Coupled nonlinear-damage finite element analysis and design of novel engineered wood products made of oak hardwood

This paper presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation to design novel engineered wood products (EWPs), namely adhesive-free laminated beams (AFLB) and adhesive-free cross-laminated timber (AFCLT) panels, for the first time. Thermo-mechanically compressed wood (CW) dowels were used as a joint element as an alternative to the traditional glue and metallic fasteners. The following structural elements were studied: (1) solid timber beams, (2) middle-scale and large-scale three-layer AFLB, (3) timber-to-timber connections and (4) AFCLT panels. In addition, a predictive coupled nonlinear-damage model was proposed as a predictive and powerful tool design to reduce expensive experimental tests. The main mechanical characteristics and performance of the designed EWPs are assessed experimentally and addressed in the paper. Furthermore, the accuracy and the performance of the developed FE model were verified against experimental results from the studied example showing a fairly good prediction of the non-linear behavior as well as the modes of failure and its growth. Finally, the validated FE model was used to carry out a parametric study of the influential design parameters and some design recommendations are made.