Three-dimensional modelling of wood fracture in mode I, perpendicular to the grain direction at fibre level

Abstract

A coupled experimental and numerical modelling approach was used to investigate the mechanism of softwood fracture at the fibre level. First, a three-dimensional mixed lattice–continuum fracture model was developed to investigate the mechanism of wood fracture, taking into account the porosity of its structure and its heterogeneities at the fibre level. The critical volumes in the specimen where crack propagation was more probable were modelled by a lattice that could show the alternation of earlywood and latewood fibres, and the other regions were considered as the continuum medium. The proposed model was used to investigate the mode I fracture of a small softwood sample in RL orientation. Secondly, a method was developed for microscopic observation of the crack trajectory and investigating the mechanism of initiation and propagation of cracks. This approach was used for microscopic investigation of the fracture behaviour of spruce specimens in mode I and RL orientation. The results of the numerical study were compared with the experimental results. The prepeak and postpeak behaviour of the obtained stress–displacement curve and also the crack opening trajectory in cross-section and longitudinal section in the model and experiments were in good agreement. Both the model and the microscopic observation showed that in mode I fracture and RL orientation, the main trajectory of the crack propagates in the earlywood ring.

Keywords:

• Confocal microscopy
• fracture
• lattice
• microstructure
• mixed model
• wood

The financial support of the Swiss Federal Office of Education and Science in the framework of COST E35 is acknowledged with gratitude.