Assessment of the application of a SMART THUMPER™ as a low-cost and portable device used for stiffness estimation of timber products

Abstract

Non-destructive evaluation methods for timber stiffness are gaining increased interest as an alternative to static testing since they can be fast, cost-effective, and transportable, as well as non-destructive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and limitations of a newly developed smartphone application (SMART THUMPER™) for the non-destructive evaluation of timber stiffness properties. The study determined the effect of the length, density (species), and cross-section sizes of the timber samples on the stiffness results. The results were compared to beam identification by non-destructive grading (BING©), an existing commercial non-destructive testing technology for evaluating the mechanical quality of wood and other materials. It was found that the application can be used to reliably estimate the stiffness of various timber products with a resonance frequency value below 2000 Hz. Frequencies greater than 2000 Hz were found to induce errors due to the smartphone microphone, which is engineered to acquire a lower frequency range. A reliability matrix providing an indication of the accuracy of SMART THUMPER™ estimation was presented, which may also prove useful in selecting appropriate sample lengths prior to testing. The sample length or dimensions can be manipulated to lower the frequency, and hence, to improve the results.