EVALUATION OF THE MOE OF NORWAY SPRUCE BY THE RESONANCE FLEXURE METHOD

This report is a component of an ongoing study of methods to determine the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of wood. Dynamic methods provide rapi d and accurate means to determine the MOE. For 19 clear specimens of e picea common (Norway spruce, picea excelsa) we present a comparison of results from tests by a resonance flexure method with results obtaine d from static tension tests. The resonance flexure method provides a s impler, more rapidly performed alternative to the classical static ten sion method, giving MOE values that are nearly identical to those dete rmined by the static tension method. These results, combined with our previously reported comparisons of tests with resonance flexure and st atic flexure, reveal that the resonance flexure method compares very w ell with both static methods, and the procedure is performed more easi ly and very rapidly. We also show that again the results from the reso nance longitudinal method yield higher values of MOE, 5 percent higher on average, and the ultrasonic method yields values even higher, 14 p ercent on average.