target maxima of 30 ppb O3 to 110 ppb). Hyperspectral reflectance varied significantly between O3 treatments, both in whole spectra analysis and when simplified to representative components. O3 damage had a multivariate impact on leaf reflectance, underpinned by changes in pigment balance, water content and structural composition. Vegetation indices derived from reflectance which characterised the visible green peak were able to differentiate between O3 treatments. Iterative normalised difference spectral indices across the hyperspectral wavelength range were correlated to visual damage scores to identify significant wavelengths for O3 damage detection. We propose a new Ozone Damage Index (OzDI), which characterises the reflectance peak in the shortwave infrared region and outperformed existing vegetation indices in terms of correlation to O3 treatment. These results demonstrate the potential application of hyperspectral reflectance as a high throughput method of O3 damage detection in a range of common broadleaf.species.

Experimental and numerical investigation of damage in multilayer sandwich panels with square and trapezoidal corrugated cores under quasi-static three-point bending

Multilayer composite sandwich panels with corrugated cores have the potential for structural applications requiring high stiffness and strength-to-weight ratios. This study aims to experimentally and numerically investigate the bending response of sandwich panels with novel square and trapezoidal corrugated core configurations fabricated from E-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites, both with and without polyurethane foam filling. Quasi-static three-point bending tests were conducted to evaluate and compare the flexural stiffness and maximum load capacity of the panel designs. The cores were manufactured using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding. Key results showed that changing the core geometry from square to trapezoidal improved the bending stiffness by up to 26 %. Incorporating polyurethane foam further increased the bending stiffness by up to 41 % and maximum load by up to 47 % compared to solid cores. Failure initiation and progression were governed by matrix cracking in the face sheets and cores, followed by core cell wall buckling and delamination. Finite element modeling using ABAQUS captured the progressive damage behavior, exhibiting good agreement with experimental force-displacement responses. Failure modes included matrix cracks, fiber fractures, core buckling and delamination. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanical performance of innovative corrugated core sandwich panel designs under quasi-static bending loads. The validated FE approach also enables virtual testing and optimization of composite sandwich structures.

Multi-scale design of MWCNT/glass fiber/balsa wood composite multilayer stealth structure with wide broadband absorption and excellent mechanical properties

In unmanned aircraft applications, electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbers suffer from defects in narrow absorption bands and poor mechanical properties. To solve the problems, a lightweight multilayer stealth structure with wide broadband absorption performance and excellent mechanical properties was designed and prepared by adjusting microscopically the number of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and modulating macroscopically the thickness-matching relationship of the structure to promote the absorption of EMW synergistically. Under the MWCNT of 30 wt% and the depletion layer with the thickness of 0.2 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) covers the entire Ku-band while maintaining a minimum reflection loss (RL) of −15 dB. Besides, the radar cross-sectional area attenuation is as high as 23.1 dBm2, as well as the mechanical properties of the radar absorbing structures (RAS) were improved significantly due to the reducing structural density from balsa wood and the enhancement effect of glass fiber mats (GFM). The study constructed balsa-based RAS with excellent EMW absorbing and mechanical properties from both micro-nano scale and macro-structure, providing a research route for designing high-performance and lightweight stealth structures.

Chemically engineered CoOx-doped flower-like NiO nanoparticles for photodegradation of Bisphenol A and Orange II Dye, and genetic screening of toxicity via Caenorhaditis elegans

