Identification of cracking parameters of three tropical African species using the LSA method

International audience Today, the tropical forests of Central Africa and Madagascar represent an obvious carbon sink vital for the long-term survival of our planet. At the same time, because of their particular behavior, tropical species can behave in ways that distinguish them from temperate woods, for example. This is why species such as Magnolia are considered in designing satellites and mobile devices for light structures and space adventures. This exploratory work aims to determine the energy release rates and critical stress intensity factors of three tropical species: African mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis), belinga (Guibourtia tessmanni), and dabema (Piptadeniastrum africanum). These emblematic species are likely to be used in civil and industrial construction systems but also structures designed for mobility. At the same time, LSA (Localized Spectrum Analysis), a full-field non-contact image analysis technique, is used to detect defects in test or in-use situations. In the end, the method makes it possible to obtain direct maps of deformations, displacements, and crack openings, which can be used to calculate fracture parameters using the displacement compliance method. The proposed technique can provide students and professionals with a new, accurate, and efficient method for estimating the mechanical behavior of tropical woods. - Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the CIR ITPS Cap2025 program (UCA) and the Auvergne Rhône Alpes Region via the WoodMob and ICARES+ projects for supporting this work.