Theoretical and experimental studies on the bending properties of glued laminated timber manufactured with Chinese fir

China has been increasingly promoting the use of prefabricated timber structure buildings in recent years. However, unlike other countries, China lacks a diverse range of local tree species and engineered wood products suitable for load-bearing components in timber structures. This shortage poses a risk to the sustainable development of timber structures in China. This issue is addressed in this study, which focuses on the development and manufacture of glued laminated timber (GLT) using Chinese fir from plantation forests. The dynamic elastic modulus of 549 laminae was evaluated using the FAKOPP stress wave approach. A total of 28 laminae were randomly selected from Classes I, II, and III to assess the influence of stress grading on bending performance. This study included an analysis of failure modes, bending capacity, and the prediction model for bending stiffness of GLT with different layups and cross-sectional heights. The findings showed that the dynamic elastic modulus of the laminae followed a normal distribution. The bending strength and modulus of elasticity of finger-jointed laminae across different grades were 29.59 MPa to 37.05 MPa and 8.13 GPa to 10.94 GPa, respectively. The mechanical properties of both same-grade and mixed-grade composition GLT manufactured from Chinese fir met the TC(T)28 (MOR >= 28 MPa, MOE >= 8000 MPa) and TC(YD)24 (MOR >= 24 MPa, MOE >= 8000 MPa) garde requirements in GB/T26889, respectively. Failure modes in the GLT specimens typically began at the knots or finger joints of the bottom layer laminae. The cross-sectional height had no significant effect on the modulus of elasticity of GLT but exerted a significant effect on bending strength. The prediction model for bending stiffness, developed using the transformed section method, agreed with the experimental results. The outcome of this research provides a scientific and data-driven foundation for the application of Chinese fir in the field of structural materials.