The strength in tension perpendicular to the grain is known to decrease with an increase in the stressed volume. Usually this size effect is explained on a stochastic basis, that is, an explanation relying on the increased probability of encountering a strength reducing flaw when the volume of the material under stress is increased. This paper presents an experimental investigation on specimens with a well-defined structural orientation of the material. The experiments exhibit a large size effect and the nature of the failures encountered suggests that the size effect can be explained on a deterministic basis. Arguments for such a simple deterministic explanation of size effect is found in finite element modelling, using the orthotropic stiffness characteristics in the transverse plane of wood.
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