1999 Spotlight on Graduate and Undergraduate Research at ESF
Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering Abstracts

Contents

QUEST FOR EARTHWORK – INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE THAT CALCULATES EARTHWORK QUANTITIES. Robert W. Bancroft, Jr. and Kenneth J. Tiss.

UV CURABLE COATINGS: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY PROACTIVE APPROACH. Scott Larsen, Leonard Smith, Mark Driscoll, Anthony Berejka and Anthony Pappano.

BUCKLING OF LARGE-GAP MPC-JOINTS WITH SQUARE-END MEMBERS. R. Stokes and R. Hussein.

QUEST FOR EARTHWORK – INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE THAT CALCULATES EARTHWORK QUANTITIES. Robert W. Bancroft, Jr., Kenneth J. Tiss, AIC, Major Professor, Faculty of CM&WPE, 403 Baker, SUNY-ESF

     Quest for Earthwork is a software program designed for estimating the quantities of earth to be moved on a job-site. It has excellent presentation and graphic features. The end result is a view of the earth that is easy to understand and visualize, unlike the typical site (or plot) plan which can be confusing and difficult to read. The estimates are thorough and precise, eliminating the need for the cumbersome average-end-area method of estimation. A small project may be completed in as little as a half an hour, depending on the experience of the user.
     Quest for Earthwork is a windows based program. Its only hardware requirement is a digitizer.

UV CURABLE COATINGS: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY PROACTIVE APPROACH. Scott Larsen and Leonard Smith, Faculty of Construction Management & Wood Products Engineering. Mark Driscoll, Radiation and Chemical Safety Officer, SUNY College ESF, Syracuse, NY 13210. Anthony Berejka, President, Ionicorp⁺, Huntington, NY 11743. Anthony Pappano, Assistant to the Vice President, Strathmore Products, Syracuse, NY 13204.

     Ultraviolet (UV) light curing of coatings has proven to be an effective method for eliminating the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the graphic arts and coatings industries. The use of 100% liquid, non-volatile systems (no solvents), which polymerize or convert to a dry film upon exposure to high intensity UV light, has enabled these industries to comply with the most stringent VOC emission standards.
     The major environmental benefit of UV curable coatings is the elimination of VOCs from the atmosphere. Firms employing this technology have also realized other benefits such as reduced energy consumption and increased productivity.
     Clear UV coatings have been used successfully on porous substrates such as wood and plastics. However, obstacles for paints, such as adhesion to metallic substrates, thorough cure of pigmented systems, sufficient film build, and hiding of the substrate, have precluded the use of this environmentally friendly technology from being used in more diverse areas.
     Several UV curable pigmented formulations have been developed in conjunction with Strathmore Products and Ionicorp⁺ that meet many common industry performance requirements. Successful formulations include acrylated epoxies, acrylic monomer diluents and adhesion promoters.

BUCKLING OF LARGE-GAP MPC-JOINTS WITH SQUARE-END MEMBERS. R. Stokes and R. Hussein, Faculty of Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering, 413 Baker.

     Metal-Plate-Connected (MPC) trusses with square-end webs provide some economic potentials for the wood industries. This concept simplifies the manufacturing process of wood trusses (1). The new connections however incorporates some structural disadvantages as the buckling of the metal plates under the compressive loads that transfer among members at the joints. This study experimentally investigated this problem. Three different types of MP connections with square-end members were prepared. The total number of specimens was seventy two. The common commercial connectors were used;16 and 20 Ga, with parallel and perpendicular slots to the test loads. The wood members used Southern Yellow Pine and were all made of 2- by 4-inch.
     Each joint was tested to failure. Plate buckling as well as tooth withdrawal predominated all observed failure modes. This poster will present the results of this experimental investigation.

     Literature Cited: 1. Stahl, D. C. et al.; "Strength and Stiffness of Large-Gap Metal-Plate Wood Connections," Research Paper FPL-RP-535, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, 1994.