ERECT OE THICICNESSr01 PLYWCCDREINEORCIN6 PLATE S ON TH.

E BEHAVIOR CF S0LID, WOO ID AIRCR4E' :SPARS

April 194

This Report is Cne of a Series Issued In Cooperation with th e ARMY-NAVY-CIVIL COMMITTE E on AIRCRAFT DESIGN CRITERI A Under the Supervision of th e AERONAUTICAL BOAR D No.=152 7

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVIC E FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATOR Y Madison, Wisconsi n
In Ceoperrtion with the University of Wisconsin

EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF PLYWOOD R EINFORCING PLATES ON TH E BEHAVIOR OF SOLID WOODAIRCRAFT -SPARS UNDER CHANGE S IN MOISTURE CONTENT1

By W. A . SAN BORN, Enginee r

Summar y This report presents the results of an investigation made to deter mine the effect of the thickness of plywood reinforcing plates on the splitting of solid wood spars in aircraft when the moisture content is change d and to compare the effectiveness of square and pointed plate ends in pre venting splits from extending into the uncovered parts . Twenty.-four full scale specimens were used for this study . In these , combinations of yellow birch plywood plates of six thicknesses varying fro m one-tenth to three-fifths of the thickness of the spars were glued t o quarter-sawed Sitka spruce spars of 4, and 6-inch depths with a cold-settin g urea-formaldehyde glue . One specimen of each combination of spar depth an d plywood thickness was glued with material at about 6 percent moisture content and another at about 12 percent . Extreme moisture conditions that might be encountered by aircraft i n service were simulated in rooms kept at constant temperature and relativ e humidity . No splitting was observed in any of these specimens . For thi s reason, neither the effect of the thickness of the plywood reinfor=cin g plates nor the effect of gluing spars with material at 6 instead of 12 per cent moisture content on the tendency of the spars to split could be definitely determined . The results indicate that the splitting of such spar s in service has been due to other contributing factors . Since no splitting occurred in these tests,it was also impossible to compare the effectivenes s of square or pointed ends of the plywood plates in preventing splits fro m extending into the uncovered portions of the spars . Some minor damage to specimens resulted from abrupt reductions i n relative humidity . Such reduction caused checking of the edges of the spar s 1This report is one of a series of progress reports prepared by the Fores t Products Laboratory to further the Nation's war effort . The results her e reported are preliminary and may be revised as additional data becom e available . Report No . 1527 -1-

in some instances and, in specimens with plates 0 .225 ' inch thick (threefifths the spar thickness), caused cracking of the glue lines between th e edges bf the spars and the plates . The extent to which the spars were restrained from changing depth b y the plywood plates increased slightly with increase in the plate thickness . Since the restraint was great, however, even for thin plywood plates, and . the increase in restraint obtained by increasing the plate thickness wa s small, the use of a thin plywood plate in preference to a thicker one coul d be expected to provide only a small advantage in th e , prevention of checkin g or splitting of solid spars . Introductio n When wood aircraft constructed with solid spars reinforced with ply wood plates have been used in arid regions, checking or splitting of th e spars has been found to . occur at the -ends of, the plates . It has been re porte d2 .that' this does not - occur when the : total thickness of the plywoo d plates does ,not exceed ; one-sixth of the ,thickness of the spar . ,, ' The purpos e. of this investigation was' to determine the effect of th e thickness of plywood reinforcing plates on the splitting of solid wood spar s under, changes in moisture content and to compare the effectiveness of squar e and pointed plate ends in preventing splits from extending into the uncovered parts . Test Specimen s For test specimens, yellow birch plywood plates having one end square ' and dne pointed were glued to each side of quarter-sawed Sitka spruce spar s , . of 4- and 6-inch-depths as shown in figure 1 . Plywood thicknesses of 0 .035, 0 .070, 0 .100, 0 .125, 0 .185,-and, 0 .225 inch were used, approximating one tenth, one-sixth, one-fourth, one-third, one-half, and three-fifths of the _3/4-inch thickness of the spars . ?CAA Safety Regulation Release No . 154 dated November 12, 1943 : ' t Many air planes of various models having wood spars and - being operated in ari d -regions have developed longitudinal spar cracks in the vicinity of th e plywood reinforcing plates . These cracks result from the tendency of th e spar to shrink when drying takes place . The cross-grain portion of th e plywood resists this tendency and causes a cross-grain tensile failure in . the basic spar . Crack's start under the plywood plates ; usually, but no t necessarily, at .a bol t - hole or cixt-out and spread in each direction until , in most cases, they extend a .short distance beyond the ends of the plate s where the resistance to spar"shrinkage disappears When plywood plate s ' are on both faces of . the spar and their total thickness is t less than approximately one-sixth of the total thickness , at that point ,, cracks .hav e not been encountered . On the other hand, a thick plywood plate on only . , one side of the spar apparently causes no cracks to occur . " Report No . 1527 -2--

