A comprehensive review on the fatigue of wood and wood-based materials

Gaberšček Tuta, Gregor (author), Fajdiga, Gorazd (author)

The fatigue of wood is becoming increasingly important in modern engineering, as the safety of the structure must be guaranteed and the use of materials must be optimized at the same time. Predicting the fatigue behavior of wood remains a challenge for many researchers. Interest and the number of studies in this field have increased, highlighting the need for a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on wood fatigue. In this paper, we focus on the study of the fatigue of wood-based materials to understand the similarities and peculiarities of fatigue behavior compared to other engineering materials and to identify opportunities for new research. We present the influence of physical and mechanical properties on fatigue life and identify similarities in the fatigue behavior of wood, polymeric materials and steel. The basic properties that differentiate the fatigue life of wood from that of other materials are heterogeneity, orthotropy, viscoelasticity, hygroscopicity, mechanosorptivity and the lack of a clear threshold value for fatigue strength. The differences in fatigue life between solid wood and laminated wood are not uniformly defined by researchers. We provide an overview of the measurement methods used to monitor the fatigue state, the models used to predict fatigue life and the simulations of the stress–strain response to cyclic loading. We identify areas where wood is subject to fatigue and determine which areas are most critical under cyclic loading. We make suggestions for further research that would contribute significantly to a better understanding and management of wood fatigue. Due to the wide variety of wood species used in the studies, it is impossible to compare the results. In order to obtain a comprehensive overview of the response of wood to fatigue under different test conditions, the test methods need to be standardized.

• Language: English
• Keywords: wood, fatigue, physical properties, mechanical properties, measurement techniques, prediction models, simulation, future research
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 1-35
• Numbering: Vol. 18, iss. 22, [article no.] 5118
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175862
• UDC: 630*8
• ISSN on article: 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma18225118
• COBISS.SI-ID: 256697859
• Publication date in RUL: 11.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Materials
• Shortened title: Materials
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1996-1944
• COBISS.SI-ID: 33588485

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: les, utrujanje, fizikalne lastnosti, mehanske lastnosti, merilne tehnike, modeli napovedovanja, simulacije, prihodnje raziskave

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0182-2019
• Name: Razvojna vrednotenja