Strength properties of raw wood after a wildfire

Building Materials
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Abstract:

Using fire-damaged wood is one of the efficient and resource-saving approaches to forest conservation. The object of the study is raw wood exposed to fire. The aim of the study is to analyze the mechanical properties of fire-damaged pinewood, the height of the trunk, and determine the possibility of its use as a structural material. Tests were carried out for static bending, compression along the fibers, and tension along the fibers. We performed the tests on samples taken from the lower, middle, and upper parts of the fired wood and compared them with wood that was not exposed to fire. It was established that during a ground and medium fire, the strength properties of wood are most reduced in the apical part of the trunk by 41.80 % compared to wood undamaged by fire. The smallest decrease in strength occurred in the lower part of the tree. It was determined that with sufficiently small damage to wood by fire, i.e., a decrease in the cross-sectional area to 15 %, it can be partially used as a structural material.