An experimental and numerical study of moisture flow and moisture-induced strain in fast-grown Sitka spruce
Date
2019Author
O'Ceallaigh, Conan
Sikora, Karol
McPolin, Daniel
Harte, Annette M.
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O'Ceallaigh, Conan, Sikora, Karol, McPolin, Daniel, & Harte, Annette M. (2019). An experimental and numerical study of moisture flow and moisture-induced strain in fast-grown Sitka spruce. Maderas: Ciencia y tecnologia, 21(1), 45-64. doi: 10.4067/S0718-221X2019005000105
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Abstract
The use of fast-grown timber in the manufacture of engineered wood products is increasing;
however, the fast growth rate results in a low-density timber that is susceptible to significant swelling
and shrinkage deformations under changing moisture content. The current study focuses on the
characterisation of the moisture diffusion and swelling/shrinkage of fast-grown Sitka spruce and the
prediction of the moisture-induced strain development in Sitka spruce glulam beams under variable
humidity cycles. Moisture content evolution and swelling/shrinkage coefficients were measured and the
longitudinal swelling/shrinkage was found to be significantly greater than for slow-grown timber. Sitka
spruce glued-laminated beams were subjected to controlled relative humidity cycling for 52 weeks and
the moisture distribution and moisture-induced strains were measured continuously. Coupled moisturedisplacement numerical models, incorporating the experimentally measured material parameters were
developed. The effect of the glue-line was found to have an insignificant effect on moisture transport,
however, the material orientation greatly influenced the predicted moisture-induced strain. Accurately
mapping the material orientation produced significantly better predictions of the experimental results
over the 52-week period.
Keywords: Adsorption,
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