Treesearch

Ninety-nine roundwood bending specimens were tested over the course of seven months beginning in early 2002 at the College of Engineering and Technology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. These specimens were taken from 5.0- to 12.7-inch diameter at breast height ponderosa pine trees cut during the summer of 2001 from Unit 16 of the Fort Valley Ecosystem Restoration Project located in wildland-urban interface of the Coconino National Forest. The specimens were sorted into two groups as a function of processing: hand-debarked logs known as tapered specimens and machine...

Every day, tons of fibrous material are landfilled that could otherwise be used for structural panel products. In this study, we looked at combining fibers from industrial fiberglass insulation trimwaste with commercial hardboard fibers and with recycled corrugated container fibers to improve the properties of a structural hardboard-like panel. This study also investigated the effectiveness of two coupling agents at enhancing fiber-to-fiber bonding between fiberglass andwood fibers. Processing characteristics, physical properties, and mechanical properties of the wet- formed mats and...

Resistance of wood reacted in situ with phosphorus pentoxide-amine to the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum and white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was examined. Wood reacted with either octyl, tribromo, or nitro derivatives were more resistant to both fungi. Threshold retention values of phosphoramide-reacted wood to white-rot fungus T. versicolor ranged from 2.9 to 13.3 mmol, while these for brown-rot fungus G. trabeum ranged from 8.1 to 19.2 mmol. Wood reacted with phosphoramide tested to be more resistant to white-rot than brown-rot attack.

Although wood–plastic composites have become more accepted and used in recent years and are promoted as low-maintenance, high-durability building products, they do experience a color change and a loss in mechanical properties with accelerated weathering. In this study, we attempted to characterize the modulus-of-elasticity (MOE) loss of photostabilized high- density polyethylene (HDPE) and composites of wood flour and high-density polyethylene (WF/HDPE) with accelerated weathering. We then examined how weathering changed the surface chemistry of the composites and looked at whether or not...

Wood is one of the most versatile and widely used building materials. However, it is also biodegradable and may be attacked by decay fungi or insects when used in some applications or geographic locations. Uses that allow the wood to frequently become wet, such as embedded posts or other exposed wood members, are familiar examples of applications where wood will degrade. Although moisture is the key to deterioration of wood, in some geographic locations there are insects that will even attack dry wood used indoors. Because it is biodegradable, wood used in applications where it may be...

Sawlogs in the United States, whether scaled on the ground or cruised on the stump, have traditionally been measured in terms of their lumber yield. The three commonly used measurement rules generally underestimate true recoveries. Moreover, they do so inconsistently, complicating the comparisons of volumes obtained by different board foot rules as well as by the cubic rules used internationally. In particular, for smaller log diameters, the undercount of board foot volume by US log scales can rise sharply. As sizes available to sawmills have declined, the ratios between scaled and actual...

The focus of this report is to describe the results from seven different sealant formulations exposed for up to 18 months. The methods used to evaluate the data are described, the difficulties encountered in analyzing the data are discussed, and new developments in the test apparatus are presented.

Congratulations again to Hampton Affiliates and especially its lumber operation in Willamina, Ore. for being the top lumber producer in the U.S. in 2003. The mill’s output of 433 MMBF exceeded its previous year’s total by almost 50 MMBF. The Weyerhaeuser Co. sawmill at Cottage Grove, Ore. placed second with 340 MMBF (it was third in last year’s list) and the Simpson dimension sawmill in Tacoma, Wash. rounded out the top three with 330 MMBF.

Could accessibility be improved and maintenance be reduced for wood fiber- based playgrounds? In July 2001, the US Access Board asked the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) for advice and a potential solution. Since that time new product standards have been adopted by ASTM for engineered wood fiber (EWF), new test techniques have been promulgated by RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) for testing and correlating surface behavior to wheelchair user expectations, and we have explored a concept for stiffening and stabilizing EWF playground and...

Globalization of the sawn softwood sector continues as we ride the crest of the wave, characterized by generally positive markets worldwide. In North America, market conditions for sawn softwood are booming, fuelled by a robust housing sector; however, the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and Canada is dampening this generally positive outlook. The mountain pine beetle epidemic that rages in British Columbia, Canada continues, with approximately 4.8 million hectares of forestland currently infested and government policies regarding harvesting approaches being enacted as...