Thomas K. Bader

Microstructure-stiffness relationships of ten European and tropical hardwood species.

Hardwood species exhibit a huge anatomical variability. This makes them perfect study objects for exploring relations between structural features at different length scales and corresponding stiffness properties of wood. We carry out microscopic analysis, nanoindentation tests, as well as macroscale ultrasonic and quasi-static tension tests and build a complete set of microstructural and corresponding micromechanical data of ten different (European and tropical) hardwood species. In addition, we apply micromechanical modeling to further elucidate the individual influences of particular structural features, which might appear only in a superimposed manner in experiments. The test results confirm the dominant influences of the microfibril angle on the stiffness at cell wall level and of density at the macroscopic scale. Vessels and ray cells affect the macroscopic stiffness of the wood tissue not only through their content, but also through their arrangement and shape: A ring-porous structure results in comparably higher longitudinal but lower radial stiffness than a diffuse-porous one. As for ray cells, large and particularly compactly shaped bundles might reduce the stiffness in tangential direction because of the fiber deviations they cause. Moreover, vessel and ray content might affect the relation between nanoindentation modulus and density-corrected macroscopic longitudinal stiffness.

Macro- and micro-mechanical properties of red oak wood (Quercus rubra L.) treated with hemicellulases

Abstract Red oak wood (Quercus rubra L.) samples were submitted to an enzymatic treatment with a commercial mixture of hemicellulases aiming at the selective depolymerization and removal of the hemicelluloses. Mechanical properties of treated samples were characterized and compared with untreated samples at two hierarchical levels. At the macrolevel, tensile properties revealed to be less sensitive to degradation of the cell wall matrix compared to compression and hardness properties. Results obtained through indentation at the microlevel indicated that hardness and the so-called reduced modulus of treated wood were significantly lowered. Accordingly, hardness and reduced elastic modulus have proven to be most sensitive to modification of the cell wall matrix by reducing the content of hemicelluloses. It is proposed that transversal and shear stresses, which are mainly carried by the cell wall matrix, are additional parameters having strong effects on elastic modulus obtained by nanoindentation. Micromechanical modeling was employed to confirm the observed changes. There is consistency between the measured and the modeled properties, obtained at both the microlevel and the macrolevel of wood.

Mixed numerical-experimental methods in wood micromechanics

Mixed numerical–experimental methods are increasingly used in various disciplines in materials science, recently also in wood micromechanics. Having a relatively irregular microstructure, direct interpretation of mechanical tests is not always possible since structurally specific properties are quantified rather than general material properties. The advent of combined numerical–experimental methods unlocks possibilities for a more accurate experimental characterization. A number of examples of mixed methods pertaining to both emerging experimental techniques and physical phenomena are presented: nano-indentation, moisture transport, digital-image correlation, dimensional instability and fracture of wood-based materials. Successful examples from other classes of materials are also presented, in an attempt to provide some ideas potentially useful in wood mechanics. Some general pit-falls in parameter estimation from experimental results are also outlined.

Key parameters controlling stiffness variability within trees: a multiscale experimental–numerical approach

Microstructural properties of wood vary considerably within a tree. Knowledge of these properties and a better understanding of their relationship to the macroscopic mechanical performance of wood are crucial to optimize the yield and economic value of forest stocks. This holds particularly for the end-use requirements in engineering applications. In this study the microstructure–stiffness relationships of Scots pine are examined with a focus on the effects of the microstructural variability on the elastic properties of wood at different length scales. For this purpose, we have augmented microstructural data acquired using SilviScan-3™ (namely wood density, cell dimensions, earlywood and latewood proportion, microfibril angle) with local measurements of these quantities and of the chemical composition derived from wide-angle X-ray scattering, light microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The stiffness properties were determined by means of ultrasonic tests at the clear wood scale and by means of nanoindentation at the cell wall scale. In addition, micro-mechanical modeling was applied to assess the causal relations between structural and mechanical properties and to complement the experimental investigations. Typical variability profiles of microstructural and mechanical properties are shown from pith to bark, across a single growth ring and from earlywood to latewood. The clear increase of the longitudinal stiffness as well as the rather constant transverse stiffness from pith to bark could be explained by the variation in microfibril angle and wood density over the entire radial distance. The dependence of local cell wall stiffness on the local microfibril angle was also demonstrated. However, the local properties did not necessarily follow the trends observed at the macroscopic scale and exhibited only a weak relationship with the macroscopic mechanical properties. While the relationship between silvicultural practice and wood microstructure remains to be modeled using statistical techniques, the influence of microstructural properties on the macroscopic mechanical behavior of wood can now be described by a physical model. The knowledge gained by these investigations and the availability of a new micromechanical model, which allows transferring these findings to non-tested material, will be valuable for wood quality assessment and optimization in timber engineering.

Dowel deformations in multi-dowel LVL-connections under moment loading

Abstract The aim of the experimental study presented herein is the assessment and quantification of the behavior of individual dowels in multi-dowel connections loaded by a bending moment. For this purpose, double-shear, steel-to-timber connections with nine steel dowels arranged in different patterns and with different dowel diameters were tested in four-point bending. In order to achieve a ductile behavior with up to 7° relative rotation, the connections were partly reinforced with self-tapping screws. The reinforcement did not influence the global load–deformation behavior, neither for dowel diameters of 12 mm nor for 20 mm, as long as cracking was not decisive. The deformation of the individual dowels was studied by means of a non-contact deformation measurement system. Thus, the crushing deformation, that is, the deformation at the steel plate, and the bending deformation of the dowels could be quantified. In the case of 12 mm dowels, the bending deformation was larger than the crushing deformation, while it was smaller in the case of 20 mm dowels. Moreover, dowels loaded parallel to the grain showed larger bending deformations than dowels loaded perpendicular to the grain. This indicates that the loading of the individual dowels in the connection differs depending on their location.

