Physical and mechanical properties of green and dry wood in beech stems blown down in ice storm

V raziskavi smo preučevali fizikalne in mehanske lastnosti lesa v deblih navadnih bukev (Fagus sylvatica L.), izruvanih med žledolomom. Lastnosti smo preučevali na vzporednih preizkušancih sveže in osušene bukovine, ki smo jih sistematično vzorčili po radialni in vertikalni smeri dreves. Določili smo gostoto, togost, upogibno trdnost, strižno trdnost v smeri lesnih vlaken ter tlačno trdnost lesa v vseh anatomskih smereh. Togost smo primerjalno vrednotili med statično 4-točkovnim upogibom in nedestruktivno z merjenjem hitrosti ultrazvoka ter z določanjem frekvenčnega odziva. V drevesih, ki so izruvana obležala v gozdu od februarja do konca vegetacijske dobe 2014 in so imela delno ohranjen koreninski sistem, aktivno krošnjo in zadosten kapilarni tok, nismo zaznali sprememb gostote in mehanskih lastnosti, ki bi bile posledica razkroja lesa. Tako v svežem kot osušenem stanju smo ugotovili značilni vzorec porazdelitve gostote in trdnosti. Gostota lesa je po višini dreves naraščala, v radialni smeri od stržena proti periferiji debla pa smo zaznali rahel trend zmanjševanja. Mehanske lastnosti z izjemo prečne tlačne trdnosti se povečujejo tako po višini debla kot tudi od stržena proti kambiju in so bile vedno boljše pri osušenem kot pri svežem lesu. Zanesljivost nedestruktivnih metod za določanje togosti je večja pri ocenjevanju osušenega lesa. Za oceno upogibne trdnosti z nedestruktivnimi metodami še vedno priporočamo vzporedno vizualno opredelitev značilnosti lesa.Physical and mechanical properties of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) from trees fallen in ice storm were determined. The properties were studied in parallel green and dried beech-wood samples, systematically collected along the radius and at different height levels of the stem. The stiffness of the timber was comparatively tested with static 4-point bending and non-destructively by measuring the speed of ultrasound, and by determining the frequency response. The bending and shear strengths were additionally determined along the grain, as well as compression strength in all anatomical directions of wood. In blown down trees with still partly preserved root system, active crown and sufficient capillary water flow, we could not detect any reduction of mechanical properties due to deterioration. The density and mechanical properties, except transverse compression strength, increased with increasing height in the tree and radially from the pith to the cambium. They were always better in dried than in green wood. The reliability of non-destructive methods was greater in the evaluation of dried wood. We recommend visual wood characterisation in addition to the use of non-destructive methods for strength assessment of wood