In this study, pure flower-like NiO nanoparticles (NiO NPs), and CoOx-doped NiO nanocomposites (NCs) with varying concentrations (2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, 7.5 wt%, and 10 wt%) were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal technique. Characterization through XRD, XPS, FESEM, TEM-EDS, and BET analyses confirmed their unique structural features and composition. CoOx(2.5 wt%)/NiO NCs exhibited flower-like flakes wedged to the surface of the NiO microspheres, with a measured total pore volume of 0.734 cm³/g and an N2-BET surface area of 285.18 m²/g. Under UV light, these CoOx(2.5 wt%)/NiO NCs demonstrated significant photocatalytic efficiency, archiving 98.7 % and 99 % degradation of BPA and O-II dyes within 120 min. This performance is attributed to the formation of a p-n junction at the interface of CoOx-doped NiO NCs and their flower-like morphology, facilitating effective charge separation and photodegradation. Additionally, toxicity assessment using the C. elegans genetic model focused on stress-responsive genes GST-4, DAF-16, and intracellular ROS. The result showed that the BPA photocatalytic byproduct initially generated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which gradually diminished over time (60–120 min). In contrast, no evident toxicity was observed for O-II dye byproducts even during short-time degradation. This study not only highlights the efficiency of CoOx-doped NiO NCs in degrading BPA and O-II pollutants but also provides insights into toxicity dynamics, demonstrating their potential for eco-friendly water purification and enhanced water treatment efficiency.

From Ancient Practices to Modern Science: A Review on the Synthesis and Characterization of Ayurvedic Bhasmas

Ayurvedic Bhasma, an ancient form of Indian traditional medicine, represents a unique class of herbo-mineral formulations prepared through a meticulous process involving calcination. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis and characterization of Ayurvedic Bhasmas, focusing on its preparation methods, physicochemical properties, and characterization. The synthesis of Bhasma involves a series of Shodhana (purification), Marana (incineration), and Bhavana (soaking and drying) processes, each contributing to the transformation of raw minerals and herbs into bioavailable nanoparticles with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity. The review delves into the intricate processes involved in the production of various bhasmas, prepared in our laboratory as well as reports by other researchers. It also highlights modern scientific techniques used to characterize these formulations, including XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, AAS, NAA, DLS etc. These techniques reveal the nanoscale size, crystalline structure, and elemental composition of bhasmas, providing insights into their therapeutic potential and safety profiles.

Green Preparation of Stachys Eudenia-Derived Carbon Quantum Dots and Their Photocatalytic Applications

In this present work, the composites were obtained from carbon quantum dots and TiOf via green synthesis and the photoactivities of these composite structures were investigated under ultraviolet light. Carbon quantum dot was obtained from Stachys euadenia which is an endemic plant found only in southern Türkiye. Carbon quantum dot-TiO2 nanocomposites were fabricated via facile hydrothermal approach which is an easy and effectual method to obtaining of environmentally friendly, low cost and well crystallized nanoparticles. The structural and morphological characteristics of these nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, tunneling electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Also, optical analyses of carbon quantum dots were carried out by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 and carbon quantum dot-TiO2 nanocomposites were investigated under ultraviolet light illumination with the decomposition of methylene blue dye. Carbon quantum dot-TiO2 nanocomposites show a better activity than TiO2.

Comparison of tropical cyclone structures over different ocean basins revealed in COSMIC-2 radio occultation observations

Utilizing three-years COSMIC-2 radio occultation (RO) bending angle (BA) observations from 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2022, composite structures of BA anomalies α−α¯env/α¯env in vertical and radial directions are generated for hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions over the ocean basins of North Atlantic, West Pacific, East Pacific, South Pacific, North Indian, and South Indian. The magnitude and altitude of the maximum BA anomaly within hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions are about (6 km, 14%), (5 km, 11%) and (3.5 km, 9%), respectively. The vertical and radial extents of BA anomaly exceeding 6% are (6 km, 450 km) and (7 km, 500 km) over North Atlantic and West Pacific oceans, respectively. The warm core of hurricane over East Pacific ocean displays the widest radial extent (650 km), while that over North India ocean has the deepest vertical extent (8.5 km). As expected, the BA anomalies of tropical storms and tropical depressions are weaker in magnitude and smaller in size than those of hurricanes. An exception is found for the maximum BA anomaly of hurricanes over South Pacific ocean is not located near hurricane centers but at the 175-km radial distance. Accordingly, the mean altitudes of the atmospheric boundary layer estimated from COSMIC-2 BA observations increase from the 175-km radial distances to both sides for hurricanes over South Pacific ocean, while those over the other five ocean basins increase from eye centers outward.

