Flax Fiber-Reinforced Glued-Laminated Timber in Tension Perpendicular to the Grain: Experimental Study and Probabilistic Analysis

• The weak mechanical properties of wood in tension perpendicular to the grain are often the origin of catastrophic brittle failure. In order to enhance the tension strength perpendicular to the grain and achieve a more ductile failure, flax fibre and glass fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites were used to strengthen glued-laminated (glulam) timber specimens. Three series of specimen of glulam timber (flax fibre reinforced, glass fibre reinforced and unreinforced), with a grand total of 28 specimens, were tested in tension perpendicular to the grain. For an approximate amount of FRP reinforcement of 1.2- in volume (thickness ~ 0.7 mm), an increase of the tensile strength up to 74- was shown, with a stiffness increase up to 41-. For all reinforced specimens, semi-ductile failures were observed. A parametric study was carried out using both the Monte Carlo method (MC) and the First Order Second Moment method (FOSM). It is shown that the mean values obtained during experiments are in agreement with those from the MC simulation. However, the standard deviations from the MC simulation are larger. From the FOSM analysis, it is demonstrated that the variation in glulam stiffness perpendicular to the grain is not the first parameter driving the variation for the reinforced system. The variation in mechanical properties of the flax fibres appeared to be the driving parameters for the strength of the system.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Husbyggnad (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Building Technologies (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Glulam

Tension perpendicular to the grain

FRP

Flax fiber

Strengthening

Probabilistic analysis

Träbyggnad

Timber Structures

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