Moisture content and its influence on glued timber structures

Abstract

The glued timber structure is well-known worldwide engineering product nowadays. Extensive knowledge of wood structure behavior has been as important basic to create new design projects. This paper presents the issue of determining moisture content (MC) in load-bearing glued wood structures, depending on a value of indoor relative humidity and temperature. There are two ways to study timber moisture content - calculation (manual or in programs) and measurement methods. this ways complement each other. Each of methods is more or less suitable for monitoring of structural elements or not suitable at all. Graphs, tables or 3D models of timber moisture content distribution in structure are can received using these methods. Two simple equations to determine timber moisture content are given in the paper. Besides, effect of timber moisture content on durability properties of wood structure is describes there.