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40 MATERIALS NOV/DEC 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND

MANAGEMENT OF WOOD FATIGUE

The fatigue of wood is becoming increasingly important in modern engineering, as the safety of
the structure must be guaranteed and the use of materials must be optimised at the same time. In
this paper, the study of the fatigue of wood-based materials was focused to understand the fatigue
behaviour. Suggestions were also made for further research that would contribute significantly to a
better understanding and management of wood fatigue. By Gregor Gaberšček Tuta and Gorazd
Fajdiga, University of Ljubljana

he study of wood fatigue spans over 70 years, with leading to over-design and higher material consumption.
growing interest driven by environmental concerns. With the increasing frequency of seismic events and

TWood's high stiffness-to-weight ratio and capacity to storms, understanding wood's behaviour under cyclic loads
store atmospheric carbon give it a significant advantage over is essential for designing safe and durable structures.
materials like steel and concrete. Historically, wood was believed to be immune to fatigue,
However, as a hygroscopic, heterogeneous, and orthotropic a notion supported by its use in World War II aircraft. Fatigue
material, its response to mechanical loads is difficult to predict, was often mitigated by considerations for creep.

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