Stochastic Model for Modulus of Elasticity of Lumber

A model was developed for generating the lengthwise variability in modulus of elasticity (MOE) of lumber.A limited grade selection of southern pine visual and machine stress-rated (MSR) grades formed the basic data base.A second-order Markov model was used to generate serially correlated MOE's along 30-inch segments for a piece of lumber.Modulus of elasticity indexes were obtained by dividinp, each correlated MOE by the average MOE of the piece of lumber.The MOE of each segment was obtained by multiplying ~~L M O E indexes by a single random observation from a distribution of MOE.The distribution characteristics of the generated MOE values are preserved, and the first-and .second-order lengthwise serial correlations are preserved.