ISSN: 0090-3973
Page Count: 7

Compression Testing of Lumber: A Comparison of Methods
Green, DW
Supervisory Research General Engineer and Supervisory Mathematical Statistican, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, WI

Evans, JW

Abstract

A study was conducted to compare compression strength values obtained using short segments cut from full-length lumber and tested in accordance with ASTM D 4761-87 with those values obtained using full-leagth specimens and tested in accordance with ASTM D 198-84. Tests were conducted on Southern Pine lumber conditioned to a target moisture content of 9%. To obtaim a short-segment compression strength estimate within a factor of about 1.05 of those obtained by testing full-length (3-m [10-ft]) specimens, it is necessary to select two of the apparent worst strength-reducing defects in the full-length specimen using ASTM D 245-84 sorting criteria.

Keywords:
strength, compression, parallel-to-grain, wood, lumber, ASTM D 198-84, ASTM D 4761-87

Paper ID: JTE11911J
DOI: 10.1520/JTE11911J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.