Wood product test methods and stress class systems in the world

• Main Author: Wang, Youhai
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/15950

This thesis describes a study to review the standards for derivation of characteristic values of wood products and examines the equivalence issues amongst various testing procedures and methods for assigning stress graded lumber to various stress class systems. The study is based on reviews of international standards for wood products including the ISO standards (draft ISO CD 8872, ISO DIS 13910), Australia and New Zealand standard (AS/NZS 4603), European codes (EN 338, EN 384) and North American in-grade based procedures (ASTM series) and Canadian standard CSA 086-01. The study examines the property relationships adopted in the various stress class systems and provides adjustment models for comparing strength and stiffness test data derived according to North American in-grade based procedures, European, and Australian/New Zealand test methods. This work supports efforts directed to establishing an international protocol for establishing equivalencies among the various full-size timber testing procedures and methods for assigning stress grades to strength class systems. === Forestry, Faculty of === Graduate