Is Lateral Strength in Trees Controlled by Lateral Mechanical Stress?

Abstract

It is shown experimentally that lateral tensile stresses perpendicular to the fiber orientation computed for three ash trees under wind loading are well correlated to lateral strength perpendicular to the grain. These measurements were done with cores taken from trees with an increment borer and broken with a fractometer. Lateral stresses can lead to delamination of wood. This danger is minimized by local distribution of strength according to lateral stresses.