Search Results (195)

The movement towards low-emission and sustainable building practices has driven increased use of natural, carbon-based materials such as wood. While these materials offer significant environmental advantages, their inherent flammability introduces new challenges for timber building safety. Despite advancements in fire protection standards and building regulations, the risk of fire incidents—whether from technical failure, human error, or intentional acts—remains. The rapid detection of fire onset is crucial for safeguarding human life, animal welfare, and valuable assets. This study investigates the potential of monitoring fire precursor gases emitted inside building structures during pre-ignition and early combustion stages. The research also examines the sensitivity and effectiveness of commercial smoke detectors compared with custom sensor arrays in detecting these emissions. A representative structural sample was constructed and subjected to a controlled fire scenario in a laboratory setting, providing insights into the integration of gas sensing technologies for enhanced fire resilience in sustainable building systems. Full article

The effects of changes in China’s final demand structure on its forestry sector and associated supply chains have not been thoroughly examined. This study aims to provide a detailed analysis of the quantitative relationships and underlying mechanisms between these interactive changes. Using China’s 153-sector input–output tables from the National Bureau of Statistics and applying a Leontief-based input–output model, we conducted scenario simulations through three distinct schemes, generating both quantitative and qualitative results. Our findings indicate that (1) For China’s forestry sector and its entire value chain to thrive, policymakers should boost consumer demand. This can better stimulate the development of forestry and the “agriculture-forestry-animal husbandry-fishery services” sector and related service industries; (2) Increased investment demand effectively stimulates the development of tertiary industries and secondary industries within the forestry supply chain and boosts the demand and production of intermediate products; (3) Changes in net exports have a significant impact on forestry and the forestry industry chain. To reduce dependence on foreign timber resources, China should strategically expand commercial plantation development; (4) Regarding intermediate product production, investment has a more pronounced effect on increasing total volume compared to consumption. Additionally, the Sino–US tariff disputes negatively impact the forestry industries of both countries. China needs to accelerate import substitution strategies for timber products, adjust international trade markets, and expand domestic consumption and investment to ensure the healthy and stable development of its forestry sector. Full article

This paper investigates the cultural landscapes established by nineteenth-century German immigrants in South Australia and the southern Riverina of New South Wales, with particular attention to settlement patterns, architectural traditions and toponymic transformation. German immigration to Australia, though numerically modest compared to the Americas, significantly shaped local communities, especially due to religious cohesion among Lutheran migrants. These settlers established distinct, enduring rural enclaves characterized by linguistic, religious and architectural continuity. The paper examines three manifestations of these cultural landscapes. A rich toponymic landscape was created by imposing on natural landscape features and newly founded settlements the names of the communities from which the German settlers originated. It discusses the erosion of German toponyms under wartime nationalist pressures, the subsequent partial reinstatement and the implications for cultural memory. The study traces the second manifestation of a cultural landscapes in the form of nucleated villages such as Hahndorf, Bethanien and Lobethal, which often followed the Hufendorf or Straßendorf layout, integrating Silesian land-use principles into the Australian context. Intensification of land use through housing subdivisions in two communities as well as agricultural intensification through broad acre farming has led to the fragmentation (town) and obliteration (rural) of the uniquely German form of land use. The final focus is the material expression of cultural identity through architecture, particularly the use of traditional Fachwerk (half-timbered) construction and adaptations such as pug-and-pine walling suited to local materials and climate. The paper examines domestic forms, including the distinctive black kitchen, and highlights how environmental and functional adaptation reshaped German building traditions in the antipodes. Despite a conservation movement and despite considerable documentation research in the late twentieth century, the paper shows that most German rural structures remain unlisted and vulnerable. Heritage neglect, rural depopulation, economic rationalization, lack of commercial relevance and local government policy have accelerated the decline of many of these vernacular buildings. The study concludes by problematizing the sustainability of conserving German Australian rural heritage in the face of regulatory, economic and demographic pressures. With its layering of intangible (toponymic), structural (buildings) and land use (cadastral) features, the examination of the cultural landscape established by nineteenth-century German immigrants adds to the body of literature on immigrant communities, settler colonialism and landscape research. Full article

