Modelling local bending stiffness of Norway spruce sawn timber using scanned fibre orientation

Strength of structural timber depends to a high degree on the occurrence of knots and on the local fibre deviation around such defects. Knowledge of local fibre orientation, obtained by laser scanning, have been utilized in a previously developed machine strength grading method. However, that method was based on rather crude assumptions regarding the fibre orientation in the interior of boards and a mechanical model that does not capture the full compliance of knotty sections. The purpose of the present study was to suggest and verify a model by which local bending stiffness can be predicted with high accuracy. This study included development of a model of fibre orientation in the interior of boards, and application of a three-dimensional finite element model that is able to capture the compliance of the board. Verification included bending of boards in laboratory and application of digital image correlation to obtain strain fields comparable to those obtained by finite element simulation. Results presented comprise strain fields of boards subjected to bending and calculated bending stiffness variation along boards. Comparisons of results indicated that models suggested herein were sufficient to capture the variation of local bending stiffness along boards with very high accuracy