Work of solid wooden beams under prolonged moisture

Key Points

• This research aims to understand how prolonged moisture affects the structural integrity of solid wooden beams.
• Conducted experiments on pine and spruce beams of solid section under wet conditions.
• Tested beams in both fresh and marine water environments.
• Applied short-term loads to assess performance under varying moisture conditions.
• Determined averaged values of bearing capacity for beams in both fresh and marine environments.
• Found that prolonged wetting severely compromises the bearing capacity of the wooden beams.
• Observed distinct features in the failure of bending elements due to moisture exposure.