This study investigates the potential of Eucalyptus benthamii wood from planted forests in southern Brazil for the production of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The performance of E. benthamii CLT panels is compared to that of Pinus spp. panels and European commercial panels (KLH^®), using the finite element method applied to a two-story building model. Class 2 of the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 7190-2 was adopted as the reference for the physical and mechanical properties of Pinus spp., while the European commercial specifications from KLH^® were used to represent European reference panels. The results indicate that E. benthamii wood exhibits superior mechanical properties, enabling reductions of 12.5% to 27.3% in panel thickness and a 20.7% decrease in wood volume when compared to Pinus spp., without compromising structural safety. Relative to the KLH^® and ETA 06/0138 standards, E. benthamii wood demonstrates higher stiffness (modulus of elasticity of 15,325 MPa vs. 12,000 MPa) and greater flexural strength (109.11 MPa vs. 24 MPa), allowing for the use of thinner panels. Stress and displacement analyses confirm that E. benthamii CLT slabs can withstand critical loads (wind and vertical) within normative limits, with maximum displacements of 18.5 mm. The reduction in material volume (22.8 m³ versus 28.7 m³ for Pinus spp.) suggests potential benefits in terms of environmental impact and logistical efficiency. It can be concluded that E. benthamii represents a sustainable and efficient alternative for CLT panels, combining high structural performance with resource optimization and contributing to the decarbonization of the construction industry. Full article

In Germany, Pinus sylvestris is a dominant tree species, and many trees with large diameters are not utilised due to difficulties with processing. However, older pines have larger volumes of sapwood, and boards with a high sapwood content can be produced. The durability of boards from large-diameter (>50 cm) P. sylvestris trees, treated with furfurylation, acetylation, DMDHEU (1.3-dimethylol-4.5-dihydroxyethyleneurea), and SorCA (Sorbitol/Citric Acid), was assessed. The samples were taken from different sections along the longitudinal axis and the cross-section. The durability was tested against Coniophora puteana, Rhodonia placenta, and Trametes versicolor, according to the EN 113-2 standard. All treatments had a median mass loss < 5%, so classed as “highly durable” (Durability Class 1) against all fungi. DMDHEU had a large deviation in mass loss against Coniophora puteana and could potentially be classified as “moderately durable” (Durability Class 3), if based on the mean mass loss. The inner part of the end section had a higher mass loss, indicating that there was poorer retention of the treatment at this location. Overall, chemical modifications on large-diameter pine trees were effective at increasing durability. Utilising large-diameter pine trees can help to make use of regional resources and potentially reduce reliance on imported timber. With favourable mechanical properties and easy-to-treat sapwood, large-diameter P. sylvestris trees could be used for commercial treatments. Full article

Melina (Gmelina arborea Roxb.) is a tree native to Asia, whose timber is not utilized in that region for a variety of reasons. However, the tree’s fast growth and extensive range of applications have increased its acceptance in other world’regions. G. arborea was introduced to Mexico in 1971, and it is currently the fifth most utilized forest species in commercial forest plantations (CFPs). However, its genetic diversity has not been evaluated in Mexico. The objective of this research was to investigate the genetic variability of Melina in Mexico using molecular markers. This investigation was undertaken to acquire valuable insights for the implementation of effective improvement strategies. A total of 85 Melina samples were collected from various locations in southeastern Mexico between 2017 and 2022. Genetic fingerprints were obtained using ten simple primer amplification reactions (SPARs): five Directed Amplification of Minisatellite DNA regions (DAMD), and five Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs). The polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.940 and 0.950 for the DAMD and ISSR, respectively, and the similarity coefficients ranged from 0.12 to 0.88, indicating a high degree of polymorphism in the species under investigation. This is the first attempt to ascertain the genetic variability of Gmelina arborea in Mexico. Full article

Selection forestry sustains timber production and stand structural complexity via partial harvesting. However, regeneration initiated by harvesting may function as fuel ladders, providing pathways for fire to reach the forest canopy. We sought potential mitigation approaches by simulating stand growth and potential wildfire behavior over a century in stands dominated by coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (Lamb. ex. D. Don) Endl.) on California’s north coast. We used the fire and fuels extension to the forest vegetation simulator (FFE-FVS) to compare group selection (GS) to single-tree selection silviculture with either low-density (LD) or high-density (HD) retention on a 20-year harvest return interval. These three approaches were paired with six options involving vegetation management (i.e., hardwood control or pre-commercial thinning (PCT)) with and without fuels treatments (i.e., prescribed fire or pile burning), or no subsequent vegetation or fuel treatment applied after GS, HD, or LD silviculture. Fuel treatment involving prescribed fire reduced hazardous fuel loading but lowered stand density and hence productivity. Hardwood control followed by prescribed fire mitigated potential wildfire behavior and promoted dominance of merchantable conifers. PCT of small young trees regenerating after selection harvests, followed by piling and burning of these cut trees, sustained timber production while reducing potential wildfire behavior by approximately 40% relative to selection silviculture without vegetation/fuel management, which exhibited the worst potential wildfire behavior. Full article

The construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of annual global carbon emissions. This includes approximately 28% from operational carbon, 23% from transportation, and 11% from building and infrastructure materials. Following a review of the literature and a survey, a Low-Carbon Circular Design Framework was developed. The Framework was piloted to develop specific design guidance for low-rise steel, steel–concrete, and steel–timber hybrid structures. The specific guidance is targeted at industry experts, researchers, and building designers. Additionally, a Low-carbon Circular Design Hierarchy and associated flowchart was proposed. The effectiveness of the Framework, specific guidance, and proposed design flowchart was evaluated through a real-world case study involving a three-story commercial building typical of this typology in Aotearoa New Zealand. The results demonstrated that a 57% reduction in carbon using the proposed hierarchy is readily achievable within the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Full article

The Miombo woodlands are declining in both area and value, primarily due to over-harvesting of commonly preferred species. These forests, however, still contain several other species that are potentially of commercial importance. This study aimed to address the need for improved volume and biomass estimates for the sustainable management and utilization of two of the most abundant timber species in Mozambique’s Miombo woodlands: Brachystegia spiciformis (common name: Messassa) and Julbernardia globiflora (common name: red Messassa). Non-linear models were developed to estimate the merchantable wood volume under bark, heartwood volume, and biomass. The volume and biomass models for wood and heartwood volume, which included both diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height as predictor variables, outperformed single-predictor models. However, the performance of some ratio models using DBH as the only predictor variable surpassed that of models using two predictor variables. The developed models are recommended for adoption by forest companies to increase economic and environmental benefits as they can refine harvest planning by improving the selection of trees for harvesting. Proper tree selection enhances the rate of recovery of high-quality timber from heartwood while observing sustainable forest management practices in Miombo and increasing the proportion of carbon removed from forests, which is subsequently stored in wood products outside the forest. Full article

Forest ecosystems represent a natural repository of biodiversity, bioenergy, food, timber, water, medicine, wildlife shelter, and pollution control. In many countries, forests offer great potential to provide biogenic resources that could be utilized for large-scale biotechnological synthesis and products. The evolving nanotechnology could be an excellent platform for the transformation of forest products into value-added nanoparticles (NPs). It also serves as a tool for commercial production, placing the forest at the heart of conservation and sustainable management strategies. NPs are groups of atoms with a size ranging from 1 to 100 nm. This review analyzes the scholarly articles published over the last 25 years on the forest and woody plant-based green synthesis of NPs, highlighting the plant parts and applications discussed. The biosynthesis of nanomaterials from plant extracts provides inexpensiveness, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and environmental nontoxicity to the resultant NPs. The leaf is the most critical organ in woody plants, and it is widely used in NP biosynthesis, perhaps due to its central functions of bioactive metabolite production and storage. Most biosynthesized NPs from tree species have been used and tested for medical applications. For sustainable advancements in forest-based nanotechnology, broader species coverage, expanded applications, and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential. Full article

This study explores how integrating design processes into the native timber industry of southern Chile, specifically in the Araucanía and Los Ríos regions, can improve the value chain and promote sustainability. Chile’s native wood sector is constrained by fragmented value chains, underutilised small-diameter logs and limited market confidence. These challenges jeopardise forest sustainability and rural livelihoods, underscoring the imperative to find innovative solutions to reinvigorate the sector. A market gap analysis revealed critical limitations in the current industry, including low supply, limited demand, and weak technological development, especially in producing value-added wood products. The research identified over 417,000 hectares of second-growth roble (Nothofagus obliqua)-raulí (Nothofagus alpina)-coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi) forests suitable for sustainable management. Interviews with woodworking SMEs showed that 66% already use native timber, yet 46% of the projected volume remains underutilised due to the prevalence of short and thin logs. In response to these challenges, the study developed innovative prototypes such as interior claddings and lattices made from smaller, underutilised logs. These designs were evaluated and validated for use in residential and public buildings, demonstrating their potential to meet new market demands while promoting resource efficiency. The results show that, whilst there is a clear need for better infrastructure, workforce training, and commercial planning to support product adoption, design-driven innovation offers a promising path forward enhancing the industry’s competitiveness. Demonstrating how design-led integration can transform under-used native timber into high-value products, simultaneously driving sustainable forest stewardship and local economic growth. Full article

