Densiometric tests on timber elements

The test is based on the measurement of the resistance to perforation of a timber element. The resistance is evaluated by measuring the energy used by the instrument to allow the advancement of a thin steel tip at a constant speed. The penetration energy is dissipated at the tip of the needle, since the latter is twice as thick as the shaft. The electronic regulation of the motor guarantees a constant speed of the needle that must be adapted to the specific density characteristics of the wood to be examined. The needle penetrometer provides a density profile of the sections tested and allows to estimate the dimensions of any degraded areas not visible from the outside, to determine the actual resistant section of the structure. The graphs obtained from the test show the penetration depth on the x-axis and on the y-axis a percentage value referring to the energy consumed by the instrument in response to the density of the tested timber section.