Routine inspection of wood utility poles to detect internal decay involves drilling holes at or about the ground line. While these holes are useful for detecting internal decay, their presence raises concern among engineers about their potential effects on pole flexural properties. The effect of inspection holes on flexural properties...
The effect of copper naphthenate treatment on electrical resistance of Douglas-fir utility poles was compared with similar
poles either left untreated or treated with pentachlorophenol (penta). Penta-treated and untreated wood had similar electrical
resistance shortly after treatment and after a 3-month outdoor weathering period. Electrical resistance of copper naphthenate–
treated...
The performance of full-scale light-frame wood walls subjected to wave loading was examined using the Large Wave Flume of the Network for Earthquake Engineering (NEES) Tsunami Facility at Oregon State University. The hydrodynamic conditions (water level and bore speed) and structural response (horizontal force, pressure, and deflection) were observed for...
The effect of grain angle (GA) on shear strength of Douglas-fir has been evaluated. Shear block specimens with a GA varying from 0 to 90° was loaded in the shear plane, resulting in failure mode transitioning from parallel to grain shear to rolling shear. As expected, shear strength decreased as...
This paper presents the results of a test program whose goal was to better understand the contribution of individual elements to the performance of typical light-frame wood structures during tsunami loading. The intent was to be able to replicate failures in a structural engineering laboratory that were observed during laboratory...
Tsunami force and pressure distributions on a rigid
wall fronted by a small seawall were determined experimentally
in a large-scale wave flume. Six different
seawall heights were examined, two of which were exposed
to a range of solitary wave heights. The same
experiment was done without a seawall for comparison....
The forces exerted on light-frame wood buildings as a result of surge and waves are not fully understood. With a better understanding of these types of forces, it may eventually be possible to build coastal structures to better withstand the loads. In this paper, a recent two part experimental study...
Wood shear walls are the main lateral force-resisting system for wood-frame construction. Water intrusion and subsequent decay around connections can significantly impact shear wall behavior, but these problems are seldom studied. In this study, effects of water intrusion and fungal attack on shear wall capacity were examined using small-scale (610-...
Over the last half-century, scientists and engineers have developed methods to better understand and mitigate the damage caused by tsunamis. According to U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P646, buildings in many regions including the U.S. Pacific Northwest, will experience substantial ground shaking from an offshore earthquake that precedes a...
• Reduced lignin content in perennial crops has been sought as a means to
improve biomass processability for paper and biofuels production, but it is unclear
how this could affect wood properties and tree form.
• Here, we studied a nontransgenic control and 14 transgenic events containing
an antisense 4-coumarate:coenzyme...