binati on of spar depth and plywoo d Two specimens were made of each thickness, one of which was glued with i terial at about 6 percent moistur e content and the other at about 12 percen't . Material s The Sitka spruce spars were cut from clear, straight--grained portion s of five kiln-dried 'quarter-sawed planks that were cut consecutively from th e same growth rings of one log . Their average specific gravity, based o n weight when oven dry'and volume at 12 percent moisture content was 0 .37 , with individual pieces varying not more than + 0 .02 from the average . Yellow birch plywood-s complying with ANC Specification AN- P-51lb were manufactured in the Laboratory . Veneers selected for aircraft grade plywood and conditioned to about'12 percent moisture content were glued i n a hot press . with a phenol-f ermaldehyde film glue under a pressure of 20 0 pounds per square inch at a temperature of 320 F . The average thickness and the specific gravity of each plywood base d on .weight when oven dry and volume at 12 percent moisture content were a s follows : Average thicknes s Three-ply 0 .038inch ' 0.069 inch 0,100 inc h 0.118 inch 0 .185 inch Five-pl y 0,220 inch :64 . 0.5 8 .60 .59 .6 3 ,6 6 Specific gravi y

Preparation of Specimen s A side-matched pair of plywood plates was glued to each spar with a urea-formaldehyde cold-setting glue . Parts for six specimens at a time were taken from the conditioning rooms, and glue, mixed in the proportions of 6 5 grams of water to 100 grams of dry g1 le, was applied with a glue spreader a t a coverage rate of 25-grams per square foot . After an assembly time not ex ceeding 15 minutes, the assemblie s ' were pressed at a-pressure of 125 pound s per square incth for a perio d; of 6 hours or more . Upon removal from th e press, the specimens were returned to the humidity rooms in which the com ponent parts had been stored and were reconditioned for 14 days . The edge s of the specimens were then dressed flat on a joiner .

Report No . 1527

Test Procedur e High and low moisture contents of spars that might be attained i n aircraft in service were produced by the use of conditioning rooms in whic h the temperatures and relative humidities were automatically controlled a s follows : Room Room Room Room A. B. C. D. 70 80 80 140 F ., F ., F., F., 64 30 90 25 percent percen t percen t percent relative relative relative relative humidit y humidit y humidit y humidity

The 4 percent moisture content produced in room D was selected a s the probable minimum that could be expected in the spars of aircraft oper ated in arid regions . Rooms A and B were used for the conditioning of parts prior to as sembly and fbr reconditioning the specimens after gluing . After recondi tioning, the specimens were subjected to changes in moisture content i n four successive stages as follows : Stage 1 . (From 12 percent to 6 percent .) The specimens glued at 12 percen t moisture content were conditioned in room B for29 days . Stage 2 . (From 6 percent to 17-1/2 percent .) All specimens were condi tioned in room C for 30 days . Stage 3 . (From 17.-1/2 percent to 7 percent .) All specimens were again con ditioned in room B for 29 days . Stage 4 . (From 7 percent to 4 percent .) All specimens were conditioned i n room D for 10 days. The specimens were examined for splitting or other possible damage a t intervals during each exposure . At the conclusion of each stage of condi tioning, each specimen was examined and weighed, and the width was measure d with a vernier caliper at seven stations as shown in figures 2 and 3 . Th e widths of both the plywood plates and of the spar were measured at station s 3, 4, and 5 . After completion of the four stages of conditioning, all of th e specimens=were stored in room A for 203 days after which they were agai n weighed-and measured .

-Forest Products Laboratory Report No . 1597, "Study of Temperature an d Moisture Content in Wood Aircraft Wings in Different Climates . " (February 1944 )

Report No . 1527

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'Is

Explanation of Chart s

The dimensional change data are shown , graphicallyfor 6-inch spars . in figure 2 and for 4-inch spars in figure 3 . . The changes in width at each station that accompanied the greatest changes in moisture content of th e specimens above and below that at which the plates were glued are shown o n individual graphs in each of these figures for each thickness of plywoo d plate . The relationship . between the change indepth for each percent chang e in moisture content of quarter-sawed Sitka spruce spars reinforced wit h yellow birch plywood plates and the thickness of the plates is shown i n figure 4. The changes in depth shown were measured at mid-length of each, plywood plate (point 4, figs . 2 and 3) . The average dimensional change o f the Sitka spruce spars measured at station 1 was assumed to correspond t o , that of a spar without plates . _ Discussion of Result s Moisture Content of Specimens The moisture changes attained in each humidity condition by th e specimens of a given depth and moisture content at gluing were found to b e approximately the same . The moisture contents of specimens shown in table ; 1 were computed from_ the changes in weights of the spars and the know n equilibrium moisture contents of-wood in each humidity condition . Table 1 .---Moisture contents of Sitka spruce spars wit h yellow birch plywood plates after each _stage of conditioning Moisture conten t -------------------------------------------- :6-inch spars glued at :4-inch spars glued a t : 5. 5 12.0 , 6.4 12,0' : percent : percen t percent : percen t Percent : Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Report No . 1527 Final storage 7 .4 17.7 8.0 4 .8 10.7 -517 .3 8 .1 4 .8 10.7 Percent : Percent : 6.4
. .

