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Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials

Article  in  Drvna Industrija · June 2014

DOI: 10.5552/drind.2014.1254

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....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
Nurgul Tankut1, Ali Naci Tankut1, Mustafa Zor2

Finite Element Analysis

of Wood Materials
Analiza drvnog materijala metodom konačnih
elemenata

Review paper • Pregledni rad

Received – prispjelo: 17. 12. 2012.
Accepted – prihvaćeno: 9. 4. 2014.
UDK: 630*812; 630*824; 630;836
doi:10.5552/drind.2014.1254

ABSTRACT • Continuous quality and reliability improvement of computers as well as their widespread applica-
tion in design of furniture industry encourage the elaboration of optimization algorithms of furniture construc-
tions, in which rigidity characteristics of the applied joints would be taken under consideration. In the last four
decades, the finite element method, FEM, has become the dominant technique used for analyzing physical phe-
nomena in the field of structural, solid and fluid mechanics as well as for the solution of field problems. This paper
gives a bibliographical review of the FEM applied in the analysis of furniture products constructed with wood.
The following topics are included: Wood as a furniture construction material and its mechanical properties. It is,
therefore, reasonable to replace statistical methods of furniture optimization, which have been applied so far, by
gradient methods which allow obtaining much more precise results.

Key words: wood, Finite Element Method, numerical analysis

SAŽETAK • Kontinuirano poboljšanje kvalitete i pouzdanosti računala, kao i njihova široka primjena u indus-
trijskom dizajnu namještaja, potaknuli su razradu algoritama za optimizaciju konstrukcija namještaja, u kojima
se posebno razmatra krutost primijenjenih spojeva. U posljednja četiri desetljeća metoda konačnih elemenata
(FEM) postala je najčešća tehnika za analizu fizikalnih pojava na području strukturne mehanike, mehanike čvrstih
tvari i fluida, kao i za rješavanje problema na tim područjima. U tekstu se daje bibliografski pregled primjene
metode konačnih elemenata u analizi namještaja proizvedenoga od drva. Pritom je obuhvaćena tema drva kao
konstruktivnog materijala za namještaj i njegovih mehaničkih svojstava. Dokazano je kako je razumno umjesto
dosad primjenjivanih statističkih metoda optimizacije namještaja primijeniti gradijent-metode koje omogućuju
dobivanje mnogo preciznijih rezultata.

Ključne riječi: drvo, metoda konačnih elemenata, numeričke analize

1 INTRODUCTION ometry called “finite elements” or elements for short.

1. UVOD The response of each element is expressed in terms of
a finite number of degrees of freedom characterized as
The finite element method (FEM) is the domi- the value of an unknown function, or functions, at a set
nant discretization technique in structural mechanics. of nodal points. The response of the mathematical
The basic concept in the physical interpretation of the model is then considered to be approximated by that of
FEM is the subdivision of the mathematical model into the discrete model obtained by connecting or assem-
disjoint (non-overlapping) components of simple ge- bling the collection of all elements. The disconnection-

1
Authors are professors at Forest Industry Engineering Department, University of Bartin, Turkey. 2Author is professor at Material Processing
Department, Bülent Ecevit University, Turkey.
1
Autori su profesori Odsjeka za industrijsku preradu drva, Sveučilište u Bartinu, Turska. 2Autor je profesor Odsjeka za obradu materijala,
Sveučilište Bülent Ecevit, Turska.

DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014) 159

Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials .......................
assembly concept occurs naturally when examining ment method uses integral formulations rather than
many artificial and natural systems. For example, it is difference equations to create a system of algebraic
easy to visualize an engine, bridge, building, airplane, equations. Moreover, a continuous function is assumed
or skeleton as fabricated from simpler components. to represent the approximate solution for each element.
Furthermore, FEM has become a powerful tool for the The complete solution is then generated by connecting
numerical solution of a wide range of engineering or assembling the individual solutions, allowing for
problems. Applications range from deformation and continuity at the inter-elemental boundaries.
stress analysis of automotive, aircraft, building, and
bridge structures to field analysis of heat flux, fluid
3 THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
flow, magnetic flux, seepage, and other flow problems. 3. METODA KONAČNIH ELEMENATA
The main postulate of FEA is that complex do-
mains can be discretized and represented by an assem- The basic concept in the physical FEM is the sub-
bly of simpler finite sized elements. This enables de- division of the mathematical model into disjoint (non-
scription of the global problem via a system of overlapping) components of simple geometry called
differential equations that account for inter element finite elements or elements for short. The response of
compatibility and boundary conditions requirements. each element is expressed in terms of a finite number of
The concepts, fundamentals and application of FEA degrees of freedom characterized as the value of an un-
are described in detail in many texts (Tanvir and Utku, known function, or functions, at a set of nodal points.
1987; Bathe, 1996; Cook, 1981; Zienkiewicz and Tay- The response of the mathematical model is then con-
lor, 1988; Zienkiewicz and Taylor, 1989). The tedium sidered to be approximated by that of the discrete mod-
of handling the data and the possibility of errors creep- el obtained by connecting or assembling the collection
ing in as the number of elements increase are discour- of all elements. The disconnection-assembly concept
aging factors for the finite element analyst (Chandru- occurs naturally when examining many artificial and
patla and Belegundu, 1991). natural systems. For example, it is easy to visualize an
The aim of the bibliographic review is to research engine, bridge, building, airplane, or skeleton as fabri-
with FE method applied to the analyses of wood, and cated from simpler components.
the following topics are included:
− wood as a construction material (material and me- 3.1 A brief history of the finite element method
3.1. Kratka povijest metode konačnih elemenata
chanical properties, wood joining and fastening,
fracture mechanics problems, drying process, ther- The origin of the modern FEM may be traced back
mal properties); to the early 1900s when some investigators approximat-
− wood products and structures (lumber, panels, chairs, ed and modeled elastic continua using discrete equiva-
skeleton furniture, stair stringers, lattice structure, lent elastic bars. In 1941, Hrenikoff presented a solution
bamboo scaffoldings, carcass furniture and case fur- of elasticity problems using the “frame work method”.
niture). However, Courant (1943) has been credited with being
the first person to develop the FEM. Courant used piece-
2 NUMERICAL METHODS wise polynomial interpolation over triangular subre-
2. NUMERIČKE METODE gions to investigate torsion problems. The next signifi-
cant step in the utilization of FEM was taken by Boeing
There are many practical engineering problems in the 1950s when Boeing, followed by others, used tri-
for which exact solutions cannot be obtained. This in- angular stress elements to model airplane wings. A book
ability to obtain an exact solution may be attributed to by Argyris in 1955 on energy theorems and matrix meth-
either the complex nature of governing differential ods laid a foundation for further development in finite
equations or the difficulties that arise from dealing with element studies. Turner et al. (1956) derived stiffness
the boundary and initial conditions. To deal with such matrices for truss, beam, and other elements and pre-
problems, we resort to numerical approximations. In sented their finding in 1956. The term finite element was
contrast to analytical solutions, which show the exact first coined and used by Clough in 1960. Clough made
behavior of a system at any point within the system, the term finite element popular. During the 1960s, inves-
numerical solutions approximate exact solutions only tigators began to apply the finite element method to
at discrete points, called nodes. There are two common other areas of engineering, such as heat transfer and
classes of numerical methods: (1) finite difference seepage flow problems. In the late 1960s and early
methods and (2) finite element methods. With finite 1970s, FEM was applied to nonlinear problems and
difference methods, the differential equation is written large deformations. Zienkiewicz and Cheung wrote the
for each node, and the derivatives are replaced by dif- first book entirely devoted to the FEM in 1967. Mathe-
ference equations. This approach results in a set of si- matical foundations were laid in the 1970s. New ele-
multaneous linear equations. Although finite difference ment development, convergence studies, and other re-
methods are easy to understand and apply to simple lated areas fall in this category. In 1971, ANSYS™ was
problems, they become difficult to apply to problems released for the first time. Then, Oden’s book on linear
with complex geometries or complex boundary condi- continua appeared in 1972.
tions. This situation is also true for problems with non- Bleich (1952), Goodier (1942), Vlasov (1961) and
isotropic material properties. In contrast, the finite ele- Timoshenko and Gere (1961) are among the researchers

160 DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014)

....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
in the study of buckling of one-dimensional members. ating a comprehensive explanation of how the system
The methods of column deflection curves (Ellis et al., acts as a whole. These results then can be presented in
1964), finite difference (Vinnakota and Aoshima, 1974) tabulated or graphical forms. This type of analysis is
and finite integral (Brown and Trahair, 1968) were em- typically used for the design and optimization of a sys-
ployed for solving the differential equilibrium equation tem far too complex to be analyzed by hand. Systems
for columns and beams. The Rayleigh–Ritz (Roberts, that may fit into this category are too complex due to
1981) method is based on a correctly assumed deflected their geometry, scale, or governing equations (Theja
shape and therefore it is again limited to simple prob- and Krishna, 2013).
lems, where the deflected shape can be defined accu- ANSYS is a comprehensive general-purpose fi-
rately. Based on the energy method, a discretization con- nite element computer program that contains over
cept and the invention of powerful computers, the finite 100,000 lines of code. ANSYS is capable of perform-
element received more attention in the past few decades ing static, dynamic, heat transfer, fluid flow, and elec-
as a more general and powerful tool for obtaining the tromagnetism analyses. ANSYS has been a leading
equilibrium condition at both the linear and non-linear FEA program for well over 20 years. The current ver-
ranges. The excellent book by Chen and Atsuta (1977) sion of ANSYS has a completely new look, with mul-
covers various aspects of numerical methods and analy- tiple windows incorporating Graphical User Interface
sis and design of beam-columns under different loading (GUI), pull down menus, dialog boxes, and a tool bar.
and boundary conditions. Recently, Lindner (2000) pre- Today, you will find ANSYS in use in many engineer-
sented a summary of the recent work on member design ing fields, including aerospace, automotive, electron-
used mainly in German standard and Euro-code. ics, and nuclear. In order to use ANSYS or any other
ANSYS™ is an engineering simulation software “canned” FEA computer program intelligently, it is
provider founded by software engineer John Swanson. imperative that one first fully understands the underly-
It develops general-purpose finite element analysis and ing basic concepts and limitations of the finite element
computational fluid dynamics software. While AN- methods (Moaveni, 2003).
SYS™ has developed a range of computer-aided engi- ANSYS™ Mechanical and ANSYS™ Mul-
neering (CAE) products, it is perhaps best known for tiphysics software are non-exportable analysis tools
its ANSYS™ Mechanical and ANSYS™ Multiphysics incorporating pre-processing (geometry creation,
products. meshing), solver and post-processing modules in a
ANSYS™ finite element analysis enables engi- graphical user interface. These are general-purpose fi-
neers to: nite element modeling packages for numerically solv-
− build computer models or transfer CAD models of ing mechanical problems, including static/dynamic
structures, products, components, or systems; structural analysis (both linear and non-linear), heat
− apply operating loads or other design performance transfer and fluid problems, as well as acoustic and
conditions; electro-magnetic problems.
− study physical responses, such as stress levels, tem- ANSYS™ Mechanical technology incorporates
perature distributions, or the impact of electromag- both structural and material non-linearities. ANSYS™
netic fields; Multiphysics software includes solvers for thermal,
− optimize a design early in the development process structural, CFD, electromagnetics, and acoustics and
to reduce production costs; can sometimes couple these separate physics together
− do prototype testing in environments where it other- in order to address multidisciplinary applications. AN-
wise would be undesirable or impossible (for exam- SYS™ software can also be used in civil engineering,
ple, biomedical applications) (Rutgers, 2009). electrical engineering, physics and chemistry. Some
The software implements equations that govern examples of the capabilities of ANSYS™ are shown in
the behavior of these elements and solves them all; cre- Fig. 1.

