Cited by 38Wood Treatment and PropertiesIndustrial Vision Systems and Defect DetectionNon-Destructive Testing Techniques

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 12 of the 12 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 1 of the 13 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Improving strength grading of timber by grain angle measurement and mechanical modeling

Open access
Viguier, Joffrey, Jehl, Arnaud, Collet, Robert, Bleron, Laurent, Meriaudeau, Fabrice·2015·Wood Material Science & Engineering

Abstract

Timber strength grading has become a major issue in the European Union during the last years, due to the introduction of the Eurocode 5 and all its related standards. Currently, the most performing strength grading machines are able to locally detect the boards’ knots sizes and positions and interpret this information through adapted grading models. The best lead to improve their accuracy seems to be the introduction of new information about the boards and adapt the mechanical model to take them in account. Small grain angle causes high reduction of clear wood's mechanical properties; local value of slope of grain appears to be of high interest. The aim of this study is to quantify the additional accuracy that grain angle information can bring to an optical scanner used as a strength grading machine. A specific grading model has been developed accordingly, and the results obtained for different machine/model/loading combinations are presented. These results show that slope of grain measurement can significantly improve the accuracy of the optical scanner, for both modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture estimations.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This study quantifies whether local grain angle measurement can improve optical-scanner strength grading of timber, using a new mechanical grading model. Across 1,373 European spruce boards, adding slope-of-grain information improved MOE and MOR predictions, especially for the optical scanner used alone.

Key findings

  • For CombiScan+ alone, adding grain angle improved MOR prediction R² by 13 points in bending (48% to 61%) and 9 points in tension (65% to 74%); MOE improved by 9 points in bending (65% to 74%) and 7 points in tension (73% to 80%).
  • For CombiScan+ combined with E-Scan, MOE R² remained 87% in bending and 91% in tension, while MOR improved from 62% to 63% in bending and from 73% to 78% in tension when using θ.
  • Projection angle φ generally brought more accuracy than diving angle ψ; for CombiScan+ alone in bending, MOR R² was 60% for φ, 55% for ψ, and 61% for θ.
  • The linear grain-angle variation assumption produced an average error about 2° above scanner measurement accuracy and constant through board thickness; induced MOE/MOR error was above scanner repeatability but below grading error.

Methods

  • Sample: 1,373 European spruce (*Picea abies*) boards, 4 m long, dried to about 12% moisture content; 1,017 were destructively tested in bending and 356 in tension according to EN 408 and EN 384.
  • Data acquisition: X-ray densitometry with CombiScan+ for local density and KDR; E-Scan vibration analysis for dynamic MOE; laser tracheid-effect measurement of grain angle φ and ψ on top and bottom faces, combined into θ, with 10 mm x-resolution and 3 mm y-resolution.
  • Modeling/analysis: an equivalent homogeneous profile reduced local thickness for knots and grain angle via the Hankinson formula; MOE and MOR indicating properties were compared with destructive results by R² across machine/model/loading combinations; error from the linear grain-angle hypothesis was tested on 11 planed boards, and repeatability on 63 boards.

Limitations

  • Stated: high timber variability means the numerical results cannot be guaranteed on another batch; the batch contained low- and high-quality timber, stretching the data cloud and giving better coefficients of determination.
  • Stated: main limitations are grain-angle measurement accuracy, especially for the fibers’ diving angle, and modeling fiber angle across board thickness; linear variation was acceptable but could be improved.
  • Evident from the text: several model parameters and percentiles were chosen to optimize R² on this batch (e.g., n = 1.5, k = 0.05, E_min = 3600 MPa, N = 12 for bending and N = 3 for tension), and the study is limited to European spruce and specific Luxscan machines.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/17480272.2014.951071

Cites

12 of 12 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

18 Own interpretation · 15 Own result · 7 No basis given · 3 Sources not found · 2 Not checked yet · 1 Supported so far · 1 No full text of the sources · 1 Own method

Show all 16 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 18
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 3
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 14
32 of 32
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The grey levels of X-ray images are proportional to the acquired corresponding light intensities.

    “Assuming that the grey levels of thereby provided images are proportional to the acquired corresponding light intensities, they can be easily and accurately converted into local densities maps.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Knots density is constant and proportional to the clear wood density.

    “For each board, it was assumed that knots density (ρ KN ) is constant and proportional to ρ CW (Oh et al., 2009).”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Wood presents orthotropic light diffusion properties.

