Abstract
In the wood drying process, the static modulus of elasticity does not change until the fibre saturation point (FSP) is reached; however, for lower than FSP moisture content, the static modulus of elasticity changes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of moisture content on obtaining the modulus of elasticity of sawn wooden beams of Pinus sp. through free transverse vibration and static bending tests. We used 20 beams with nominal dimensions of 5 cm x 10 cm x 200 cm from reforestation forests in the State of São Paulo. The beams were taken from newly harvested logs that were kept indoors for drying under controlled temperature and humidity. The apparent longitudinal modulus of elasticity, obtained through the free transverse vibration method, stabilized with humidity in the FSP variation range, as it occurs in the static bending test. The study showed that the free transverse vibration test can be used to obtain the apparent longitudinal modulus of elasticity from pieces of wood with a moisture content that is either above or below the FSP.
Keywords:
Segmented regression model; Pinus sp; wood; Non-destructive testing; Fiber saturation point.
