Hybrid Cross-Laminated Timber under Bending: Finite Element Analysis Based on Nondestructive Testing

The growing demand for wood as a raw material, coupled with the impacts of climate change on coniferous forests, necessitates research into underutilized wood species and potential hardwood alternatives. By integrating material characterisation with computational analysis, this research aims to bridge the gap between resource availability and structural performance. This study focuses on developing a numerical model to simulate the mechanical behavior of softwood, hardwood, and hybrid cross-laminated timbers (CLT) under bending loads within the linear elastic range. The research methodology involved finite element analysis to simulate four-point bending tests on hybrid CLT panels using the open-source FEM solver Code_Aster. Material properties were determined based on Non-Destructive Test (NDT) measurements and literature data. The developed finite element model successfully simulated CLT’s response under four-point bending conditions, demonstrating its potential for virtual prototyping of various underutilized wood species in CLT applications. The numerical model showed acceptable agreement with experimental results. The relative error varies between 1.30% to 17.37% in the results based on the NDT measurements. The results derived on literature values show higher variation. This computational approach provides a valuable tool for evaluating alternative wood species in engineered wood products.