Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The fracture of wood under torsional loading

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A series of experiments have been carried out on hardwood (red lauan) and softwood (sitka spruce) test pieces using static and cyclic torsional loading under displacement control. Measurements of the applied torque, the corresponding angle of twist and the number of cycles to failure were recorded. It was found that under static torsional loading, the strength of both hardwood and softwood reduced as the grain orientation of the sample to the axis of twist increased from 0° to 90° with a corresponding decrease of elastic modulus. Hardwood is stronger than softwood. In the fatigue test, when the torsional load is plotted against cycle number, the results showed that under displacement control stress relaxation occurs. The S–N curve for softwood has a shallower gradient than that of hardwood, indicating that the torsional strength of softwood is less affected by fatigue loading than hardwood. In both static and cyclic torsional loading tests, the failure mode of hardwood is slow and incomplete, whereas, softwood fails suddenly and completely. The crack growth is along the tangential direction in the hardwood cross-section and in the radial direction in the cross-section.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Fig. 25
Fig. 26
Fig. 27
Fig. 28
Fig. 29

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tsai KT, Ansell MP (1990) J Mater Sci 25:865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bonfield PW (1991) In: Fatigue evaluation of wood laminates for the design of wind turbine blades, Ph.D Thesis, University of Bath, UK, p 46

  3. Thompson RJH (1996) In: Fatigue and creep in wood based panel products, Ph.D Thesis, University of Bath, UK, 1996, p 18

  4. Lark RF (1983) In: Proceedings 28th Meeting of National Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering, p 1277

  5. Sekhar AC, Sukla NK, Gupta VK (1963) J Natl Building Organization 8:36

    Google Scholar 

  6. Sekhar AC, Sukla NK (1979) J Indian Acad Wood Sci 10(1):36

    Google Scholar 

  7. Johansson L, Peng F, Simonson R (1999) Wood Sci Technol 33:43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Koran Z (1984) Wood Fibre Sci 16:12

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bodig J, Jayne BA (1982) In: Mechanics of wood and wood composites. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc., New York, USA, p 158

  10. Kollmann F, Coté WA (1968) In: Principles of wood science and technology I: solid wood. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany

    Book  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen Z, Gabbitas B, Hunt D (2005) J Mater Sci 40:1929

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kollmann F (1934) Forstwiss Cbl 6:181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Dinwoodie JM (1981) In: Timber, its nature and behaviour. Van Nostrand Reihold Company Ltd, New York, USA

  14. Chen Z (2002) In: Torsional fatigue of wood, Ph.D Thesis, University of London Southbank University, UK, p 198

  15. Bonfield PW, Ansell MP (1991) J Mater Sci 26:4765

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lewis WC (1962) US Forest Product Laboratory Report, No. 2236

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr P. Bonfield, of the Building Research Establishment(UK), for supplying the Sitka spruce and Scots pine used in this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Zheng Chen

  2. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Brian Gabbitas

  3. London South Bank University, London, UK

    David Hunt

Authors
  1. Zheng Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brian Gabbitas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Hunt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zheng Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, Z., Gabbitas, B. & Hunt, D. The fracture of wood under torsional loading. J Mater Sci 41, 7247–7259 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0913-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0913-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation