Perpendicular to grain bearing strength of timber

Compressive strength perpendicular to the grain of timber beams is a difficult problem as that not only many different load cases occur in practice but also there is the lack of a reliable model. Furthermore, in the US, Europe and Australia/ New Zealand the standardised test methods to determine the compressive strength lead to very different strength values. A physical model with a reference compressive strength as starting point is presented, which claims to account for the differences mentioned. The evaluation accounts for a total of 590 radiate pine test results that cover four load cases and two specimen sizes. It is shown that the model presented is able to explain test results previously regarded incompatible. The model offers a consistent and simple way to bridge the differences between ASTM, ISO, CEN, Australian and New Zealand test standards. Introduced in structural design codes the model enables a more accurate estimate of bearing capacity.