A Contribution to the Study of Entandrophragma Cylindricum Sprague and Lovoa Trichilioïdes Harms long term behaviour

Abstract

This research work is entitled “A Contribution to the Study of Entandrophragma Cylindricum Sprague and Lovoa Trichilioïdes Harms long term behaviour”. It aims at examining the mechanical behaviour of two species of tropical woods. First of all, we started with a general presentation of these species followed by a modelling of their mechanical behaviours using existing models, namely, that of Schapery, which illustrated the strong correlation between theoretical results and laboratory tests. As for the methodology, the sample is rigorously selected and the four-point bending creep test is based on the definition of Schapery’s parameters.

Therefore, data from the laboratory lead us to the conclusion that elastic deformation and creep rate of Lovoa Trichilioïdes Harms are somewhat higher than the same is for Entandrophragma Cylindricum Sprague at equal load duration and load level. The same happens with the plastic deformation. For the previous reasons, we finally stated that Lovoa Trichilioïdes Harms is less rigid in bending than Entandrophragma Cylindricum Sprague. These observations also permitted to confirm results of the literature review, namely (Gérard and al. 1998, Benoit 2008) according to which elasticity modulus of Entandrophragma Cylindricum Sprague is higher than that of Lovoa Trichilioïdes Harms. Analysis of the parameter’s behaviours g0, g1, g2 and ɑσ reveals that it effectively depends on the load, thus confirming results found in the literature on biomaterials (Talla and al. 2007-2010, Foadieng and al. 2012).

From the above-mentioned results, we provided some advices for the optimal exploitation of these two species of wood.