Shear loads in wood beams are typically largest at beam supports and adhesive joints are a common location of wood failure. In-plane shear tests help to determine the strength of bulk wood products and supplement tensile tests in characterizing the bond strength between wood fibers or particles and resin binder. Glue-line shear tests are useful to determine adhesive strength and bonding strength between the adhesive and wood product. ASTM D1037 provides in-plane and glue-line shear test methods for wood based products. Both tests are conducted with block specimens using the same test fixture. Alignment of the shear plane and loading within the test fixture is achieved by a cutout in the in-plane shear specimen and by vertically offsetting the panels in the glue-line shear specimen. The shear stress is then applied by compression loading. The design of the wood specimens, with a cutout or offset, helps to ensure than the specimen fails in the wood material for in-plane shear or at the glued interface for glue-line shear. Reference ASTM Standard D 1037, 2012, Standard Test Methods for Evaluating Properties of Wood-Base Fiber and Particle Panel Materials, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2012. The specific properties of the wood product and adhesive glue being used will determine the need for a low or medium force capacity and tabletop or floor standing test machine. Contact a TestResources application engineer to discuss your wood shear testing requirements and develop the best test solution for your needs.
Applicable Testing Standards
Recommended Test Machine
Forces up to 10 kN (2,250 lbf)
Low force tabletop systems
Modular series of five frame options with adjustable test space
Affordable testing option for tension, compression, bend, peel and much more
Force range of 5 kN to 600 kN (1,125 lbf to 135,000 lbf)
Adjustable test space
The most popular choice for static tension and compression tests
These dual column testers are available in both tabletop and floor standing models
Recommended Testing Accessories
Satisfies numerous shear testing standards
Used to test the shear strength of an adhesive interface between two blocks
Top loading surface can rotate to accomodate non-parallel specimen surfaces