Use of the cantilever beam vibration method for determining the elastic properties of maritime pine cross-laminated panels

This paper presents a study aimed to assess the modulus of elasticity E0 and the rolling shear modulus G90 of three-layer Maritime Pine Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. The proposed methodology is based on a vibration test carried out on panels in cantilever configuration and on the results of a sensitivity study conducted via Finite Element model analyses, which highlights a straightforward relationship between the first two vertical natural frequencies and the aforementioned elastic properties of the panels. The procedure has been developed and applied to a specific configuration of CLT panels made of sardinian maritime pine (Pinus Pinaster). Nevertheless, the same approach could be easily extended to any cantilever three-layers CLT panel with different dimensions, providing that a new sensitivity study is carried out. The results suggest that the proposed methodology can be effectively used as a dynamic identification process for quality control in industrial production chains, where the role of non-destructive controls is becoming increasingly important.