A v6 engine used in front-wheel- Large deflection capabilities Electromagnetics capabili- Structural Analysis
drive automobiles of ANSYS™ ties of ANSYS™ Engineering Corporation
Motor v6 za automobile s Mogućnosti velikog otklona Elektromagnetne mogućnosti Strukturna analiza
prednjim pogonom programa ANSYS™ programa ANSYS™

Figure 1 Examples of ANSYS™ capabilities (Moaveni, 2003)

Slika1. Primjeri mogućnosti programa ANSYS™ (Moaveni, 2003)

DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014) 161

Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials .......................
In the last four decades, the FEM has become the Preprocessing Phase
prevalent technique used for analyzing physical phe- 1. Create and discretize the solution domain into finite
nomena in the field of structural, solid and fluid me- elements; that is, subdivide the problem.
chanics as well as for the solution of field problems. 2. Assume a shape function to represent the physical
behavior of an element; that is, a continuous func-
3.2 Basic theory
3.2. Osnovna teorija tion is assumed to represent the approximate solu-
tion of an element.
FE analysis obtains the temperatures, stresses, 3. Develop equations for an element.
flows, and other desired unknown parameters in the FE 4. Assemble the elements to present the entire prob-
model by minimizing energy functional. Energy func- lem. Construct the global stiffness matrix.
tional consists of all the energies associated with the 5. Apply boundary conditions, initial conditions, load-
particular finite element model. Based on the law of ing and material information.
conservation of energy, the FE energy functional must Solution Phase
equal zero. 6. Solve a set of linear or nonlinear algebraic equa-
The FEM obtains the correct solution for any FE tions simultaneously to obtain nodal results, such as
model by minimizing the energy functional. The mini- displacement values at different nodes; other de-
mum of the functional is found by setting the deriva- rived quantities, such as gradients and stresses, may
tive of the functional with respect to the unknown grid be evaluated at this phase.
point potential for zero. Thus, the basic equation for FE Post processing Phase
analysis is: 7. Obtain other important information. Present the re-
∂F sults, the post processing stage deals with the presen-
=0
∂p tation of results. Typically, the deformed configura-
where F is the energy functional and p is the un- tion, mode shapes, temperature, and stress distribution
known grid point potential (in mechanics, the potential are computed and displayed at this stage.
is displacement.) to be calculated. This is based on the The role of FEM in numerical simulation is sche-
principle of virtual work, which states that if a particle matized in Fig. 2. Although this diagram oversimplifies
is under equilibrium, under a set of a system of forces, the way FEM is actually used, it serves to illustrate ter-
then for any displacement, the virtual work is zero. minology. The three key simulation steps shown are:
Each FE will have its own unique energy functional. idealization, discretization and solution. Each step is a
As shown in Table 1, in the FE displacement source of errors. For example, the discretization error
method, the displacement is assumed to have unknown is the discrepancy that appears when the discrete solu-
values only at the nodal points, so that the variation tion is substituted in the mathematical model (FEM
within the element is described in terms of the nodal Modelling: Introduction, 2009).
values by means of interpolation functions. Thus, with- Idealization:
in any one element, d = N·u, where N is the matrix of Idealization passes from the physical system to a
interpolation functions termed shape functions and u is mathematical model. This is the most important step in
the vector of unknown nodal displacements. The engineering practice, because it cannot be “canned.” It
strains within the element can be expressed in terms of must be done by a human.
the element nodal displacements as e = B·u, where B is Discretization:
the strain displacement matrix. Finally, the stresses Mathematical modeling is a simplifying step.
may be related to the strains by use of an elasticity ma- However models of physical systems are not necessar-
trix (e.g., Young’s modulus) as s = E·e. ily simple to solve. They often involve coupled partial
differential equations in space and time subject to
3.3 Basic steps in the finite element method boundary and/or interface conditions. Such models
3.3. Osnovni koraci metode konačnih elemenata
have an infinite number of degrees of freedom. This
The basic steps involved in any finite element process divides the medium of interest into a number
analysis consist of the following: of small subregions and nodes.

