Glued laminated timber in bending: thoughts, experiments, models and verification

The paper concentrates on the “bearing model for glued laminated timber (glulam, GLT) in bending.
Starting with a general overview concerning the derivation of essential model parameters, the necessity of a new model for the characterisation of the bending capacity of GLT as a system based on the characteristics of the system elements board and finger joint as well as the adhesive is pointed out. The herein derived model consists of simple stochastic considerations which are manifested by a huge amount and intensive examination of test samples on boards and finger joints in tension as well as hence build up GLT-beams in bending. The verification of the derived model(s) is
accomplished by practical test samples and additional by a comparison with so far internationally published bearing models for GLT in bending, collected during an intensive literature study. As a conclusion, the paper clearly demonstrates the necessity of consideration of stochastics and especially on the main describing characteristics like the representative distribution model and its parameters, the expected value as well as a measurement concerning the deviation (dispersion) of strength and other characteristics of interest