Quality control is essential in the manufacturing process of glued-laminated (glulam) timber elements. This control can be done by nondestructive evaluation of the modulus of elasticity. The purpose of this study is to compare the values of modulus of elasticity of glulam elements obtained by free transverse vibration tests and static bending, before and after preservative treatment, for protection against the action of biological agents, performed by the full cell process. A total of 54 glulam elements were produced, with nominal sizes of 9 cm x 9 cm x 200 cm, with three species of reforestation wood, glued with two structural application adhesives and treated with three preservatives. A good correlation between the values of modulus of elasticity was obtained (r ranges between 0.85 and 0.99). The conclusion was made that the free vibration test is useful for evaluating the modulus of elasticity of glulam elements, and it is an alternative to the static bending test.
Glued laminated timber; Nondestructive evaluation; Transverse vibration