Table 1 Physical significance of vectors u and f variations according to model application

Tablica 1. Fizikalno značenje promjena vektora u i f s obzirom na model primjene
Application problem State (DOF) vector u represents Forcing vector f represent
Problem Veličine koje predočuje vektor u Veličine koje predočuje vektor f
Structures and solid mechanics / struk- Displacement/ pomak Mechanical force / mehanička sila
turna mehanika i mehanika čvrstih tvari
Heat conduction / vodljivost topline Temperature/ temperatura Heat flux / tok topline
Acoustic fluid / akustika fluida Displacement potential / potencijal pomaka Particle velocity / brzina čestica
Potential flows / potencijalni tokovi Pressure / tlak Particle velocity / brzina čestica
General flows / opći tokovi Velocity / brzina Fluxes / protoci
Electrostatics / elektrostatika Electric potential / električni potencijal Charge density / gustoća punjenja
Magnetostatics / magnetostatika Magnetic potential Magnetic intensity
magnetni potencijal magnetni intenzitet

162 DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014)

....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
IDEALIZATION DISCRETIZATION SOLUTION

Physical Mathematical Discrete Discrete

FEM
system model model solution

REALIZATION & CONTINUIFICATION Solution Error

IDENTIFICATION
Discretization + solution error

Modeling + discretization + solution error

Figure 2 A simplified view of the physical simulation process, primarily useful to illustrate modeling terminology
Slika 2. Pojednostavnjeni prikaz simulacije procesa, osobito primjenjiv za ilustraciju terminologije modeliranja

connected with minimization of material consumption.

1D
This stresses the need to elaborate computer programs
capable of applying numerical optimization of furniture
2D constructions. In the case of carcass furniture, significant
savings can be achieved by minimizing dimensions of
2D the cross section of wood elements. Typical computer
applications analyzing force distribution and internal
stresses in construction members allow to verify the
3D strength of a system, which was designed and dimen-
sioned earlier or to compare several variants of the same
design. Therefore, their application, in the case when a
Figure 3 Higher order element nodes simultaneous decision concerning several dimensions of
Slika 3. Elementarni čvorovi višeg reda
the same construction must be taken, may be difficult or
even impossible. The selection of the best construction
Solution:
parameters can be achieved by applying numerical opti-
Solve the system of equations involving un-
mization algorithms working on mathematical models
known quantities at the nodes (e.q. displacements).
of the projected system (Dietrich, 1986).
A typical FEA on a software system requires the
Both scientific experience and engineering prac-
following information:
tice indicate that decision making processes in the
1. Nodal point spatial locations (geometry)
course of solving complex designing problems require
2. Elements connecting the nodal points
an analysis of a great number of different construction
3. Mass properties
variants. These types of decision-making processes
4. Boundary conditions or restraints
take much time and do not always result in the selec-
5. Loading or forcing function details
tion of an optimal solution. That is why deterministic
6. Analysis options
or numerical optimization methods are applied in a
The geometry of the element is defined by the
wide range of technical areas, which assist in the selec-
placement of the geometric nodal points. Most ele-
tion of the best solution. One of the basic difficulties
ments used in practice have fairly simple geometries.
encountered during the optimization process of furni-
In one-dimension, elements are usually straight lines or
ture constructions, which, in their majority, constitute
curved segments. In two dimensions, they are of trian-
statically indeterminable systems, is a variation in the
gular or quadrilateral shape. In three dimensions, the
distribution of internal forces affected by changes in
most common shapes are tetrahedra, pentahedra (also
cross-sectional dimensions of component elements.
called wedges or prisms), and hexahedra (also called
This indicates a need to develop optimization algo-
cuboids or “bricks”). Fig. 3 Nodes are usually located
rithms in which values of internal forces will be calcu-
at the corners or end points of elements, as illustrated
lated after each change of geometrical conditions
in Fig. 2. In the so-called refined or higher-order ele-
(Smardzewski and Gawroński, 2001).
ments, nodes are also placed on sides or faces, as well
Furniture design is almost always based on expe-
as possibly the interior of the element.
rience from traditions in handicraft manufacturing. No
3.4 The use of FEA in furniture design carpentry use static analyses for finding the internal
3.4. Primjena metode konačnih elemenata u dizajnu forces inside the wooden members of e.g. a chair.
namještaja
However, some academic research groups have shown
A natural objective of the designer is to minimize interest in this topic and the first to mention must be the
manufacturing costs of given articles which, in turn, are work of Eckelman (1967).

DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014) 163

Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials .......................
In the paper he showed that a chair could be ana- The overall structure is preferably analyzed by
lyzed as a structure for taking up loads. By use of strain use of so called ‘beam elements’, while details such as
gauges he also presented some values for the maxi- joints can be studied more in detail by plain ‘stress ele-
mum moments at different parts of the chair. He stated ments’. The joint is in the second case divided into
that the rigidity-strength procedure of furniture design small, but finite, rectangular parts while the rest of the
comprises the determination of values of outside loads structure is divided in larger pieces (Gustafsson, 1995).
affecting the construction, the establishment of the dis- Kasal and Puella (1995) have examined analyti-
tribution of inner forces and then the calculation of di- cal and experimental results for chairs, sofas and book
mensions of elements and constructional joints (Eckel- shelves. Further, they have studied the joints between
man, 1967; Eckelman and Suddarth, 1969). different chair members in detail. A number of other
The exact analysis of furniture frames has been a researchers have also dealt with different types of fur-
computationally complex process. At present, engi- niture, e.g. cabinets, and two of them are Adanowicz,
neering design of furniture can be accomplished by Dziegielewski (1976); Wang and Juang (1994).
utilizing solid modeling and structural analysis soft- Erdil (1995) included in the study the design and
ware. From a practicing furniture engineer’s point of analysis of wood school chairs and desks based on con-
view, FEM provides the most convenient tool for ana- ventional structural design methods, evaluation of the
lyzing furniture systems. All members of the product furniture by performance test equipment and proce-
can be modeled parametrically and required changes dures selected specifically for that purpose, and finally
can readily be optimized via advantages that are pro- a comparison to the results obtained by performance
vided by the solid modeling. Likewise, strength calcu- testing and those predicted by conventional design pro-
lations of the designed product could be made by cedures. Prototypes were tested utilizing low-cost per-
means of the computer aided structural analysis soft- formance testing equipment and the “cyclic stepped
ware (Kasal, 2004). increasing load method”. The prototype frames were
In Poland, the research seems to have been con- structurally analyzed by means of FEM. The results
centrated around the Poznan University. Several papers showed that performance testing equipment, which
have been published and some of them dealt with FEM, was low-cost, simple, and easy to use and maintain,
and various kinds of furniture chairs. Investigations in could be used for testing school chairs and desks, and
the field of furniture were undertaken by Smardzewski, 3-D structural analyses by means of FEM gave reason-
who presented algorithms and results of optimization able estimates of the overall strength of the furniture
of a chair side frame using the method of ‘systematic constructions. Ekström (1997); Aronsson and Lindgren
search and random walk’. The objective of those calcu- (2000) studied the design of chairs with the help of FE.
lations was to determine cross-sectional dimensions of Efe et al. (2003) constructed two school chairs
scantling elements and connection dimensions, while with cylindrical mortise and tenon joints, and these
maintaining appropriate strength parameters and mini- were tested utilizing the “cyclic stepped increasing
mal volume of the applied material. In the above-men- load method”, and the specimens were structurally an-
tioned study, values of internal forces, calculated by alyzed by means of FEM software. As a result, they
means of a separate FEM processor, were used as input determined that three dimensional structural analyses
data for the application, which realized the optimiza- by means of FEM provided reasonable estimates of the
tion process (Smardzewski, 1992). Then, Smardzewski overall strength of the frame furniture.
and Dzięgielewski (1997), performed construction op- Smardzewski and Gawroński (2001) succeeded
timization of cabinet furniture employing the method in integrating numerical methods of static optimization
of random walk. Olsson et al. (2004) examined the fur- in FEM environment and developed an optimization
niture design and the dialogue between designers and algorithm of skeleton furniture, in which values of in-
engineers specialized in using FE tools. Researchers ternal forces were determined after each step of optimi-
examined the influence of the stiffness corner joints, zation. This allowed taking into consideration the phe-
particularly, on case furniture deflection, and proposed nomenon of the alteration in the distribution of values
a new method for linear structural analysis of the case of internal forces in a construction statically indetermi-
furniture using FEA (Cai and Wang, 1993). nable in the result of the change of the cross section of
They asserted that the corner joints were semi- component elements. Furthermore, the authors also
rigid and could be modeled by introducing a small area reduced joints to rigid constructional nodes assuming
adjacent to the joints, where the same type of element that the rigidity of joints corresponded to the rigidity of
could be used as that used for modeling the joints itself, the adjacent material.
but with a reduced modulus of elasticity (E*). If the Hrčka (1991) carried out an analysis of strength
same elastic properties were assumed for the elements and rigidity of a wood construction connected by
within this area as for the whole joints, then the joint means of Unimot joints and employed two different ap-
would be considered rigid. Although this model pro- proaches to the theoretical analysis of joint rigidity.
vides consistent results in terms of resultant deflec- The first approach assumed the introduction, into the
tions, the stress concentrations, which appear in the static scheme, of semi-rigid bar elements to replace
vicinity of the fixing components are not developed in semi-rigid joints, while the second approach consisted
the model in the same way as they are developed in the in assigning constructional nodes appropriate reaction
physical joints. coefficients, which expressed the relationship between

164 DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014)

....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
the deformation angle and bending moment operating out that the test results and data analyses were reason-
in the node. ably coherent with Gustafsson (1996a). Moreover,
Cai et al. (1995) analyzed the strength and stiff- Gustafsson (1996b) compared the results of numerical
ness of the moltinject corner joints of cabinet furniture calculations with the results of laboratory measure-
by comparison with the strength of two pin dowels cor- ments of the deformed piece of furniture whose model
ner joints. Furthermore, the deflection of cabinet furni- was prepared on the basis of results of optimization
ture, whose corners were joined by the method of molt- calculations and arrived at the conclusion that, in many
inject, was predicted reasonably in this study using cases, the solution obtained with the aid of the applied
FEM calculations. computer program portrayed the true state of deforma-
Dzięgielewski and Smardzewski (1996) carried tions and stresses. The observed numerical discrepan-
out laboratory experiments on wall angle joints in skel- cies were attributed to inexactitudes of laboratory tests
eton furniture and, for each type of the examined joints, resulting from technical problems, on the one hand,
determined equivalent modulus of joint elasticity. The and, on the other, to differences in wood strength fea-
obtained results provided, on the one hand, estimation tures during compression and tension, which were not
of their rigidity and, on the other, served as data for taken into consideration in a typical FEM algorithm.
numerical calculations of rigidity of furniture bodies. Nicholls and Crisan (2002) analyzed the stress
Elements with equivalent moduli of elasticity were and strain states in doweled and minifix type corner
then introduced into the static scheme of the analyzed joints of the case furniture by using the FEM. As a re-
construction to substitute real joints. sult, they stated that the stress concentration areas in
These problems were further investigated in the models are developed as in the physical joints, and
studies, which discussed in detail principles for the cal- the stress-strain state in the corner joints can be accu-
culation of connection dimensions in dowel and tenon rately predicted. All the models were designed using
joints on the basis of a recognized distribution of inter- ANSYS™ Parametric Design Language (APDL),
nal forces. Smardzewski (1998) carried out a research which allows FEMs to be constructed in terms of pa-
project for developing a computer program designed rameters. In this way design changes can be made eas-
for rigidity/strength analysis of furniture side frames. ily to achieve an optimum design.
Afterwards, he analyzed a side frame of a chair, and The products can be designed using solid models
demonstrated that the computer program developed al- in computer aided design (CAD) programs. These
lows accurate, rapid, and multiple rigidity strength models can also be used for further studies with FE
analysis of furniture side frames constructed of wood. calculations. Stairs, flooring, wood products and furni-
In another study, Smardzewski (2002) developed ture are examples of products that can have a complex
a mathematical model describing phenomena occur- three-dimensional geometry, which makes it preferable
ring in bent mortise joints prevalent in constructions of to use three-dimensional models (Pousette, 2007).
skeleton furniture, and also tried to determine factors Salokangas (2003) used a 3-D CAD model of a
influencing the strength of glued mortise and tenon complex, irregular lattice structure for a wood tower in
joints. Analyses were treated with a computer assisted Helsinki Zoo. The complex geometry data were import-
program prepared and developed at the Ponzan Agri- ed into a FE model for structural analysis using three-
cultural University. According to the results obtained; dimensional linear beam elements to check the ultimate
shear strength of the glue utilized and compression and serviceability limit states for applied loads.
strength of wood, of which the joints were constructed, One of the references is a study of the structural
affected the bending strength of glued mortise and ten- performance of wood-based stair stringers with full-
on joints. Furthermore, it was mentioned that when scale tests by Lam et. al (2004). They tested stair sys-
members of the mortise and tenon joint were well fit- tems and also used a commercial FE package to model a
ted, compressing one another, stresses in the glue bond stair system for further insight into its structural re-
reduce and increase its strength. sponse. They concluded that the FE program can be
Many later studies commonly employed FEM, used to model stair systems with configurations and ma-
which is based on the concept of ‘rigidity matrix’. This terial properties other than the tested ones. Comparison
method was also used by Gustafsson (1995) in the op- of results of FE analysis of an entire wood spiral stair-
timization process of the height position of a chair- case to full-scale laboratory tests showed that a three
connecting member. The author compared successive dimensional solid model of the stair as a complete part
variants of the optimized construction assuming the was stiffer than the actual stair (Pousette, 2003).
maximum bending moment affecting the frame as the The deformation behavior of wood around mo-
optimization criterion. ment-resisting joints was analyzed using digital image
The elaborated model was verified qualitatively correlation method (DIC) and FEM. The joints con-
in the next study in which the problem of buckling of sisted of four drift-pins. The distribution of the strain
the compressed constructional elements was analyzed perpendicular to grain and the shear strain parallel to
in detail. In a similar study, he prepared a simple birch the grain were examined around each drift-pin to eval-
chair and tested its strength under various loads, to uate the large deformed area and the location of initial
which the chair could be exposed to during service. failure. Areas of large compression strain perpendicu-
Furthermore, he determined stresses at various nodes lar to the grain and large shear strain were observed in
with the FEM by modeling the chair. He has pointed the predicted loading area of each drift-pin. Large ten-

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Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials .......................
sile strain perpendicular to the grain was observed at The equations of two-dimension heat transfer
the area close to the loading (contacting) area of the processes in wood were deduced by using Galerkin’s
drift-pins, and the tension area was partly overlapped Method of Weighted Residual Method of FEM in Cai
with the area of large shear strain. The overlapped area and Chang’s paper (1995). The heat transfer processes
coincided with the location of initial cracks propagated were calculated by using computer program according
parallel to the grain. The numerical results by FE anal- to the heating case.
ysis were compared with the experimental results ob-
tained with DIC and they showed good agreement with 3.5 Examples of FEM models used in wood
products
each other (Seiichiro and Minoru, 2002). 3.5. Primjeri primjene FEM modela za drvne
A modified structural design for wooden school proizvode
desks and chairs was proposed, in order to improve FE calculations were made with 3D solid models
their performance in terms of functionality, conveni-
in IDEAS Anonymous (1998). The element type was
ence and safety. The modification was proposed based
8-node brick elements (linear hexahedral elements). In
on a structural static analysis of the furniture. Analyti-
the models, the treads and the spacers of the center pole
cal models of a desk and chair in a two-dimensional
were connected with contact elements (Fig. 4). Linear
system of the FEM were first drawn up to simulate
elastic calculations were made, and the contact ele-
their mechanical behaviors, under the loading condi-
ments were linear (Pousette, 2007).
tions specified by the Japanese Industrial Standard, JIS
In another study, the material is represented as an
S1021. In this FEM simulation, wood is treated as an
array of nodes connected by a network of discrete
orthotropic material. Since the Hoffman Failure Crite-
beam or spring elements. Fig. 5 shows a possible dis-
rion could be essentially modified to allow unequal
maximum allowable stresses in tension and compres-
sion, such as in timber, it was used to examine the safe-
ty of the newly designed wooden desk and chair. Anal-
ysis of the distribution of Hoffman Failure Criterion
indices in the models of a desk and chair revealed the
stress concentration sections and the corresponding al-
lowable stress levels. The structural performance of the
modified desk and chair designs were analyzed repeat-
edly until their load bearing capacity fell within the ac-
ceptable limits. Improvement in the existing designs of
wooden desks and chairs will make it possible to con-
vert low grade logs, such as thinning materials, into
environmentally and ecologically friendly school fa-
cilities (Yang et al. 2002).
The method of finite elements was applied by
Smardzewski (1990) in his computer application of
Panda-1 utilized to analyze the construction of carcass
furniture with symmetrical side frames.
Blanchet et al. (2006) demonstrated the suitabil-
ity of the FEM in the design process of new engi-
neered flooring and stated that their work confirmed
the potential of the FE method for product design of
such products.
The aim of another study was to use FEM as a Figure 4 Contact elements with linear elastic calculations
tool to analyze microwave scattering in wood and to Slika 4. Kontaktni elementi s linearnim elastičnim
verify the model by measurements with a microwave izračunima
scanner. A medical computed tomography scanner was
used to measure distribution of density and moisture
content in a piece of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).
Dielectric properties were calculated from measured
values for cross sections from the piece and used in the
model. Images describing the distribution of the elec-
tric field and phase shift were obtained from the FEM typical beam element
simulation. The model was verified by measurements typical spring element
with a scanner based on a microwave sensor. The re-
sults show that simulated values correspond well to
measured values. Furthermore, discontinuities in the
material caused scattering in both the measured and
simulated values. The greater the discontinuity in the
material, the greater was the need for computational Figure 5 Discrete beam and spring elements
power in the simulation (Lars et al., 2006). Slika 5. Zasebni elementi grede i opruge

166 DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014)

....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
ment stiffness and strength characteristics. Stiffness
and strength characteristics can be assumed to fit a
Gaussian distribution with specified mean and standard
deviation (Vasic et al., 2005).
A theoretical study using advanced FE analysis
of one element per member was reported by Chan to
assess the load carrying capacities of bamboo scaffold-
ings (Chan et al., 1998).
In his study, Gustafsson (1997) showed how to
analyze and design a chair with FEM, and gave stress
diagrams and test results of the real size ash wood
chair. The connection between the seat and back rails
have also been studied by use of FEM method, the one
with plain stress elements. The structure was then di-
vided into thirteen elements with 26 nodes, each lo-
cated in the corners of the elements; Fig. 6 shows a part
of the structure. The result of the FEM analysis showed
that the maximum compression stress in the horizontal
direction, i.e. -38.0 MPa, occurred just above node 2.
Maximum tension with almost the same absolute value
was found just under node 3 and around node 6. Fig. 7
Figure 6 Part of finite element mesh for the seat and back shows that A equals -30.0, B equals -20.0 and G +30.0
rail joint MPa, respectively.
Slika 6. Dio mreže konačnih elemenata za spoj sjedala i Semi-rigid joints used in the tests were modeled
naslona using ANSYS™. The stiffness obtained for the 100
mm wide corner joint, with one fixing element was
cretization appropriate for wood. The longitudinal used to determine the torsional stiffness in all models.
wood cells are represented by beam elements (large A good correlation was obtained between experimental
horizontal elements in the figure) while a network of deflections and analytical results. Fig. 8 shows the dis-
diagonal spring elements simulates their connectivity. tribution of Von Mises stresses for the two-dowel cor-
The chosen size of a lattice cell in the specific example ner joint of 100 mm width and 18 mm thick, which was
corresponds to a bundle of cells so that the modeling is clamped at one end and subjected to an external load
at the scale of wood growth rings. In order to account (F) of 40 N at the free end. The torsional stiffness used
for pre-existing heterogeneities, disorder of wood ultra for the fixing components was k9 = 301,051 N mm/rad
structure is introduced via statistical variation of ele- (Nıcholls and Crisan, 2002).
In principle, this is an element that has two coin-
cident nodes (i.e. they have the same location in space),
however, each of them is connected separately to the
links of the joint. These two nodes are connected to
each other by an imaginary pin.

Figure 7 Stress in horizontal direction according to FEM

calculations
Slika 7. Naprezanje u vodoravnom smjeru prema Figure 8 Distribution of Von Mises stress
izračunima FE metodom Slika 8. Raspodjela Von Misesovih naprezanja

DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014) 167

Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials .......................
Laminated
Bamboo
Chair

Pad

Symmetry
Design #1 Design #2
Plane

Figure 9 Loading simulation Laminated

Bamboo
Slika 9. Simulacija opterećenja Chair
Pad
In other studies, brief information is given about
the method and doweled furniture corner joints are
modeled using FEM method. The models were ana-
lyzed using ANSYS™ commercial software (Güntekin,
2002). Loading simulation is shown in Fig. 9. Symmetry
Plane
Efforts were made to develop a numerical evalu-
ation method of the strength and durability of furniture Design #3
using a chair for the purpose of quality control, a new
Figure 10 Isometric view of FEA models in static analysis
product design. The objective of this research is to as- Slika 10. Izometrijski pogled na FEA modele pri statičkoj
sess strength of laminated bamboo chair under static analizi
and dynamic loading and perform drop test analysis.
The simulations are set up using nonlinear dynamic FE boo chair through virtual testing (Laemlaksakul, 2008).
software, which is equipped with both implicit and ex- The static loading simulation is conducted using the
plicit solvers. This virtual testing result focused on the implicit solver. The model setup for static loading sim-
improved design and development of laminated bam- ulation is illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12.

Design #1 Design #2 Design #3

Figure 11 Side view of FEA models in static analysis

Slika 11. Bočni pogled na FEA modele pri statičkoj analizi

Design #1 Design #2 Design #3

Figure 12 Top view of FEA models in static analysis

Slika 12. Pogled odozgo na FEA modele pri statičkoj analizi

168 DRVNA INDUSTRIJA 65 (2) 159-171 (2014)

....................... Tankut, Tankut, Zor: Finite Element Analysis of Wood Materials
F q

Q Fixed y direction
q = F/B

Figure 14 FEM model

Slika 14. FEM model

handicraft manufacturing. Development of new prod-

ucts in the joinery industry is usually based on tradi-
Figure 13 Dimensions of samples and direction of load tional craftsmanship and testing of prototypes. FE
(grid and boundary L= 200 mm, A= 125 mm (joint spacing), modeling can be a valuable support in the process of
conditions) of a half of corner connection sample B= 200
product development.
mm, g=18 mm
Slika 13. Dimenzije uzoraka i smjer opterećenja (mreža i
rubni uvjeti: L= 200 mm, A= 125 mm) polovice kutnog 5 CONCLUSION
spoja B= 200 mm, g=18 mm 5. ZAKLJUČAK

Another study presents strength problems of cor- Computer software, which has already taken
ner connections for MDF boards, resulting from loads roots in machine and construction industries, still finds
causing the closure of the connection. The effect of ex- a limited application in furniture industry. A majority
cess load is the destruction of the connection as a result of manufactured furniture continues to be designed ex-
of edge delamination. The objects of experimental clusively on the basis of craftsmanship and engineer-
studies were models of wall corner connections of ing practice. However, pressures resulting from quality
MDF boards with two invis joints (Fig. 13). Samples and reliability requirements of final products make it
were subjected to a complex state of load of a quasi– more and more necessary to pay increasingly more at-
static nature (traverse movement velocity of 2 mm/ tention to rigidity-strength optimization of dimension-
min). Solid linear brick and solid linear wedge ele- ing of furniture elements and constructional joints.
ments were used for the purpose of digitization (Fig. This paper focused on strength analysis of wood
14). Stress patterns were obtained for the analyzed products, specifically furniture structures by FEA
cases. The results show that very small loads (29 N) methods. FE simulations can enable faster, less costly,
may cause local board delamination (Mostowski and and more optimized product development, as well as
Sydor, 2006). examinations of product performance that would not
be possible even using very detailed prototypes. In the
wood industry, these tools have not been much used,
4 RESULTS but in other industries such as the aerospace and auto-
4. REZULTATI
mobile industry, they have been much used for many
The basic premise of modern engineering is that years. Wood is a more complicated material to model
models can be used to extrapolate beyond the range of than steel, and studies of wood product design with FE
test data. Therefore, if complex physical processes and models have been published in the academic world.
phenomena related to fracture in wood are understood
for representative situations, numerical models can be 6 REFERENCES
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