Timber as a structural engineering material requires little processing and provides great sustainability if used in the correct way. This article covers a little more about the benefits of using timber in construction.
Timber Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of timber depend greatly on the choice of timber product (e.g. laminated, glulam, plywood, etc.). A range of values are provided below:
- Density: Varies between 1.2- to 10.7 kN/m3.
- Mean Young's Modulus Parallel to the Grain: 8,000 to 14,000 MPa
- Mean shear modulus, G: 500 to 700 MPa
Structural Defects / Imperfections
There are three main imperfections when considering timber members:
- Geometric Imperfections
- Structural Imperfections from Fabrication and Erection
- Inhomogeneity (for example, due to knots in the timber)