Edgewise shear properties of 5-ply wood obtained from the asymmetric four-point bending and uniaxial-tension tests of notched specimen

Asymmetric four-point bending and uniaxial-tension tests of notched specimen were conducted using 5-plywood of Lauan in order to obtain the edgewise shear properties such as shear modulus, proportional limit stress in shearing, and shear strength of this representative material. In addition to the experiments, finite element simulations were performed and the validity of the measurement methods was examined: The experimental and numerical analyses reveal that the asymmetric four-point bending test method is more reliable method available for measuring the edgewise shear properties of this material. ©2010 The Society of Materials Science, Japan.