Wood and Wood-Based Materials as Sensors—A Review of the Piezoelectric Effect in Wood

Abstract

A variety of techniques have been investigated for use in assessing the physical and mechanical properties of wood products and structures. Ultrasound, transverse vibration, and stress-wave based methods are all techniques that have shown promise for many nondestructive evaluation applications. These techniques and others rely on the use of measurement systems to monitor the response of the specimen under test. The primary sensing element in many widely used measurement systems uses piezoelectric sensors to monitor the response of the specimen under test to an external force. Commonly used piezoelectric sensors rely on a quartz crystal that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The electrical signal obtained from such sensors is then used in a variety of signal processing steps to arrive at basic properties of the material or structural system being tested.

Citation

Ross, Robert J.; Kan, Jiangming; Wang, Xiping; Blankenburg, Julie; Stockhausen, Janet I.; Pellerin, Roy F. 2012. Wood and Wood-Based Materials as Sensors—A Review of the Piezoelectric Effect in Wood. USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report, FPL-GTR-212, 2012.