Modelling the hygrothermal stress in curved glulam beams

摘要

Variations of relative humidity and temperature result in moisture and temperature gradients in wood, which induce stress perpendicular to grain and may even cause cracking of the wood. To address the problem, a sequentially coupled three-dimensional (3D) finite element procedure was developed for investigation of hygrothermal stress in glulam beams, in which moisture and heat transfer were taken into consideration, and the hygrothermal deformation, creep, and mechanosorption were also included. The moisture content, temperature, and stress distributions in glulam beams were modelled successfully. The study provides insight into the mechanism of hygrothermal stress in glulam and also provides useful reference to the design of glulam structures and the design of lamina stacking sequence in production of glulam.