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Chittagong University of Engineering &

Technology
Department of materials Science &
Engineering

Md. Abid Ashraf

1912023
Experiment 4:
Study and observation of compression test of a wooden specimen
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Table of Contents
Experiment 4:......................................................................................................................................1
Objective:....................................................................................................................................................4
Introduction:................................................................................................................................................4
Theory:........................................................................................................................................................4
Stress:..................................................................................................................................................5
Strain:..................................................................................................................................................5
..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Proportional limit (P.L):......................................................................................................................6
Elastic limit (E.L):...............................................................................................................................6
Yield point:..........................................................................................................................................6
Ultimate strength:................................................................................................................................7
Rupture strength:.................................................................................................................................7
Modulus of Elasticity (E):....................................................................................................................7
Experimental equipment:.............................................................................................................................7
Result and discussion:.................................................................................................................................9
Data from specimen:................................................................................................................................9
Observation after load:........................................................................................................................9
Table & result:...........................................................................................................................................11
Stress-strain diagram of the specimen:......................................................................................................13
Result by calculation:................................................................................................................................13
Result from the graph:...........................................................................................................................13
Discussion:................................................................................................................................................14
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Objective:
1. To observe the failure of the wooden block under compressive load.
2. To determine the stress strain, it is developed by the wooden block.
3. To draw the stress strain curve.
4. To observe the buckling of the wooden block.
5. To determine the modulus of elasticity (E).

Introduction:
A compression test is any test in which material experiences the opposing forces inward upon the
specimen from opposing side or otherwise compressed, crushed, and flattened. It is done to the brittle
specimen. Tension test is not useful for studying the plastic stress-strain relationships at high strains. By
doing compression test we can achieve higher strains.
After doing compression test on brittle material or in our wooden sample we can determine the elastic
modulus, ultimate strength, buckling of the specimen, plot stress strain curve of the specimen. We can say
because the specimen is brittle we will find small plastic deformation area in the stress-strain curve. the
specimen will fracture after it crosses the elastic limit. If the specimen is large, we may see buckling in
the specimen.

Theory:
Compression test is done for brittle specimen. Because tension tests are not useful for studying the plastic
stress–strain relationships at high strains. We can achieve much higher strains by compression test than in tensile
test.
But we have two problems in this test. Which limits the usefulness of compression test.
I. Friction: It appears on the ends of the specimen. Which tends to suppress the lateral spreading of material
of material near ends. A cone shape region of dead metal appears on both ends of the specimen. Where the
load is not effective. We want to reduce this region for more precise data.

Cone shape region (dead metal)

Barrel shape after

compression.

Figure 1: barrel shape specimen under

compressive load

We can reduce this friction by lubrication and increasing the ration of h/d. where h is height and d
is the diameter of the specimen. But lubricant can’t stay for long, so we use thin film or polymer
or rubber at the contact area.
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II. Buckling: Although increasing the h/d minimizes the friction problem but it creates a new
problem which is called buckling. It occurs when the ratio is higher than 3. If the specimen is so
lubricated then it can occur when the h/d ≥ 1.5.

Figure 2: buckling of the specimen under compressive load

The data we can acquire from compression test are stress, strain, modulus of elasticity, elastic limit,
rupture strength, toughness etc.

Stress:
It is the resisting force per unit area of a body when a load is applied to it.
σ = F/A
Where, σ = stress, F= Load, and A= Cross Sectional area.

Strain:
It is the deformation Per unit length of a body when a deforming load is applied to it.
E= δ/Li
Where, E= Strain, δ= Elongation, and Li= Initial length.
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Figure 3: brittle vs ductile material stress strain curve.

Proportional limit (P.L):

In stress-strain curve the portion where stress is proportional to strain.

Elastic limit (E.L):

It is the ordinate of a point almost coincident with P.L is known as the elastic limit. Up to which a
material maintains its elastic property.

Yield point:
The yield point is the point on a stress-strain curve that indicates the limit of elastic behavior and the
beginning of plastic behavior.
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Ultimate strength:
The maximum point of the stress-strain curve is known as the ultimate strength or the tensile strength of
the material.

Rupture strength:
The stress of failure is called rupture strength.

Modulus of Elasticity (E):

It is the ratio of the stress in a body to the corresponding strain.

Experimental equipment:

The machine we need for this experiment is,

 Universal material tester

This machine can do tensile, compression and hardness tests with different orientation.
The configuration of this machine is shown in figure 4.

The compression test is performed on this machine. We can also do some other tests in it. Like tensile,
hardness etc. The compression space is in the lower portion of the machine. For ductile specimen
compression and tensile test give same data. But for brittle material compression test give more accurate
data than tensile test.

So, the compression test is done on the brittle specimen to acquire because brittle material is stranger
under compression load than tensile load.

Our specimen was a block of wood which was a brittle material. So, we test this specimen under
compressive load on the Universal material tester to find the strength and many other data of the
specimen.
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Load frame with upper cross member

 Slide calipers: to determine the diameter of the specimen. Force display

 Dial gauge

Specimen

support with cross head

Gripping head

Load frame with lower cross member

Hand wheel

Hydraulic system consisting of a main

Hand grips
cylinder

Machine base

Figure 4: Universal Material Tester

Specimen: our specimen was a wooden block. Which was a brittle material.

Cone shape region (dead metal)

Barrel shape after

compression.

