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Strain and cracks investigations on tropical green wood slices under natural drying: experimental and numerical approaches

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Abstract

This work presents the experimental study of natural drying and cracking of green wood slices of two tropical species. The tests were carried out on slices of Aucoumea klaineana P. and Pterocarpus soyauxii at uncontrolled temperature and relative humidity. To follow the strains, specifical targets were drawn on the slice in the radial and circular directions. The slice was placed in front of a camera to record the mass loss on a control specimen and to follow the displacement of the targets on a regular basis until the end of the tests. As results, the evolutions of radial and tangential displacements were calculated in a cylindrical coordinate and the fiber saturation point was deduced accordingly. In addition, the initiation and the crack propagation were followed in a green wood slice subjected to natural drying. At the end, finite element model was developed, and the obtained results were compared to experimental data. The results help to better understand and anticipate the behavior of green wood slices during desiccation. In addition, the potential areas of appearance and propagation of cracks were identified to reduce and prevent defects resulting from the primary processing of wood.

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Abbreviations

FEM:

Finite element method

FSP:

Fiber saturation point

MC:

Moisture content

RH:

Relative air humidity

Pdk:

Paduk

Ok:

Okume

i or j/ij/kl:

Different directions of the woody plane (R,T,L) or number 1, 2, 3

Mij–MijC:

Numerical calculus between two targets (ray)

Mij–MijB:

Numerical calculus between two targets (crown)

Mij–Mkl :

Experimental calculus between two targets (ray and crown)

Eij / i :

Moduli of elasticity

S ij :

Corrected components of the complacency

( S ij ) :

Complacency from Guitard equations

J ( i ) :

Total shrinkage

a ij/b ij :

Constants

Ci :

Crowns

Ri :

Radii

GRT :

Shear moduli

νij :

Poisson’s coefficients

α i :

Shrinkage/swelling coefficients

αv :

Volumetric shrinkage

ε:

Strain

ε r/ε(r):

Radial strain

ε t/ε(t):

Tangential strain

U r :

Radial displacement

U t/θ :

Tangential displacement

σ:

Stress

θ :

Angular deviation between two Ri

d 0 :

Relative depth

d crack :

Depth crack

r d :

Radius for the calculation of tangential strains

R 0 :

Ray

ρ:

Mass density

ρ 0 :

Anhydrous density

ρw :

Wet density

Ow :

Wet okume

Od :

Dry okume

Pw :

Wet Paduk

Pd :

Dry Paduk

M w :

Mass

M 0 :

Anhydrous mass

β :

Isotropic stress

K β :

Constant of β

W/w:

Moisture content

W f :

Final moisture content

T :

Temperature

e :

Thickness

v :

Volume

m:

Mass in grams

m :

Propagation speed

d :

Diameter

u :

Unauthorized displacement

r :

Unauthorized rotation

r:

Distance between two targets on Ri

S:

Standard deviation

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the laboratories of the Technological Research Institute (IRT) and the Tropical Ecology Research Institute (IRET) of the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CENAREST_GABON) for their welcome and logistical assistance. However, this research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forêts (ENEF), LaReVaBois, Libreville, Gabon

    Estelle Nkene Mezui

  2. Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Auvergne INP, CNRS, Institut Pascal, 63000, Clermont Ferrand, France

    Claude Feldman Pambou Nziengui & Rostand Moutou Pitti

  3. Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Ecole Polytechnique de Masuku (EPM), URMM, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon

    Claude Feldman Pambou Nziengui & Samuel Ikogou

  4. CENAREST, IRT, BP 14070, Libreville, Gabon

    Rostand Moutou Pitti & Serge Ekomy Ango

  5. UR-Mécanique et Modélisation des Systèmes Physiques, Université de Dschang, Dschang, Cameroun

    Rostand Moutou Pitti & Pierre Kisito Talla

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  1. Estelle Nkene Mezui
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  2. Claude Feldman Pambou Nziengui
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Correspondence to Rostand Moutou Pitti.

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Nkene Mezui, E., Pambou Nziengui, C.F., Moutou Pitti, R. et al. Strain and cracks investigations on tropical green wood slices under natural drying: experimental and numerical approaches. Eur. J. Wood Prod. 81, 187–207 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-022-01881-9

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