Comprehensive study of distributions of residual stress and Young’s modulus in large-diameter sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) log

Abstract

Aged conifer forests in Japan are expected to produce large-diameter logs, defined as logs with a top-end diameter of 30 cm or more. However, the knowledge and techniques for industrial processing of large-diameter logs of Japanese wood species have not been sufficiently developed. This study was aimed at characterizing the longitudinal component of residual stress distribution of large-diameter logs of sugi (Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica), a major tree species cultivated in Japan, as the processing yield of primary lumber from large-diameter logs is affected by the magnitude and distribution pattern of the residual stress. The radial distributions of the released strain of residual stress, tensile Young’s modulus, and residual stress were measured using 63 logs. The radial distributions of the released strain and residual stress showed typical patterns reported in previous studies: contraction near the bark and elongation near the pith in the released strain, tensile stress near the bark, and compressive stress near the pith. The radial distributions of Young’s modulus showed a typical pattern: low near the pith and high near the bark. The difference between the maximum and minimum released strains in each log varied widely among individuals, which was expected to result in a wide variation in crooking when rip sawing. The longitudinal uniformity and axial symmetry of the radial distribution of the released strain and residual stress were experimentally confirmed, which lays the groundwork for improved understanding of the residual stress in sugi logs.