Experimental Investigations of Impact Strength of Structural Wood Available in Northern Himalayas

The current paper presents the detailed investigation of impact strength of different wood species available in the northern Himalayan region of India. Wood has always provided a potential structural material for constructing different engineering structures in these hilly areas. Although some studies have been performed to determine the strength of structural wood, but individual mechanical characterization of different wood species available in these areas needs immediate attention to design safe and reliable structures. Seven different wood species that have been traditionally used for constructional purpose in northern Himalayan region of India, have been selected for investigation. Test samples of same species have been collected from different regions of this area for the purpose of experimentation. The test samples selected for experimentation were defect free and were developed in accordance with ASTM: D-143 standards. In the current work, wood samples have been seasoned naturally and it has been made sure that the moisture content of the test specimens remains below the fiber saturation point. Due to the anisotropic behavior of wood, the impact strength has been investigated along both principal loading direction i.e. parallel and perpendicular to grains.