DIC Testing Highlights: Auburn Mass Timber Collaborative
Working out of the impressive Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, the Auburn Mass Timber Collaborative (AMTC) are investigating pine trees. More specifically, the AMTC team is researching the high-strain rate mechanical behavior of Loblolly Pine across varying temperature and moisture conditions. These tests are conducted with an MTS 819 High-Rate Test System which can achieve strain rates from 1 ε/s to 1000 ε/s. Digital image correlation (DIC) using VIC-3D can effectively measure these strain rates, along with other basic engineering measures like stress and displacement. Leveraging a pair of Photron Nova S12s, high-speed 3D DIC allows researchers to precisely measure events that quasi-static cameras cannot effectively quantify. This enhanced understanding of environmental effects on the dynamic mechanical behavior of wood reinforces its potential use as a sustainable material for protective structures.
