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An anatomical explanation for visco-elastic and mechano-sorptive creep in wood, and effects of loading rate on strength

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New Perspectives in Wood Anatomy

Part of the book series: Forestry Sciences ((FOSC,volume 1))

Summary

For wood, it is widely known that the steady application of force, in either of the several possible stress modes, causes deformation which increases with time (creep). With any particular intensity of stress, it is well documented that the rate of creep varies significantly, according to whether the stress mode is in compression, bending, tension or shear. Additionally, it has been shown that the amount of creep tends to be considerably greater, if the moisture content of wood is reduced or cycled, than if it is constant (saturated or dry) during application of the force. However, the literature does not contain a broadly acceptable explanation for these phenomena.

It is demonstrated herein that creep generally, and also the qualitative differences in rates of response for the alternative stress modes, may be explained simply in terms of stress-induced physical interactions between the crystalline and non-crystalline components of the cell wall. An added influence of moisture reduction or moisture cycling is similarly explicable. Furthermore, it is shown that effects so deduced are fully compatible with the extensive experimental data in the literature.

Experimental data show that, after the forces causing creep are removed, much of the deformation of the wood is recoverable. The reasons for that become apparent from continuing interactions between the crystalline and noncrystalline wall components, which occur in response to removal of the initial actuating force. It is discussed how creep deflection, which is associated with axial compression and with bending, induces formation of microscopic crinkles across the general alignment of the microfibrils, which constitute the crystalline structural framework of the fibre wall. In turn, those crinkles predispose the fibres and the wood as a whole to failure at much lower intensities of stress, than can be sustained with force application over a short period.

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  1. Honorary Research Fellow, Division of Building Research, CSIRO, P.O. Box 56, Highett, Victoria, 3190, Australia

    J. D. Boyd

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  1. J. D. Boyd
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  1. Rijksherbarium, Leiden, The Netherlands

    P. Baas

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Boyd, J.D. (1982). An anatomical explanation for visco-elastic and mechano-sorptive creep in wood, and effects of loading rate on strength. In: Baas, P. (eds) New Perspectives in Wood Anatomy. Forestry Sciences, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2418-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2418-0_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8269-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2418-0

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