Abstract:

The current ASTM standards for the measurements of Young's modulus are designed specifically for ceramics, bricks, carbon and graphite materials, and concrete. The techniques used are based on the measurement of either sonic velocity or the resonant frequency in the flexural mode of vibration of the specimen. The latter method has been adapted for determining the Young's modulus of building materials, such as wood, gypsum board, and oriented-strand-board (OSB), in the Acoustics Laboratory of IRC/NRC using modern digital-signal processing. This paper will discuss the method and provide results for a number of building materials tested.