Integrity check of structural softwood glue lines: correspondence between delamination and block shear tests

In factory production control (FPC) of glued-laminated timber the integrity of glue lines according to product standards has to be checked by carrying out either delamination or block shear tests. The chosen test method should provide reliable and reproducible results, and from a practical point of view should be as cheap and easy to perform as possible. An extensive experimental study aiming at systematically comparing the outcomes of delamination and shear tests on structural softwood glue lines using different wood species and adhesives was carried out. In the delamination tests, the length of open glue lines was assessed after subjecting the test specimens to vacuum- and pressure-soaking and to subsequent drying. In the block shear tests, the shear strength and wood failure percentage were determined. Only if the benchmark values in the product standards were met or exceeded, the respective specimen passed the test and the glue lines were regarded as sound. As a main overall result it turned out that the outcomes of both test methods generally agree well, but will not necessarily lead to the same pass/fail conclusion in any case. Therefore, for FPC the choice of their application should be defined more specifically.