Testing and Assessment of Wood and Wood Products
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 18
Special Issue Editors
Interests: wood composite materials; wood particles; briquettes and pellets; physics and mechanics of wood; quality of composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Wood is a valuable, renewable, and versatile material widely used in construction, furniture, packaging, energy production, and a broad spectrum of wood-based and modified products. Compared with other construction materials, wood offers a significantly lower carbon footprint, requires less energy for processing, and contributes less to environmental pollution while also serving as a renewable energy source. In the context of global sustainability goals, the circular economy, and climate change mitigation, optimizing the use and performance of wood products has become increasingly important.
The sustainable and efficient utilization of wood requires a deeper understanding of its structure and properties, as these determine the performance, durability, and overall service life of wood-based constructions and products. Comprehensive testing and assessment play a central role in this process. These include, but are not limited to, evaluations of mechanical properties, moisture adsorption behavior, durability against biological and fire hazards, and life cycle performance. Advanced and emerging approaches—such as non-destructive testing on standing trees, digital and sensor-based assessment tools, and innovative analytical methods—are becoming essential for improving reliability and enabling better decision-making throughout the value chain.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in wood testing, evaluation, and performance assessment, with the goal of supporting the development of high-quality, long-lasting, and sustainable wood products. We also welcome contributions addressing outdoor wood testing, surface property characterization, and their implications for wood service life, as these topics are of high scientific and industrial relevance.
We invite original research articles, reviews, case studies, and technical notes that contribute to the understanding and advancement of testing methods and performance evaluations of wood and wood products. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Mechanical, physical, and chemical characterization of wood and wood products;
- Durability and service-life assessment, including biological and fire resistance;
- Surface properties, coatings, and factors influencing long-term performance;
- Non-destructive evaluation and testing technologies;
- Digital tools, sensor systems, and advanced analytical methods;
- Testing of innovative or modified wood-based materials;
- Life cycle assessment, circularity, and sustainability-related evaluations.
For detailed submission guidelines, please refer to the Forests Instructions for Authors: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/instructions.
Prof. Dr. Aurel Lunguleasa
Guest Editor
Dr. Marina Chavenetidou
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- woody products
- wood evaluation
- testing
- wood structure
- wood properties
- wood life cycle assessment
- sustainability
- composites, briquettes, and pellets
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