Dynamic Testing and Evaluation of Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) of SPF Dimensional Lumber

Abstract

The key objective of this work was to develop a cost-effective and reliable non-destructive testing (NDT) method to measure lumber modulus of elasticity (MOE). Test samples comprised 300 pieces of randomly selected imported Canadian 2”×6” SPF (Spruce - lodgepole Pine - alpine Fir) dimensional lumber. This work first adopted a modal test to achieve a free suspension for a subsequent vibration test. Then, the first-order natural frequency of 300 SPF dimensional lumber specimens was measured by the transient excitation frequency method, based on which MOE was then calculated. The results were also validated by a stress wave method using a Hitman tool. The measured lumber MOE data were further fitted using a Weibull distribution. The results showed that the MOE of SPF dimensional lumber followed either a three-parameter Weibull distribution or a normal distribution. It was estimated that the probability that the MOE of this SPF dimensional lumber was less than 8,000 MPa was about 13.8% and 13.6%, respectively, using the above two distributions.

Keywords

• Dimensional lumber
• Modulus of elasticity (MOE)
• Natural frequency
• Stress wave
• Transverse vibration
• Weibull distribution
• Normal distribution