Nanoindentation of wood cell walls : effects of sample preparation and indentation protocol

Nanoindentation has become a valuable tool in wood science. It enables to examine the mechanical properties of the wood cell walls, which are polymeric, multi-layered structures with typical thicknesses of a few micrometers. Despite the intensive use of the method for the characterization of wood cell walls, it is not entirely clear yet how the measurement results may be affected by the way the sample is prepared and the indentation is carried out. This manuscript contributes to clarify these issues, by presenting indentation data for a variety of sample preparation techniques and indentation protocols, and by critically evaluating the observed differences of the obtained indentation moduli and hardnesses. Investigations covered the effect of different embedding materials, including testing of non-embedded cell walls, and of repeated exposure to high temperatures during harsh drying before the indentation test. Moreover, potential edge effects were studied when the indentation size approaches the width of the individual cell wall layers. Using different embedding materials as well as testing non-embedded cell walls did not lead to significant changes in the measured properties. Due to damage during the sample preparation, non-embedded cell walls tend to show substantially higher experimental scatter. Repeated drying prior to embedding had no significant effect on the resulting moduli and hardnesses. Finally, it was found that reasonable mechanical properties can be extracted from the cell corner middle lamella (CCML), even when the size of the indent approaches the diameter of the CCML.

Structure–function relationships in hardwood – insight from micromechanical modelling

A micromechanical model is presented that predicts the stiffness of wood tissues in their three principal anatomical directions, across various hardwood species. The wood polymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, common to all wood tissues, serve as the starting point. In seven homogenisation steps, the stiffnesses of these polymers are linked to the macroscopic stiffness. The good agreement of model predictions and corresponding experimental data for ten different European and tropical species confirms the functionality and accuracy of the model. The model enables investigating the influence of individual microstructural features on the overall stiffness. This is exploited to elucidate the mechanical effects of vessels and ray cells. Vessels are shown to reduce the stiffness of wood at constant overall density. This supports that a trade-off exists between the hydraulic efficiency and the mechanical support in relation to the anatomical design of wood. Ray cells are shown to act as reinforcing elements in the radial direction.

Microstructure and stiffness of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) sapwood degraded by Gloeophyllum trabeum and Trametes versicolor – Part I: Changes in chemical composition, density and equilibrium moisture content

Abstract Fungal degradation alters the microstructure of wood and its physical and chemical properties are also changed. While these changes are well investigated as a function of mass loss, mass density loss and changes in equilibrium moisture content are not well elucidated. The physical and chemical alterations are crucial when linking microstructural characteristics with macroscopic mechanical properties. In the present article, a consistent set of physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics is presented, which were measured on the same sample before and after fungal degradation. In the first part of this two-part contribution, elucidating microstructure/stiffness-relationships of degraded wood, changes in physical and chemical data are presented, which were collected from specimens of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood degraded by Gloeophyllum trabeum (brown rot) and Trametes versicolor (white rot) for up to 28 weeks degradation time. A comparison of mass loss with corresponding mass density loss demonstrated that mass loss entails two effects: firstly, a decrease in sample size (more pronounced for G. trabeum), and secondly, a decrease of mass density within the sample (more pronounced for T. versicolor). These two concurrent effects are interrelated with sample size and shape. Hemicelluloses and cellulose are degraded by G. trabeum, while T. versicolor was additionally able to degrade lignin. In particular because of the breakdown of hemicelluloses and paracrystalline parts of cellulose, the equilibrium moisture content of degraded samples is lower than that in the initial state.

Thermogravimetric analysis for wood decay characterisation

The paper focuses on the use of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) as a fast method for estimating the change of lignocellulosic materials during fungal degradation in laboratory trials. Traditionally, evaluations of durability tests are based on mass loss. However, to gain more knowledge of the reasons for differences in durability and strength between wooden materials, information on the chemical changes is needed. Pinus sylvestris sapwood was incubated with the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor. The TGA approach used was found to be reproducible between laboratories. The TGA method did not prove useful for wood deteriorated by white rot, but the TGA showed to be a convenient tool for fast estimation of lignocellulosic components both in sound wood and wood decayed by brown rot.

Shear stiffness and its relation to the microstructure of 10 European and tropical hardwood species

Abstract In this study, shear stiffness properties of 10 different hardwood species and their relation to the corresponding species-specific microstructure are investigated. For this purpose, shear stiffness of 10 different hardwood species is experimentally measured by means of ultrasonic testing. In addition, a micromechanical model for hardwood is applied in order to illustrate the influence of certain microstructural characteristics such as mass density and volume fractions of vessels and ray cells on the shear stiffness. Comprehensive microstructural and mechanical data from previous investigations of the same hardwood material support the interpretation of the microstructure–shear stiffness relationships. Mass density was confirmed to be the dominant microstructural characteristic for shear stiffness. Also, ultrasound shear wave propagation velocity increases with density, particularly in the radial-tangential (RT) plane. In addition to density, comparably higher shear stiffness GLR can be explained by comparably higher ray content and lower vessel content. As for GLT, a ring porous structure seems to lead to higher shear stiffness as compared to a diffuse porous structure. For this shear stiffness, vessel and ray content were found to have a less impact. Also, the rolling shear stiffness GRT was found to be higher for a diffuse porous structure than for a ring porous one. Moreover, the data supports that ray cells act as reinforcements in the RT plane and lead to higher GRT.