Torsional Shear Tests on Laminated Veneer Lumber Using a Universal-Type Test Machine
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 12
Abstract
This paper presents a study in which a universal-type test machine was configured to apply torsion load-to-failure to estimate the orthotropic shear strengths of full-size laminated veneer lumber (LVL). The objective of the study is to provide insight and detail to a lesser known torsion test setup, while at the same time estimating the torsional shear strength of 1.9E eastern species LVL, hitherto unknown. It was found that at large angles of twist of approximately 23° or more, the test apparatus experienced slippage at the bearings and had the potential to become unstable due to high lateral forces. This was not an obstacle for calculating the shear strength of LVL in this study, as it is a relatively noncompliant material, but likely would be an issue for more compliant materials. The mean in-plane and through-thickness plane shear strengths of 1.9E eastern species LVL were estimated to be in the range of 7.2–11.2 MPa and 5.9–7.3 MPa, respectively.
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Acknowledgments
The authors of this paper acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through current grant CMMI-0926265. Gratitude is extended to research assistant Gautam Nagar, and wood shop manager Dan Pepin for his help with instrumentation on this project.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 12 • December 2013
Pages: 1979 - 1983
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 27, 2012
Accepted: Nov 30, 2012
Published online: Dec 3, 2012
Discussion open until: May 3, 2013
Published in print: Dec 1, 2013
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