Mechanical Properties of a Eucalyptus-Based Oriented Oblique Strand Lumber for Structural Applications

Abstract

Wood and wood-based composite materials have gained increasing attention in the sustainable building industry because of their renewability and environmental friendliness. Oriented oblique strand lumber (Eucalyptus Strand Wood, ESWood), which is manufactured from fast-growing small diameter eucalyptus wood (Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis), is introduced in this paper. Small clear specimen tests were conducted to determine the mechanical properties of ESWood material while full-scale component tests were performed to observe the structural performance of ESWood beams. A comparison of mechanical properties of ESWood with other wood/bamboo-based materials is then reported. From the results presented herein, it appears that the strength and stiffness properties of ESWood are affected by grain directionality and glued layers. However, it still has preferable mechanical properties as a building material, which is comparable or superior to those of other engineered wood/bamboo-based products (e.g., Sitka spruce, LVL, OSL, Glulam, and Glubam). Furthermore, results from full-scale component tests show the stable mechanical performance of beams made by ESWood. This study makes a significant contribution to a potential utilization of fast-growing eucalyptus for general use in construction, and the presented mechanical tests results can serve as a fundamental data for more applications of ESWood in practical engineering.

Engineering Wood Products from Eucalyptus spp.

“…Quite similar to that of LVL, OSL is fabricated using strands of wood or strips of veneer with a primary orientation along the length of the member. Chen et al [78] manufactured oriented oblique strand lumber from Eucalyptus wood (Eucalyptus urophylla and E. grandis) and investigated their mechanical properties.…”