Upcycling of waste photovoltaic silicon: Co-MOF derived coating layer enhanced lithium storage

Large amounts of silicon waste (W-Si) powders or ingots from the photovoltaic (PV) industry can be recycled as the improved raw negative electrode material in Lithium-ion batteries. Herein, Co-MOFs (ZIF-67) is produced in the form of small particles which turns into the uniform coating layer on the surface of micro-sized W-Si by solvent evaporation, and then ZIF-67 is carbonized to form nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) layer and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Finally, W-Si/NC/Co/CNTs composites are formed. The continuous and uniform NC layer and CNTs formed by the catalyzation of Co on the surface of the silicon particles can inhibit the volume expansion of silicon during the charge and discharge process, showing the reversible discharge capacity of 1039 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. The rate performance is also improved due to the high conductivity composite structure. This work can provide a choice for the composite of MOF and micro-silicon, and the meaning guidance for the application of silicon waste from PV industry.

Nonlinear elastic general integral equations in micromechanics of random structure composites

We consider static problems for composite materials (CMs) with either locally elastic or peridynamic constitutive properties. The general integral equation (GIE) is the exact integral equationWe consider static problems for composite materials connecting the random fields at the point being considered and the surrounding points. There is a very long and colored history of the development of GIE which goes back to Lord Rayleigh. Owing to the new GIE (forming the second background of micromechanics also called the computational analytical micromechanics, CAM), one proved that local micromechanics (LM) and peridynamic micromechanics (PM) are formally similar to each other for CM of random structures. By now, the GIEs are generalized to CMs (of statistically homogeneous and inhomogeneous structures) with the phases described by local models, strongly nonlocal models (strain type and displacement type, peridynamics), and weakly nonlocal models (strain-gradient theories, stress-gradient theories, and higher-order models). However, a fundamental restriction of all mentioned GIEs is their linearity with respect to a primary unknown variable. The goal of this study is obtaining nonlinear GIEs for PM, and, in a particular case, for LM. For the presentation of PM as a unified theory, we describe PM as the formalized schemes of blocked (or modular) structures so that the experts developing one block need not be experts in the underlying another block (this is a good background for effective collaborations of different teams in so many multidisciplinary areas as PM). The opportunity for the creation of this blocked structure of the PM is supported by a critical generalization of CAM which is extremely flexible, robust, and general.

Precursor Damage Quantification in Composite Structures Using Coda Wave Interferometry and Nonlinear Ultrasonics

Abstract Methods to quantification of precursor damage in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite structures are reported herein. These techniques include coda wave interferometry (CWI) and nonlinear ultrasonics (NLU). Since low-frequency Lamb wave propagation is insensitive to the early-stage material degradation, it is shown that decoding the information in coda wave can overcome this well-known limitation. To conclude this possibility, CWI technique is cross verified with a traditional high-frequency ultrasound method. To achieve this goal, a tensile–tensile fatigue experiment was designed for CFRP composite specimens. By inducing controlled fatigue damage in these structures, material states are assessed using low-frequency (<500 kHz) ultrasonic guided wave and high-frequency (>10 MHz) P-wave. Stretching guided coda wave is utilized to quantify the precursor damage as a unique approach in this article. However, such method could be illuded by the changes in the signals due to bonds and contacts. To verify if the CWI is successful, and to evaluate the precursor damage in composite structures, additional nonlinear analysis of ultrasonic signals from both guided waves and P-waves is performed. Higher order nonlinearities in both low-frequency guided wave and high-frequency P-wave propagation demonstrate the growth of precursor damage in CFRP composite structures. So does the CWI of low-frequency guided wave data. Accuracy of these ultrasonic techniques is validated with experimentally obtained remaining strengths of the fatigue specimens. With this verification it is envisioned that both CWI and NLU together could quantify the precursor damage in composite structures.

