Estimation of Stress Distribution in Timber Beams under Steady Changes of Moisture Content

The paper relates to the effect of steady-state change of moisture content in timber elements. Several constitutive models of the material used in the literature have been presented. For the purpose of the simulation, a three-dimensional FEM model was prepared. Results were presented based on four models of moisture distribution and three sets of material parameters. Based on the literature and simulation results, the necessity of changing the practical design approach was discussed. (paper)