Conditioning stage

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17 . 2 7. 0 3.9' 10 .0

Effect of Moisture Change s No visible splitting of the quarter-sawed faces of the Sitka spruc e spars beyond the plywood plates was found 'in any of the specimens afte r completion of the conditioning program . Seventeen specimens showed no' . damage of any kind, while minor defects developed by the moisture change s were found' in .Seven specimens . * After from 3 to 7 days' exposure to a humidity that lowered thei r moisture content, checking of the flat-sawed edges of the Sitka spruce wa s found in the following specimens : ' Specimens glued at 6 percent moisture conten t 4-inch . Spar ; 0 .-125--inch plate s 6-inch'spar, 0 .100-inch :plate s ' 6-inch spar, 0 .125-inch plate s Specimens glued at 12 percent moisture conten t 6-inch spar, 0 .070-inch plate s The checks in the first three, which were from 1-1/2 to 3 inche s long and occurred in stage 3, disappeared upon continued exposure to . low humidity. After 3 days' exposure. at 80 F . and 30 percent relative humidity, the fourth specimen had developed a check 9 inches long, but this ; closed partially during subsegizent conditioning . Light cracks appeared in the'glue spars and the plywood plates in three of plates, after from 3 to 7 days' exposure moisture content . ' The specimens and the veloped were as follows : Specimens 4-inch spar glued at 6 percent moisture content 6-inch spar glued at 12 percent moisture content 6-inch spar glued, at 6 percent moisture oontent lines between the edges of th e the four spars with 0 .225-inc h to a humidity that lowered thei r stage in which the cracks deStag e 3 1 3

In the. first two specimens the cracks were small and disappeare d upon continued exposure . Cracks were more extensive in the third specime n and about 1/4 inch in depth . They closed partially with continued . exposure . Dimensional Changes_ of Spar s In each specimen, the ratio of the change in width of the plywoo d plates to the change in moisture content was con tant ' for all of the change s in moisture content . Although this dimensional-change coefficient in individual specimens varied from the average value for each thickness of plywood ,

Report No . 1527

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no consistent difference was found between specimens differing in depth o r in moisture content at time of gluing (fig . 4) . The ratio of change in widt h to the change in moisture content of free quarter-sawed Sitka spruce was als o approximately constant within the range of moisture contents employed . The extent to which the plywood plates restrained the solid spar s from changing in depth with changes in moisture content increased slightl y with an increase in the thickness of the plywood plates . The plates of al l thicknesses, however, restrained the solid spars to a considerable degree . The dimensional change of the Sitka spruce adjacent to the joint was reduce d about 75 percent by plywood plates only 0 .035 inch in thickness, The reduction was about 80 percent with 0 .07-inch plates (one-sixth the thickness o f the spar) and increased to 88 percent with 0 .225-inch plates . Since thes e differences are small, restriction of the thickness of the 4einforcin g plates to not more than one-sixth the thickness of the spar- as a means o f preventing checking or splitting of the spars does not appear to be justified . Conclusion s Test specimens of quarter-sawed Sitka spruce spars reinforced wit h yellow birch plywood plates did not split when exposed to atmospheric conditions as extreme as those likely to be encountered by aircraft in service . The splitting of spars of similar size and construction in aircraft i s therefore apparently due to other contributing factors . The use of bolte d fittings or the combination of working loads with the stresses induced b y moisture changes may be expected to have an influence on the checking o r splitting of spars . A more extensive investigation than was here contemplated would be required for their evaluation . Since splitting of the solid spars in the test specimens was not accomplished, a comparison could not be made of the effectiveness of squar e or pointed ends on plywood reinforcing plates in preventing such split s from extending beyond the plates . The effectiveness of gluing spars with the material at 6 instead o f 12 percent moisture content in preventing the occurrence of splitting wa s not demonstrated . When abrupt reductions in humidity conditions caused the moistur e content of spars with plywood plates to be unequally distributed, stresse s were induced that tended to cause checking of the edges of the spars . Under these conditions, the spars with 0 .225-inch plywood plates (totalin g three-fifths of the spar thickness) showed a tendency to fail at the glu e lines between the plates and spars . Although these failures were slight , they might be expected to become progressive with fluctuations in moistur e content .

Report No . 1527

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A comparison .of thechanes in dimension with changes in_ m.oi .stur e conte.x t of. spars_ with plywood plates of varying thickness afforded an 'esti mate 6f the relative stresses. involved. The extent-,to which the spa-re . were restrained from changing width-by the plywood plates . increased slightl y with an increase in the thickness of the plywood . The restraint wa's great , however, even for thin plywood plates, and the increase in restraint ob tained by increasing the plate, thickness was small . The use of a thin- ply wood plate inp'eference to a,thicker one, therefore, can be expected .t o provide only, a small advantage in the prevention of checking or splittin g of solid spars . -

Report No, 1527

-8 -

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