Investigating the low velocity impact response of additively manufactured tri-material composite structure with application on helmet

Additively manufactured composite structures can be utilized in the production of engineering materials with enhanced mechanical properties. In this work, mono-, bi-, and tri-material structures (MMS, BMS, and TMS, respectively) were fabricated using additively manufactured PLA (poly-lactic acid) lattice frames embedded with Polyurethane (PU) foam and milled glass fibers (MGFs). TMS samples were reinforced with MGFs at 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 vol%, indicated as TMS-1, TMS-2, TMS-3, and TMS-4, respectively. The mechanical response of these composite structures was tested by applying a low-velocity impact load. The effects of MGF content and variations in applied impact energy, and variation in microstructure on the composite samples were investigated. Results revealed an enhanced mechanical response of TMS samples compared to MMS and BMS. Additionally, with increasing applied impact energy, the TMS samples showed an improved corresponding response, with a peak absorbed energy of 96.03% of the applied 60 J energy. Furthermore, to study the applicability of the composite structures in real-life applications, helmet prototypes made of MMS, BMS, and TMS were designed and tested under the applied low-velocity load, showing an improved response of TMS helmet samples compared to the other composite structures.

Mechanical Properties and Deformation Behavior of Open-Cell Type Aluminum Foams with Structural Conditions and Alloy Composition

Open-cell type aluminum foams with various structural conditions and alloy compositions were manufactured using the replication casting process. The porosity of the foams ranged from 55% to 62%, with pore sizes of 0.7~1.0 mm, 1.0~2.0 mm, and 2.8~3.4 mm. The alloys employed included commercial A356 and A383, as well as Al-6Mg-(0, 2, 4, 6)Si alloys. Compression tests were conducted under various conditions of the foams, and the results were comparatively analyzed based on the detailed structural conditions and alloy compositions. It was observed that for the same alloy composition and equivalent porosity, a reduction in pore size led to an increased number of cell walls, enhancing energy dispersion and resulting in higher compressive yield strength and energy absorption. Under the same pore size, a decrease in porosity increased the relative density and cell wall thickness, leading to improved compressive yield strength and energy absorption. Furthermore, compressive evaluation based on alloy composition revealed the influence of the inherent mechanical properties of the material on the mechanical properties of open-cell type aluminum foams. Specifically, it was confirmed that alloys with higher ductility exhibited elastic behavior of the internal cells under external stress, significantly influencing the energy absorption of foams.

Dynamic Effect of Ply Angle and Fiber Orientation on Composite Plates

Composite materials have revolutionized industries such as aerospace and automotive with their impressive strength-to-weight ratios and customizable properties. Ply angle and fiber orientation are critical factors that significantly impact the dynamic behavior of composite structures, influencing stiffness, strength, and vibrational characteristics. This research delves into the dynamic characteristics of composite plates, explicitly examining how ply angle and fiber orientation affect vibrational behavior. Through finite element analysis (FEA), composite plates with varying ply angles and fiber orientations were modeled to understand their influence on natural frequencies, mode shapes, and dynamic responses under various loading conditions. The study reveals that cross-ply [0/0/0/0] exhibits the highest stiffness and superior stress handling, while the cross-ply balanced laminate [90/0/0/90] demonstrates better vibrational characteristics. The findings highlight the intricate relationships between design parameters and structural vibrational behavior, offering opportunities for optimizing composite structures. Additionally, harmonic analysis showed that a cut-out increases the natural frequency. The results underscore the importance of optimizing composite plate configurations to enhance vibrational characteristics and align natural frequencies with operational requirements, thereby mitigating resonance-related issues.

Model Test and Numerical Simulation of Two Typical Close-Fitting Pile–Wall Integrated Structures in Deep Excavation

Compared to conventional support methods, the close-fitting pile–wall integration technique features a minimized construction spacing between the retaining pile and the basement retaining wall. This approach leverages the pile stiffness to minimize the wall thickness and enhance underground space utilization. However, it currently lacks significant discussions and measured data about the interaction laws between the pile and the wall. The model test and finite element method (FEM) are employed to study the deformation and internal force interaction laws of two typical close-fitting pile–wall integrated structures, and a comparison with conventional design is conducted. Furthermore, this study separately investigates the impact of sensitivity factors, specifically the pile–wall stiffness ratio and floor plate stiffness, on both structures during the basement construction and serviceability stages. The test results can closely match the numerical simulation. The study results reveal that the wall impacts the bending moment of the pile to some extent. The internal force in the wall is significantly influenced by the lateral deformation of the pile and the floor plate. Compared to conventional designs, this structure significantly reduces the bending moment of the wall, particularly in the composite structure. Additionally, the analysis of sensitivity factors reveals their considerable influence on the pile–wall interaction.

