CVE 230 Mechanics of Materials

Spring 2012 Lab Report #3 Prepared By: Christopher Caldern

Compression Testing of Wood

March 26, 2012

The relationships between load and deflection and stress and strain are demonstrated in the data from this experiment, based on the submission of two types of wooden specimens to compression tests from a Tinus Olsen testing machine. The purpose of this investigation was to plot the stress-strain curves for both types of wood, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, in both manners of loading such as parallel and perpendicular to the grains in order to then show their relationship. It was also to obtain the yield strength, ultimate tension strength, and modulus of elasticity for both of the wooden materials in order to then compare them to values obtained from literature. In this experiment, Douglas Fir (when loaded parallel to the grain), was compared to literature due to finding only this type of w oods information as definite. The results in this experiment can go either way, but overall they prove the relations that are given from literature, in that the stress and strain are positively correlated due to the positively correlated relationship between load applied to an object and its deflection. It also shows how the values of yield strength, ultimate compressive strength, and the modulus of elasticity can be derived from a graph.

LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood
Introduction: Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine wood are two types of wood. Douglas Fir is used for structural applications and is especially used in structures that require having to withstand high loads. Douglas Fir is widely used in the construction industry, and it is in high demand for use in sails due to its ability to resist bending loads without fracturing. Ponderosa Pine on the other hand, has been used for fence posts, boards for general construction, and its single logs have been used to make dugout canoes.

Materials and Methods: Materials used in this experiment include Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine specimens; tools include a Tinius Olsen machine, a mechanical extensometer, and a caliper. The initial cross sectional area and the initial length were obtained for both specimens. The two specimens were then submitted to compression tests using the Tinus Olsen machine. As the specimens had an increasing load applied to them, the values of the load were recorded, along with deformation. The specimens were compressed both perpendicular and parallel to the grains. The load and deformation were then converted into engineering stress and strain respectively. The engineering strain was calculated by using its relationship between load and initial cross sectional area; and the engineering strain was calculated by using its relationship between displacement and initial length. The yield strength, ultimate compression strength, and modulus of elasticity were then calculated from the stress versus strain plot of both the Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine wood.

Results and Discussion: The purpose of this experiment was to plot the stress-strain curves for Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine wood. It was also to obtain the yield strength, ultimate strength compression, and modulus of elasticity for both specimens. The relationship the data demonstrates for load and deflection is that of a positive correlation, the more load is applied to an object, the more deflection (displacement) there will be. Therefore, the increasing stress that exists as the applied force increases is related positively with the strain of the material because of its increasing deflection. This relationship is supported by the data that has been collected from the compression tests. The values of the ultimate compressive strength for the Ponderosa Pine, parallel and perpendicular are 4826 and 924 pounds per square inch respectively. For the Douglas Fir, parallel and perpendicular, the values are 10209 and 1066 pounds per square inch respectively. These values were derived by using the last value of stress from the data collected; this is because data that came after the ultimate compressive strength was not included as part of the data recorded in this experiment. C. Calderon Page 2

LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood
The modulus of elasticity calculated for the wooden samples are approximately 115569, 15996, 811368, and 34575 pounds per square inch in the same exact order provided previously. These values were obtained by selecting the most linear portions of the stress versus strain plots and finding the average slope of the line. Nine points were used for the parallel Ponderosa Pine, four were used for the perpendicular, the first linear portion was used for the parallel Douglas Fir, and three points were used for the perpendicular of the same material. The yield stresses are approximately 1750, 780, 8500, and 1100 pounds per square inch. The stresses are, again, in the same order as above, and are only rough estimates. The yield stress is to be slightly above the proportional limit of the stress versus strain plot from where the modulus of elasticity was calculated. Therefore, there was no calculation for these values; but an estimate was found.