    “In order to be able to calculate this angle, it was assumed that wood presents orthotropic light diffusion properties, similarly to (Simonaho and Silvennoinen, 2004;Kienle et al., 2008).”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The diving angle is more often equal to 0 due to the extraction way of the board from the trunk.

    “The assumption made here is that the diving angle is more often equal to 0 due to the extraction way of the board from the trunk.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The method is based on the equivalence of the mechanical properties between the computed profiles and the actual boards.

    “This method is then based on the equivalence of the mechanical properties between the computed profiles and the actual boards.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The profile's tensile strength is proportional to its MOE indicating property.

    “The profile's tensile strength (σ p ), used in the estimation of the board MOR, is assumed to be proportional to its MOE IP.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The bending momentum applied on the profile to determine its mechanical behavior is constant.

    “In addition, due to the possibility of a strength optimization of boards by cross-cutting and finger jointing, the bending momentum applied on the profile to determine its mechanical behavior is assumed to be constant.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The ellipses contain an indication of the diving angle ψ, which is linked to their shape factor.

    “In addition to the projection angle (φ), the ellipses also contain an indication of the diving angle (ψ), which appears to be linked to their shape factor.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Timber presents a very high variability degree due to growth conditions and local singularities.

    “As a result, wood presents a very high variability degree due to the growth conditions, and to the presence of local singularities which have a direct influence on boards' mechanical properties.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Statistical characterization of timber is impossible within a single species, a single growth area, and even a single tree.

    “This makes a statistical characterization of timber impossible within a single species, a single growth area, and even a single tree.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The first strength grading technology remains limited due to its incapacity to take local singularities into account.

    “However, this technology remains limited due to its incapacity to take local singularities in account.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    These machines' performances rely mostly on the species mechanical properties correlations, and are not suitable for boards optimization applications.

    “In addition, these machines' performances rely mostly on the species mechanical properties correlations, and are not suitable for boards optimization applications.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The grain angle measuring device can only operate on wood surface, specifically on the top and bottom faces of the board.

    “As mentioned earlier, the grain angle measuring device can only operate on wood surface, and more precisely on top and bottom faces of the board.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Grain angle varies linearly between two corresponding points on the top and bottom faces of the board.

    “An approximation has consequently been used, which considers that grain angle varies linearly between two corresponding points on top and bottom faces.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Adding grain angle measurement to the CombiScan+ is cheaper than buying an E-Scan.

    “Furthermore, adding the grain angle measurement to the Combiscan + is cheaper than buying an E-Scan.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The impact of grain angle on full boards strength grading had not been quantified.

    “Yet, its impact on full boards strength grading had not been quantified.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Angles above 25° correspond to knotty areas where grain angle measurement is highly uncertain.

    “these angles correspond to knots areas where grain angle measurement is highly uncertain”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Strength depends on the local mechanical properties near the area of the initial fracture.

    “the strength depends on the local mechanical properties near the area of the initial fracture.”
18 of 18

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Show all 12 references

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Brancheriau, L. (2002) Expertise mécanique des sciages par analyse des vibrations dans le domaine acoustique [Dynamic analysis of sawing wood for strength grading], PhD thesis, Univ. Aix Marseille II, France, 278 p.
  2. Hanhijärvi A., 2005, Report of the Combigrade Project Phase 1, 568

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Viguier, J., Jehl, A., Collet, R., Bleron, L., & Meriaudeau, F.
Affiliations
  • Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Matériau Bois (FR)
  • ParisTech (FR)
Corresponding author
Viguier, Joffrey
Venue
Wood Material Science & Engineering
Published
2014-09-22
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
145-156
ISSN
  • 1748-0272 (ISSN-L)
  • 1748-0280
OpenAlex
W2028215163
Cited by
38
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2
FWCI
4.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Wood Material Science and Engineering (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-12-LABX-ARBRE-01, ANR-12)
  • Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Wood Treatment and Properties
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering › Industrial Vision Systems and Defect Detection
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Non-Destructive Testing Techniques
Keywords
timber strength grading, grain angle, optical scanner, grading model, elastic modulus, flexural strength, knots, Eurocode 5, clear wood, mechanical modeling

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Improving strength grading of timber by grain angle measurement and mechanical modeling. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1080/17480272.2014.951071
The paper
Viguier, J., Jehl, A., Collet, R., Bleron, L., & Meriaudeau, F. (2015). Improving strength grading of timber by grain angle measurement and mechanical modeling. Wood Material Science & Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1080/17480272.2014.951071