Glued laminated Timber Produced with Tropical Brazilian Wood Species

Abstract

Despite the wood versatility, its application is, sometimes, difficult because of its properties and performances under different work conditions are not completely known. The present work, developed in Laboratory of wood and wood structures (known as LaMEM), Department of Structures, School of Engineering of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, seeks to contribute for a better utilization of the alternative tropical wood species, especially in the employment to the production of structural elements of glued laminated timber, once that Brazil has a great potential of these species which are under applicated. In this context, the determination of the physical properties, the strength and the stiffness of some alternative tropical species are realized, and the stiffness of structural elements made of the specie, wich presented the best results in specimens tests, were determinated. Beams are tested with two adhesives classes, two pressure intensities and two ways of lamination. Experimental methods suggested in Brazilian Technical Codes Association were used. The specie Cedrinho (Erisma sp.) presents the best results, and conclusions are made: Cascophen and castor oil adhesives did not influence the beams stiffness properties; the same thing happens for the two pressure intensities, 0,8 MPa and 1,2 MPa. The glulam beams stiffness properties can be influenced by the ways of lamination.