Before and After Compression Test Data

Ponderosa Pine (Parallel) Original Length Original Width Original Height Original Cross Sectional Area 1.9375 in 1.9375 in 7.9375 in 2.9483 in Ponderosa Pine (Perpendicular) 2 in 1.875 in 5.875 in 2.7612 in Douglas Fir (Parallel) 1.9375 in 1.9375 in 6 in 2.9483 in Douglas Fir (Perpendicular) 1.9375 2 in 6 in 3.1416 in

Results of Compression Tests:

Ponderosa Pine (Parallel to Grain)
Load (lbs) 0 510 827 1186 1587 2147 2810 3878 5100 6810 8715 10786 12650 14230 Deflection (in) 0 0.003 0.005 0.0085 0.01 0.014 0.018 0.023 0.029 0.037 0.049 0.07 0.095 0.11 Stress (psi) 0 172.9804 280.4996 402.2642 538.2743 728.2135 953.0880 1315.3293 1729.8039 2309.7970 2955.9296 3658.3657 4290.5920 4826.4921 Strain 0 0.0015 0.0026 0.0044 0.0052 0.0072 0.0093 0.0119 0.0150 0.0191 0.0253 0.0361 0.0490 0.0568

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LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood

Ponderosa Pine (Perpendicular)

Load (lbs) 0 715 1117 2120 2369 2457 2504 2545 2552 Deflection (in) 0 0.0290 0.0640 0.0960 0.1320 0.1680 0.2090 0.2450 0.2800 Stress (psi) 0 258.9486 404.5393 767.7917 857.9711 889.8417 906.8635 921.7123 924.2474 Strain 0 0.0145 0.0320 0.0480 0.0660 0.0840 0.1045 0.1225 0.1400

Douglas Fir (Parallel to Grain)

Load (lbs) 0 715 1117 2120 2369 Deflection (in) 0 0.0290 0.0640 0.0960 0.1320 Stress (psi) 0 3768.9374 11301.3855 Strain 0 0.0046 0.0062

10348.2975 10209.2348

0.0067 0.0067

Douglas Fir (Perpendicular to Grain)

Load (lbs) 0 1750 3150 3250 3350 Deflection (in) 0 0.0260 0.0580 0.0970 0.1400 Stress 0 557.0423 1002.6761 1034.5071 1066.3381 Strain 0 0.0130 0.0290 0.0485 0.0700

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LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood

Ponderosa Pine (Parallel)

6000.0000 5000.0000 4000.0000

Stress (psi)

3000.0000 2000.0000 1000.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0015 0.0026 0.0044 0.0052 0.0072 0.0093 0.0119 0.0150 0.0191 0.0253 0.0361 0.0490 0.0568 0.0929

Strain

Ponderosa Pine (Perpendicular)

1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Stress (psi)

Strain

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LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood

Douglas Fir (Parallel)

12000 10000 8000

Stress (psi)

6000 4000 2000 0 0 0.0046 0.0062 0.0067 0.0067

Strain

Douglas Fir (Perpendicular)

1200.0000 1000.0000

Stress (psi)

800.0000 600.0000 400.0000 200.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0130 0.0290 0.0485 0.0700

Strain

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LAB REPORT #3
Compression Testing of Wood
Conclusion: The compression tests conducted on both wooden specimens were by far the most essential portion of this experiment. The results from these tests were meant to demonstrate the relationship that exists between the stress and strain of an object. And also to show the significant difference in efficiency between specimens which experience loads parallel and perpendicular to the grain. This investigation also displays the ability there is of deriving the yield strength, ultimate compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity from a materials plot of stress and strain. When comparing the compressive strengths to the manner in which the grain of the wooden specimens were placed for the compression tests, the most efficient manner was parallel. Overall, the specimens placed perpendicular to the compressive loads sustained between ten and twenty percent less than those that were submitted parallel to the loads. The Ponderosa Pine sustained approximately 81 percent more force in comparison to another sample of the same material placed with grains perpendicular to the increasing load, while the Douglas Fir sustained approximately 90 percent more than its counterpart. The theoretical values for the modulus of elasticity, yield stress, and ultimate stress for Douglas Fir (parallel to grain), from literature, are 1600-1900 ksi, 4-8 ksi, and 6-10 ksi respectively. This can be compared to the values obtained from this investigation in order to determine the accuracy for the overall experiment. The experimental values are 811368 psi, 8500 psi, and 10209 psi in the same order as above. This indicates that both yield stress and ultimate compressive stress are within range, while the modulus of elasticity is half of what it should be. This demonstrates that the yield stresses and ultimate compressive stresses are approximately within range, while the calculations of the modulus of elasticity failed to show its accuracy when taken from an amateur graph such as the ones created in this experiment.

C. Calderon

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