Environmentally friendly and temperature resistant water-based drilling fluids with highly inhibitory synthetic nanocellulose polymers for deep sea drilling

The ocean is rich in sustainable hydrocarbon. The process of extracting these resources poses challenges such as coexistence of low temperature and high temperature, high pressure of deepwater and unpredictable shale formations. A kind of ionic crosslinking polymer consisting of N, N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and Cellulose Nanofibers (CNF) (PADC), was synthesized to address these challenges. Cellulose was first oxidized to nanocellulose (CNF) through 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxide (TEMPO) oxidation. Subsequently, the ionic crosslinking polymer, consisting of DMA, AMPS, and CNF, was synthesized using ionic crosslinking polymerization. The surface characteristics and morphology were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle size analysis, and zeta potential analysis. The structural composition was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The shale inhibition mechanism was investigated through contact angle and pressure transmission experiments. The results indicated that the average length of PADC is approximately 1450 nm, with an average diameter of less than 100 nm and contains sulfonic acid groups. The shale contact angle increased from 16.75° to 82°, indicating that PADC increased the hydrophobicity of the shale by 390%. Pressure transfer experiments show that PADC can reduce shale permeability by 37%, which means PADC has good hydration inhibition performance. In addition, a drilling fluid system suitable for deep sea drilling was proposed. The drilling fluid system exhibits good rheological properties at 160 °C and 0 °C. The fluid loss after hot rolling at 160 °C is less than 12 mL. The linear expansion of shale core after 16 h is only 0.7%, and the rolling recovery rate at 160 °C is as high as 99.48%. Luminescent bacteria EC50 is 2.0 × 105 mg/L, which means it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. And drilling fluid conforms to the power law flow model. Therefore, the drilling fluids proposed in this paper can meet the requirements of deep sea drilling in terms of rheological properties and filtration loss properties at 0–160 °C, and can seal shale pores and inhibit shale hydration through the ionic cross-linking PADC. This research offers insights into the utilization of cellulose in well drilling processes and provides references for designing deep sea drilling fluids.

Thermally and electrically anisotropic silicone rubber composites with frequency-selective EMI shielding

The rapid development of highly integrated and multifunctional electronic devices urgently requires polymer composites with anisotropic thermal and electrical conductivities and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Herein, the precise control of high alignment and alternating distribution of graphite (Gt)-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) via co-extrusion to fabricate alternating multilayered SR composites were reported. Such ordered hierarchical structures not only constructed efficient thermally and electrically conductive networks within the layer but also effectively segregated the electrical and thermal conduction path in the through-plane direction. Simultaneously, owing to the destructive interference of EM waves between the two Gt-CNTs layers, resulting in significant improvements in total shielding effectiveness along with obvious shielding peak shift with decreasing the thickness of the h-BN layer. The 4-layer SR composites exhibited anisotropic thermal and electrical conductivities and frequency-selective EMI Shielding. Specifically, the 4-layer SR composites exhibited in-plane thermal conductivity of 8.71 W/mK, breakdown voltage of 8.0 kV/mm and EMI shielding effectiveness of 31–43.2 dB, when the thickness ratio of the Gt-CNTs layer and the h-BN layer was 4:1. Furthermore, the ordered hierarchical structures of the SR composites could be directionally transformed through stacking-cutting to meet different heat dissipation and electrical conduction application scenarios. This research provides new insights into the simple preparation, rational design and multifunctional integration of polymer composites for advanced electronic devices.

