Lab 5

Introduction
The objective of this lab is to determine the mechanical properties of wood when axial compression is applied to parallel and perpendicular grains. The mechanical properties of wood when under the effect of moisture will also be determined. The modulus of rupture and failure under bending for wood will be determined, too.

Materials and Methods

The materials used in this lab experiment are clear wood specimens of Douglas fir. The apparatus used for the tensile test was a Tinius Olsen Universal Testing Machine, with SR-2 Indicating System, LVDT extensometer, and calipers. To conduct the experiment, the specimens were simply securely placed in the apparatus while turning on the machine, applying load while the data automatically recorded. Procedure: Compression parallel to grain Select two 2" x 2" x 8" specimens (one dry and one wet) for the parallel to the grain test. Record any significant defects in the specimens. Measure cross sectional area and length. Start Navigator software and ensure that data are store on file. Verify load application speed of 0.02 inches/minute (currently the Tinius Olsen machine does not support this feature). Place the first specimen in the machine and apply a small holding load (under 100lb). Zero the load and the position in the Tinius Olsen SR-2 controller. Apply load. Continue loading until a peak load is reached or, if no peak is reached, until the load approaches a constant value. Repeat to test the wet specimen. May want to change the name of the file where the data are stored. Compression perpendicular to grain Repeat the previous procedure but use the new specimen. Bending Test: 1. Record any significant defects in the specimen. 2. Measure cross sectional area. 3. Verify load application speed of 0.02 inches/minute (currently the Tinius Olsen machine does not support this feature). 4. Place the specimen in the machine, measure the span and apply a small holding load (under 50lb). 5. Zero the load and the position in the Tinius Olsen SR-2 controller. Prepared by Travis Johnson Page 1

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6. Apply the load slowly. 7. Continue loading until failure of the beam.

Results and Discussion

The maximum compressive stress for the dry parallel grain douglas fir was 9325 psi, and its modulus of elasticity was estimated at (7425 158.5 )/ (.0153 - .0049875) = 704,630.3 psi. The maximum compressive stress for the wet parallel grain douglas fir was 5000 psi and its modulus of elasticity was estimated at (4182.5 66.25)/(.0141 - .004075) = 410,598.5 psi. The graph for perpendicular grain douglas fir was created using inaccurate data from a botched test. I provided our graph; however, the results will be determined from the Monday section's graph. The maximum compressive stress for the compression test on the perpendicular grain ponderosa pine from Monday section proved to be 600 psi. The modulus of elasticity would be (214 0)/(.036 0) = 5,944 psi. The compressive strength of the perpendicular grain proved to be significantly lower than parallel grain wood. This could be due to an inconsistency in material (ponderosa pine vs douglas fir); however, both are types of wood and I do not expect the results to vary to an extreme degree. The dry parallel grain douglas fir proved to have the highest compressive strength, while wet parallel grain douglas fir was almost half of the parallel grain strength. The dry perpendicular strength was determined to be about 6.4% the strength of the dry parallel strength, despite the material difference. The proportional limit bending stress at outer fiber for the bending test was 12,150 psi, while the ultimate bending stress at outer fiber was 13,770 psi. The modulus of elasticity was estimated at 873,594.1 psi.

Conclusions
The dry parallel grain douglas fir specimen proved to be the strongest of the three compression tests at 9325 psi with a modulus of elasticity 704,630.3 psi. The wet parallel grain douglas fir specimen was determined to be the second strongest of the compression tests at 5000 psi and 410,598.5 psi as the modulus of elasticity. Dry perpendicular grain ponderosa pine had a massive drop off in compressive strength at 600 psi and a modulus of elasticity of 5,944 psi. This makes sense as the grains are not in the ideal pattern for the method of this test and the direction in which the load was applied. The beam test proved that at an ultimate stress of 13,770 psi at the outer fiber, the douglas fir beam specimen deflected .4267 inches under a concentrated load of 4080 psi at the center of the span. The proportional limit stress was calculated at 12,150 psi at the outer fiber. The modulus of Prepared by Travis Johnson Page 2

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elasticity was also determined to be the highest of all the tests at 873,594.1 psi.

References
ASTM D143, Standard Methods of Testing Small Clear Specimens of Timber, Vol. 4.10.

Appendix
See attached.

Prepared by Travis Johnson

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