This study investigates the bending and bonding performances of glued laminated timber beams manufactured using a combination of Malaysian lower and higher- grade timber species. Two types of beams were prepared which were mono-species and mixed-species glulam. Mono-species glulam with uniform layup were fabricated using Merpauh, Jelutong and Sesendok. Mixed-species glulam with balanced layup were fabricated whereby Merpauh was positioned equally at the outer layers and either Jelutong or Sesendok were positioned at the inner layers. Three replicates of ten-layered glulam beams measuring 100 mm in width, 300 mm in depth and 6200 mm in length were manufactured according to MS758 for each mono and mixed-species glulam. Bending, delamination and block shear tests were done on all the glulam beams. The results show that glulam manufactured from the combination of Sesendok and Merpauh obtained the highest bending properties and structural efficiency. In addition, the bonding performance at the interface between Sesendok-Merpauh lamellas proved to be excellent.

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This paper presents a pilot study on bending and shear strength of glued laminated (glulam) timber using selected tropical timber namely, Kekatong (Cynometra spp.) and Melagangai (Potoxylon melagangai) as an alternative for timber railway sleepers. Selected timbers were manufactured in accordance with MS758:2001 and the bending test was conducted according to ASTM D198:2013. The shear test for glue line integrity was performed to observe the bond performance in glulam accordance to MS758:2001.The results showed both species can be used as structural members since the bending strength obtained from the laboratory work is greater than the allowable bending strength. In terms of the percentage of wood failure, the bonding characteristics of both glulam satisfied the bonding requirement stipulated in the standard and have the potential to be used as glulam timber railway sleepers.

The availability of good quality timber log is limited as well as the depleting supply of wide width and long-length structural-grade timbers caused increase in price. However, the usage of timber sleeper is significant to certain location in the track system. Consequently, alternative to replace existing timber sleepers to another timber product is vital and glued laminated timber (glulam) has a potential. Numerous researchers on glulam timber sleeper are focusing on the performance of static flexural study. However, the performance of glulam sleepers under the flexural fatigue is less known. Thus, this study leads to conduct flexural fatigue test in order to identify fatigue resistance of timber sleepers and investigate its behaviour. In addition, this study is carried out to determine the residual strength of timber sleepers after imposed with cyclic loading. A series of test were

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