Study on Mechanical Properties of Tunnel Flame Retardant Asphalt Pavement Considering the Ablative Effect

With the widespread utilization of composite pavements in highway tunnel projects, the flammability issue of asphalt layers has garnered increasing attention. Previous research has demonstrated that the addition of flame retardants effectively reduces the occurrence of pavement fires. However, there are few studies combining asphalt flame retardant technology with tunnel composite pavement structures. Therefore, this paper, considering the context of actual engineering projects, uses ABAQUS software to analyze and calculate the mechanical response of the tunnel composite pavement, considering the thickness of various asphalt layers under the ablation depth. Key design indexes such as shear stress and lower tensile strain of the asphalt layer, the bottom tensile stress of the cement concrete subgrade, and interlayer shear stress between the asphalt layer and cement concrete subgrade of composite pavements are analyzed using the nonlinear finite element analysis method. The findings enable the determination of the optimal thickness of the composite pavement asphalt layer combination after ablation, thus contributing to enhancing the safety of tunnel pavements.

Correlated multimodal imaging in life sciences: lessons learnt

Correlated Multimodal Imaging (CMI) gathers information about the same specimen with two or more modalities that–combined–create a composite and complementary view of the sample (including insights into structure, function, dynamics and molecular composition). CMI allows one to reach beyond what is possible with a single modality and describe biomedical processes within their overall spatio-temporal context and gain a mechanistic understanding of cells, tissues, and organisms in health and disease by untangling their molecular mechanisms within their native environment. The field of CMI has grown substantially over the last decade and previously unanswerable biological questions have been solved by applying novel CMI workflows. To disseminate these workflows and comprehensively share the scattered knowledge present within the CMI community, an initiative was started to bring together imaging, image analysis, and biomedical scientists and work towards an open community that promotes and disseminates the field of CMI. This community project was funded for the last 4 years by an EU COST Action called COMULIS (COrrelated MUltimodal imaging in the LIfe Sciences). In this review we share some of the showcases and lessons learnt from the action. We also briefly look ahead at how we anticipate building on this initial initiative.

Terahertz metamaterials for spectrum modulation: structural design, materials and applications

Metamaterials, an artificial electromagnetic (EM) material, have exhibited unique characteristics, enabling innovations in terahertz (THz) wavefront shaping, polarization modulation, surface wave manipulation, and spectrum modulation. In this review, we focus on the advancements in THz metamaterials for spectrum modulation, emphasizing their structural design, special materials, and applications. The review discusses various structural designs, including metal-dielectric composite structures, all-metal structures, and all-dielectric structures, each offering distinct advantages for THz applications. Key special materials such as graphene, vanadium dioxide (VO2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and flexible materials are highlighted for their significant contributions to enhancing the performance and functionality of THz metamaterials. The applications of THz metamaterials in EM stealth and sensing are thoroughly introduced, with a particular focus on biosensing, pesticide detection, and other sensing applications. The review emphasizes the potential of THz metamaterials in developing highly sensitive and selective sensors, as well as efficient THz absorbers and filters. Future perspectives include the continuous development of novel materials, advanced fabrication technologies, and the integration of multifunctional capabilities to further expand the applications and efficiency of THz metamaterials. These advancements are expected to drive significant progress in THz technology, impacting fields such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food safety, wireless communication, and security.

The influence of geographical location on moisture distribution in wood cross sections: a numerical simulation study using Austria as an example

Wood constantly interacts with the surrounding, locally varying climate, leading to changes in the moisture content. Advanced simulation tools can predict the two-dimensional moisture distributions caused by these changing climate conditions within wood cross sections over time. However, there is a notable absence of systematic simulation results for diverse climatic conditions and various wood cross sections. This study seeks to bridge this gap in research. Here, we present moisture fields in three solid timber and three glued laminated timber cross sections in Austria and show the effect of the location and the altitude on the moisture content distribution. The results reveal decreasing influence of the location on the moisture content development with increasing cross section size, and primarily the altitude affecting the moisture content. In addition, the results are compared with the standard for the design of timber–concrete composite structures (ONR CEN/TS 19103), revealing appropriate values in most of the cases. Only for cross sections with a width of 14 cm and larger, assigned to a specific region, the standard value is assumed underestimated. Furthermore, the distribution of moisture gradients, which are related to the crack depth development, are analyzed for Austria, demonstrating the influence of mountain areas in the moisture gradient development.