Mapping heat-induced moisture propagation in laminated engineered wood products with combined neutron and x-ray imaging

Engineered Wood Products (EWPs) are a promising option to replace carbon intensive steel and concrete as a sustainable alternative. Its structural performance at ambient and elevated temperatures is reliant on the composite material behaviour of EWPs, including the ability to retard fire and smoke. At elevated temperatures, the EWPs are affected by delamination resulting from the migration of moisture through panels and specifically in the vicinity of bond lines. The proposed work aims to quantity the spatio-temporal migration of moisture through EWP during transient heating using x-ray and neutron imaging, in order to assess its on the integrity of the bondline. The data obtained would complement the experimental and theoretical work undertaken as part of the PhD research into the influence of adhesive on the performance of EWPs.