The perpendicular to grain compressive behaviour of timber beams

Extrapolation of design rules meaning application outside the experimentally verified range is questionable. For this reason design rules based on physical models are preferable when available. This study shows that a physically based stress spreading model can successfully be applied for a wide range of practical design situations. The credibility of this model is based on experiments, FEM and optical techniques used to assess and quantify the strength affecting parameters. It model applies to local supports and stressed areas below concentrated forces. It is shown that the affected area is limited and that for this area the stress spreading model predicts the test results very well in contrast to expectations by design rules of EU, US and Aus/NZ. This model is a potential candidate to be incorporated in future structural timber design standards