Wood - The Internal Optimization of Trees (Springer Series in Wood Science) - Softcover

Mattheck, C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3540620192 ISBN 13: 9783540620198

Verlag: Springer-Verlag, 1997

Inhaltsangabe

Book by Mattheck Claus Kubler Hans

Über diesen Titel

Reseña del editor

Here are two physicists looking over the fence of physics, getting thrilled by the life and growth of trees, taking an altogether different, exciting view of wood: trees produce wood for their own benefit. They do not live for the benefit of man who builds his world using wood as a raw material. Timber is revealed in a different light, and the reader is taught to stop thinking of it in terms of defective beams and boards. Wood only fails as a part of the living tree. To us, the tree and wood biologists, this new definition is a real, inspiring challenge, which is just what Kubler and Mattheck intended it to be. Their answers may seem too simple or little logical to some of us; but the authors are not at a loss for sound and solid arguments. Their field studies prove the incredible, their hypotheses makes us want to get to the bottom of the un­ proven unbelievable. The authors' answers and arguments are bold and cour­ ageous. They arouse our curiosity and force us to fathom the facts. It seems as if Kubler and Mattheck wanted to trick us into believing that trees only live and react following mechanical rules and strategies. To tell the truth, that was what I first suspected the authors of: but I was wrong.

Reseña del editor

Wood is a biological structure well-adapted to external loading. It carries axial loads in a tree by longitudinal fibres and radial loads by rays; circumferential compressive growth stresses prevent the tree from splitting along the rays. It is shown that axial and lateral strength is highest at places of maximum loading. Also, growth stresses are distributed in a load-controlled way.
The vivid style used by the authors avoids complex formulas, preferring many impressive and simple to understand drawings. They show how a tree is internally optimized and how the partial or global breakdown of this interwoven axial and radial optimization can lead to the different failure modes.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Springer-Verlag
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1997
• ISBN 10: 3540620192
• ISBN 13: 9783540620198
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Sprache: Englisch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 144