Determinación de las propiedades mecánicas del castaño extremeño mediante medición de la velocidad de propagación de onda de ultrasonidos

Abstract

The obtaining of the elastic constants of a material allows knowing its stiffness matrix, in such a way that the material is totally defined to elastic effects. In this work the elastic constants of the Caceres chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.), province where its production in Extremadura is concentrated, by means of the measurement of the propagation speed of ultrasound waves.The determination of all elastic constants for each sample was performed by using a single specimen. For this, it is necessary to carve this one with a polyhedral shape. It must be done in such a way that the ultrasound propagation is allowed in the orientations determined by the orthotropic wood for obtaining these constants in each direction. Otherwise, six specimens would have to be obtained for each of the directions. The values obtained were compared with those reported for Spanish chestnut from other places. The values were similar, the longitudinal modulus of elasticity and the transverse modulus of elasticity were higher,whereas the Poisson’s coefficients were maintained in the same order. This indicates that it is a slightly more rigid wood. From the comparatives, it can be concluded that the Caceres chestnut wood, and by extension the Extremadura chestnut wood, is an excellent material. Therefore, its structural use should be recovered and enhanced.