The use of cross-laminated lumber (CLT) for building construction has gained interest in the US and Canada. Although anecdotal market size claims exist, few quantitative studies have estimated the potential market size or discussed the impact of CLT on lumber supply. This paper presents a method to quantify CLT markets and lumber supplies based on data for the Northwest US. By Kristin Brandt, Dane Camenzind, Dan Dolan, Don Bender, Alex Wilson and Michael Wolcott, Washington State University, and Greg Latta, University of Idaho
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As the quality of unharvested hardwoods fibre is low and their outlets in conventional wood transformation industries are absent, unharvested hardwoods are abundant in eastern Canada. The objective of this study was to assess the biochemical and thermochemical energy conversion potential of decaying hardwoods and compare their relationships with external and internal indicators of tree degradation. By Éloïse Dupuis, Evelyne Thiffault, Laval University, Julie Barrette, Direction of Forest Research, Kokou Adjallé, Université de Québec, Christine Martineau, Canada Laurentian Forestry Centre
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Health status of oak trees in a conservation seed orchard has been observed for over twenty years, focusing on characteristic virus-suspected symptoms. Screen the oak seedlings in three consecutive years, use a newly established virus-specific diagnostic reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and find out the causes and impact of oak decline so that it would be possible to reforest high-quality seedlings of oak successfully in a time of climate change. By Martina Bandte, Marius Rehanek, Susanne von Bargen and Carmen Büttner, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Crop and Animal Sciences, Bertram Leder, Forestry and Timber North Rhine-Westphalia
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Imported wood resources, especially yellow poplar and Chinese poplar, are increasingly evident in the Malaysian furniture sector due to declining supply of domestic wood materials. The successful application of paulownia for furniture manufacturing will depend on its supply volume and economics in the future. By Hazirah Ab Latib, Lim Choon Liat, Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam, Amir Affan Abdul Azim and Manohar Mariapan, Universiti Putra Malaysia, E L Law, Green Afforestation International Network, and J Natkuncaran, University of Wollongong
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In Estonia, hardwoods form approximately 50 percent of all forest area, where the main species are birch, grey alder, aspen and black alder. Birch has been extensively used by the veneer-based industry, but species like black alder, grey alder and aspen have not been commonly used by the veneer-based products industry due to the lower quality of this resource. It was found that with proper lay-up schemes, these wood species could be successfully used by the veneer-based products industry. By Heikko Kallakas, Anti Rohumaa, Harti Vahermets and Jaan Kers, Tallinn University of Technology
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Australia is following the lead of Europe and North America with several recent projects being completed using predominately cross-laminated timber panels (CLT). However, veneer-based mass-panel (VBMP) systems could offer additional benefits including the more efficient use of the available forest resources to produce wood-based mass-panels (WBMPs) that have equivalent to superior performance to CLT. By Robert L Gavin and Tony Dakin, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Horticulture and Forestry Science, and Jon Shanks, TimberED Services
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The use of wood for road construction in biologically valuable areas seems to be a good alternative to solutions based on less ecologically-friendly materials. This study analyses the existing road surfaces constructed on timber log foundations and the selected properties of the wood taken from designated road sections—to measure the properties of durability. By Paweł Kozakiewicz and Grzegorz Trzciński, Warsaw University of Life Sciences
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This study aims at estimating the carbon emission from biomass carbon stock change in tropical forests of Sarawak, Malaysia, within the years 2005–2014 as a consequence of wood harvesting. From the results obtained, it was found that overall carbon emission was a net gain for Sarawak. By Peng Eng Kiat and MA Malek, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, and SM Shamsuddin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
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Wood continues to be widely used as a resource to meet humankind’s material needs. However, for wood to meet its full potential, researchers must overcome the challenge of understanding its fundamental moisture-related properties across its many levels of hierarchy spanning from the molecular scale up to the bulk wood level. By Xavier Arzola-Villegas and Roderic Lakes, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Nayomi Z. Plaza and Joseph E. Jakes, USDA Forest Service
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In order to reduce production costs and formaldehyde emissions, the research is conducted to improve the production process in the South Korean furniture industry by reducing the amount of medium-density fibreboard. By Kim Taeho, Incheon National University
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