Evaluating and classifying timber for the wood processing industry

Tuesday 29^th April 2008

What was the event?

The properties of timber are effected by genetics, silvicultural treatment and environmental factors. Timber for construction use has to satisfy requirements for stiffness, strength and stability and, to some extent, visual appearance.

If timber from the South West is to compete with timber, from abroad and from elsewhere in the UK, robust evidence needs to be available to processors, users and inward investors of its suitability for purpose.

Extensive work has now been done in Scotland on Sitka Spruce and this programme is being extended to other species. Research has primarily centred on strength grading, visual grading and acoustic testing.

The seminar reviewed research to date with emphasis on its application to predominant commercial species in the South-West. Speakers from Forest Research talked on acoustic segregation in log grading and broadleaf timber quality whilst the Forest Research Institute Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany addressed Douglas fir timber quality and modelling the properties of wood. The Professor of Timber Engineering at the University of Bath added an end users’ perspective and outline current research specific to South-West timber.

A practical demonstration of the latest acoustic assessment tools took place in the afternoon.

Presentations: