Veneer-reinforced timber – Numerical and experimental studies on a novel hybrid timber product

This paper deals with the development of a novel veneer-reinforced timber product for load-bearing applications – veneer-reinforced timber. For this composite timber product, veneers are inserted vertically into a glulam cross-section to act as reinforcement for shear and tension stresses perpendicular to the grain. By arranging the veneer layers between the glulam components at angles of 0°, 45° and 90°, the highly anisotropic strength and stiffness properties of glulam are homogenized. By means of numerical simulations and experimental investigations, the load-bearing behavior and the efficiency of veneer-reinforced timber are investigated. The results substantiate a considerable increase in load bearing capacities of veneer-reinforced timber with notches, holes or cross connections. Studies and derived
recommendations on the effect of the inclination of the veneer on the shrinkage behavior of this composite timber product conclude this paper.