Treesearch

This paper presents an analysis of 3-dimensional engineered structural panels (3DESP) made from wood-fiber-based laminated paper composites. Since the existing models for calculating the mechanical behavior of core configurations within sandwich panels are very complex, a new simplified orthogonal model (SOM) using an equivalent element has been developed. This model considers both linear and nonlinear geometrical effects when used to analyze the mechanical properties of 3DESP by transforming repeated elements from a tri-axial ribbed core for bending. Two different conditions were studied...

The goal of the present study was to develop life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) data associated with gate-to-gate laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production in the southeast (SE) region of the U.S. with the ultimate aim of constructing an updated cradle-to-gate mill output life-cycle assessment (LCA). The authors collected primary (survey) mill data from LVL production facilities per Consortium on Research for Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) Research Guidelines. Comparative assertions were not a goal of the present study.

The goal of the present study was to develop life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) data associated with laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States from cradle-to-gate mill output. The authors collected primary (survey) mill data from LVL production facilities per Consortium on Research for Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) Research Guidelines. Comparative assertions were not a goal of the present study.

Current standardized methods are not well-suited for estimating in-service preservative leaching from treated wood products. This study compared several alternative leaching methods to a commonly used standard method, and to leaching under natural exposure conditions. Small blocks or lumber specimens were pressure treated with a wood preservative containing borax and copper hydroxide. The specimens were leached using scenarios involving short periods of immersion, simulated rainfall, or to a longer period of outdoor exposure to natural precipitation. When compared with lumber specimens...

The modulus of elasticity (MOE) of wood is a sensitive indicator of rotfungal attack. To develop an alternative method of rapid assessment of fungal decay in the laboratory, changes in static MOE of untreated and preservative-treated wood were measured during exposure to the brownrot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum, and the white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, in a standard soil bottle assay. Static MOE loss was compared with mass loss. The results showed that the MOE of wood was a sensitive and reliable indicator of rot-fungal attack, regardless of fungus or wood species. The MOE analysis...

The potential for two solid wood fumigants, dazomet and methylisothiocyanate (MITC), to move through wood at levels sufficient to arrest decay in covered bridges was assessed. Dazomet alone failed to decompose to MITC and move into the wood at effective levels, probably because too little moisture was available for breakdown. Adding a copper accelerant improved dazomet decomposition to the point at which it produced an effective level of chemical up to 600 mm from the point of application. The MITC levels in bridges receiving the active chemical in an aluminum tube were 15 to 20 times the...

In the wildland-urban interface, wood decks are a target for wildfire and may be ignited by firebrands or flaming debris. Wood decks also present a potential source for ignition of structures in the wildland-urban interface. However, their role in ignition of the adjacent structure is unclear and current regulation is based in part on anecdotal evidence. This paper examines the results of a set of preliminary laboratory experiments used to determine how experimental variables affect the thermal exposure from a burning wood deck to an attached structure. The experimental setup consists of a...

The role of ions in the fungal decay process of lignocellulose biomaterials, and more broadly fungal metabolism, has implications for diverse research disciplines ranging from plant pathology and forest ecology, to carbon sequestration. Despite the importance of ions in fungal decay mechanisms, the spatial distribution and quantification of ions in lignocellulosic cell walls and fungal hyphae during decay is not known. Here we employ synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) to map and quantify physiologically relevant ions, such as K, Ca, Mn, Fe, and Zn, in wood being decayed...

Oriented strand board (OSB) is commonly used in the residential construction market in North America and its moisture-related durability is a critical consideration for building envelope design. Measurement of OSB moisture content (MC), a key determinant of durability, is often done using moisture pins and relies on a correlation between MC and the electrical resistance (R) of the OSB between the pins. Early work on these correlations focused on solid lumber and recent correlations for engineered wood products lack data regarding the temperature effects on R. We provide data on 1001...

Nearly 400 million years of evolution and field-testing by the natural world has given humans thousands of wood types, each with unique structure– property relationships to study, exploit, and ideally, to manipulate, but the slow growth of trees makes them a recalcitrant experimental system. Variations in wood features of two genotypes of peach (Prunus persica L.) trees, wild-type and crinkle-leaf, were examined to elucidate the nature of weak wood in crinkle-leaf trees. Crinkle-leaf is a naturally-occurring mutation in which wood strength is altered in conjunction with an easily observed...