COMPRESSION AND TENSION CREEP BEHAVIOUR OF LVL SENGON (PARASERIANTHES FALCATARIA)

This study was aimed to investigate the creep behavior of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) Sengon,especially under the application of compression and tension stress parallel-to-the-grain. In IndonesiaLVL made from the fast-growing Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) species is designed to be usedas a substitution for solid wood in building construction. Creep test was conducted on the specimenswith reference to the ASTM D143‐09 standard test methods for small clear specimens of timber.Moreover, the constant loads were made equal to about 20%, 30%, and 40% of the 60% ultimateload derived from the static test and the creep test was conducted in a chamber having an averagetemperature of 25oC and minimum relative humidity of 65%. The results of creep test for a period of90 days showed that the creep factors were 0.51, 0.52, and 0.41, respectively for the specimens undertension stress level of 20%, 30%, and 40%, respectively. In the case of specimen under compressionstress parallel-to-the-grain, the creep factors were 0.42, 0.41, and 0.31, respectively, for stress levelequals to 20%, 30%, and 40%. It can be concluded that the creep factor under tension stress is slightlyhigher than that of specimens under compression stress, and these obtained creep factors are muchlesser than the values provided in the code.