The creep of wood destabilized by change in moisture content. Part 3: The influence of changing moisture history on creep behavior

Abstract

Abstract The creep of wood increases remarkably during moisture changes, a phenomenon called mechano-sorptive creep. The microstructure in cell walls of wood is destabilized by changes in temperature and/or moisture content. The mechanical properties of destabilized wood change over long periods of time. In the present study, the influence of moisture conditioning history on bending creep was examined. During changes in moisture, greater creep occurred in wood subjected to the first moisture change after long-term moisture conditioning than immediately after desorption or adsorption. This result indicates a kind of memory effect immediately after moisture change. During desorption processes, greater creep occurred immediately after slow adsorption than immediately after rapid adsorption. In the course of adsorption, the reverse was observed: the creep was greater immediately after rapid desorption than immediately after slow desorption. Accordingly, greater instability immediately after a change in moisture does not always cause greater creep during the next moisture change. The size of the moisture change and the load level affect the recovery of creep during adsorption processes.