Figure 4(A): specimen before Figure 4(B): specimen

load after load
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Result and discussion:

Before the experiment we prepare the specimen where we try to maintain the h/d ratio to
minimize the friction and buckling. Our specimen was rectangular in shape. So, we measure the
initial length of the specimen and the area of the cross-sectional area of the specimen.

Data from specimen:

Specimen’s initial,
Length(h) = 89 mm
Area (a) = 16× (15+0.02×7) =31.14mm2

Observation after load:

After the compression load applied to our specimen it didn’t break fully. The specimen slipped
from its initial state. That’s the reason we couldn’t give further load. It happened because the
specimen’s h/d ratio was not ideal. That’s why buckling occurs on the specimen. If we would
fixed the specimen then it will again take the load and finally break. We didn’t use any lubricant
to minimize the friction. That could be another reason for this problem.

Figure 5: specimen before compressive load.

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Appearance of buckling

Figure 6: specimen under compressive load

Surface slipped from the

load

Figure 7: after deformation

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It happened because our h/d ratio was not ideal, maybe it was ≥1.5. So, the buckling occurs in our
specimen. And the final break didn’t happen.

Table & result:

No. of Load(P) Deflection, Strain, ε Stress, σ Yield Ultimate Elastic
objectives δ Stress stress
KN (GPa) Modulus
(MPa)
mm (MPa) (GPa)
1 0 0 0 0
2 0.5 0.1 0.00112 0.01605
3 0.5 0.2 4 7
4 0.6 0.25 0.00224 0.01605
5 1 0.3 7 7
6 1 0.3 0.00280 0.01926
9 8
7 1 0.35
0.00337 0.03211
8 1.1 0.4
1 3
9 1.2 0.45
0.00337 0.03211
10 1.2 0.5 1 3
11 1.5 0.55 0.00393 0.03211
12 1.7 0.6 3 3
13 1.9 0.65 0.00449 0.03532
14 2.3 0.7 4 4
15 2.4 0.75 0.00505 0.03853
16 2.8 0.8 6 6
17 3.3 0.85 0.00561 0.03853
18 3.5 0.9 8 6 14.6028 452.7938 12.9458
19 3.9 0.95 0.00618 0.04817
20 4.1 1 0.00674 0.05459
21 4.6 1.05 2 2
0.00730 0.06101
22 5 1.1
3 5
23 5.6 1.15
0.00786 0.07386
24 5.8 1.2
5 0.07707
25 6.3 1.25 0.00842 1
26 6.8 1.3 7 0.08991
27 7.1 1.35 0.00898 7
28 7.4 1.4 9 0.10597
29 8.5 1.45 0.00955 0.1124
30 8.6 1.5 1 0.12524
31 9 1.55 0.01011 0.13166
32 9.4 1.6 2
0.14772
33 9.6 1.65 0.01067
0.16057
34 10 1.7 4
0.17983
35 10.1 1.75 0.01123
6 0.18626
36 10.6 1.8 0.20231
0.01179
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37 11 1.85 8 0.21837
38 11.2 1.9 0.01236 0.228
39 11.5 1.95 0.01292 0.23764
40 11.9 2 1 0.27296
41 12 2.05 0.01348 0.27617
42 12 2.1 3 0.28902
0.01404
43 12.1 2.15 0.30186
5
44 12.5 2.2 0.30829
0.01460
45 13 2.25 0.32113
7
46 13.1 2.3 0.01516 0.32434
47 13 2.4 9 0.3404
48 13.2 2.45 0.01573 0.35324
49 13.3 2.55 0.01629 0.35967
50 13.5 2.6 2 0.3693
51 14 2.65 0.01685 0.38215
52 14.1 2.7 4 0.38536
53 14 2.8 0.01741 0.38536
54 13.6 2.88 6 0.38857
55 13.6 2.9 0.01797 0.40141
56 13.8 2.95 8 0.41747
57 13.5 3.05 0.01853 0.42068
9
0.41747
0.01910
0.42389
1
0.4271
0.01966
3 0.43353
0.02022 0.44958
5 0.45279
0.02078 0.44958
7 0.43674
0.02134 0.43674
8 0.44316
0.02191 0.43353
0.02247
2
0.02303
4
0.02359
6
0.02415
7
0.02471
9
0.02528
1
0.02584
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3
0.02696
6
0.02752
8
0.02865
2
0.02921
3
0.02977
5
0.03033
7
0.03146
1
0.03236
0.03258
4
0.03314
6
0.03427
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Stress-strain diagram of the specimen:

Figure 8: stress strain diagram from matlab

Result by calculation:
Modulus of elasticity = (Y2-Y1)/(X2-X1)

= (0.016057-0)/ (0.001124-0)
=14.29GPa
h/d ratio = 89/16 = 5.56

Result from the graph:

Modulus of elasticity = 12.945833 GPa
Yield strength = 14.602804 MPa
Ultimate strength = 452.793834 MPa
Area under the curve = 0.008604
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Figure 9: result from the graph

Discussion:
From the calculation we find the modulus of elasticity is 14.29Gpa. which is different from the result we
find in matlab which is 12.945833Gpa.
The graph was not like the ideal brittle material graph. That’s why we couldn’t get the precise data from
the diagram. There is so much fluctuation in the graph. Because our specimen was not ideal. h/d ratio was
huge greater from 1.5. That’s why we observe buckling in our specimen. And we couldn’t totally fracture
our specimen.