Combined shear and compression analysis using a modified Iosipescu shear test device. Experimental studies on dry wood

Abstract

Abstract The mechanical treatment of wood in a refiner involves a complex combination of shear and compression forces. To obtain more knowledge on this process, the possibility of using an apparatus based on the Iosipescu shear test device to measure the behaviour of wood under a combined shear and compression load was tested. In this new apparatus, different combinations of shear and compression load were achieved by different rotations of the shear test device itself. Numerical simulations of the combined shear and compression test were carried out and compared with experimental data to verify the reliability of the modified device as applied to wood. It was concluded that the new apparatus is suitable for applying different combinations of shear and compression load in testing wood samples. However, finite element analysis showed that with the use of homogeneous material in the model, the level of strain reached would be 10-fold smaller. This fact is probably due to the honeycomb structure of the wood cells, which allows for different local deformation that could not be represented by the continuous material used in the model.