Standardized information on the processes and requirements for information exchanges is critical to ensure accurate cost estimations. However, traditional methods based on 2D information lack the standardization and information required for efficient and reliable early commercial evaluation. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the information exchange model (EM-01) proposed for the commercial evaluation of industrialized timber projects. This study adopted two illustrative cases of projects to make a comparative analysis between the traditional method that prefabrication companies use and the EM-01. The evaluation focused on effectiveness, efficiency, level of certainty, and the user’s perception. The results indicate that both methods enable project evaluation. However, the EM-01 offers better efficiency by reducing work time, reduces uncertainty by minimizing assumptions, and improves the user’s perception of the reliability of the commercial evaluation. The EM-01 provides more standardized information and specific structural design data supporting the early commercial evaluation. This study supports the idea that incorporating standardized information into the processes and requirements for information exchanges enhances the accuracy and reliability of early commercial evaluation in industrialized timber projects. Full article

Wood, steel, and concrete constitute the three predominant structural materials employed in contemporary commercial and residential construction. In composite applications, bond interfaces between these materials represent critical structural junctures that frequently exhibit a reduced load-bearing capacity, rendering them susceptible to the initiation of cracks. To elucidate the fracture propagation mechanisms at composite material interfaces, this study implements the cohesive zone method (CZM) to numerically simulate interfacial cracking behavior in two material systems: glued laminated timber (GLT) and reinforced concrete (RC). The adopted CZM framework utilizes a progressive delamination approach through cohesive elements governed by a bilinear traction–separation constitutive law. This methodology enables the simulation of interfacial failure through three distinct fracture modes: mode I (pure normal separation), mode II (pure in-plane shear), and mixed-mode (mode m) failure. Numerical models were developed for GLT beams, RC beams, and RC slab structures to investigate the propagation of interfacial cracks under monotonic loading conditions. The simulation results demonstrate strong agreement with experimental cracking observations in GLT structures, validating the CZM’s efficacy in characterizing both mechanical behavior and crack displacement fields. The model successfully captures transverse tensile failure (mode I) parallel to wood grain, longitudinal shear failure (mode II), and mixed-mode failure (mode m) in GLT specimens. Subsequent application of the CZM to RC structural components revealed a comparable predictive accuracy in simulating the interfacial mechanical response and crack displacement patterns at concrete composite interfaces. These findings collectively substantiate the robustness of the proposed CZM framework in modeling complex fracture phenomena across diverse construction material systems. Full article

Cunninghamia lanceolata, contributing 25% to China’s commercial timber production, faces severe drought threats. However, provenance-specific photosynthetic adaptations remain poorly understood. Here, we compared gas exchange, prompt/delayed fluorescence (PF/DF), and modulated 820-nm reflection (MR) responses of two provenances (JXJJ and FJSM) under different drought treatment times. JXJJ maintained a higher net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs) than FJSM under drought stress. The declining rates of F_V/F_M, φE_O, Ψ_O, δR_O, PI_ABS, TR_O/CS_M, and ET_O/CS_M were much more rapid in the FJSM than in the JXJJ. An MR kinetics analysis revealed significantly greater PSI impairment in FJSM, evidenced by a 60.2% reduction in P700⁺ re-reduction rate (V_red) compared to only 44.4% in JXJJ (p < 0.05) at 20 d drought treatment. Similarly, DF measurements demonstrated more pronounced PSII energy transfer disruption in FJSM, with the I₂/I₁ ratio increasing by 51.3% vs. 43.0% in JXJJ at 20 d drought treatment. These results demonstrate JXJJ’s superior drought resilience through coordinated stomatal and non-stomatal regulation. Our findings provide actionable criteria for selecting drought-tolerant C. lanceolata provenances, which is essential for sustainable forestry as the climate changes. This study underscores the significance of photosynthetic activity in how C. lanceolata responds to drought and gives insights into boosting drought tolerance in forest species through genetic improvements. Full article

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from material extraction to end-of-life, considering factors such as global warming, acidification, and toxicity. However, despite its significant health effects, noise has not yet been incorporated into the LCA. This study integrates noise impact into the LCA to assess and compare alternative structural designs for Australian high-rise residential and commercial buildings. Three scenarios were analysed: (1) reinforced concrete frames, (2) hybrid timber designs using engineered wood (e.g., cross-laminated timber and Glulam), and (3) steel-frame structures. The system boundary spans cradle to grave, with a 100-year lifespan. Material quantities were extracted from BIM software 2024 (Revit Architecture) for accuracy. The ReCiPe 2016 method converted inventory data into impact indicators, while noise impact was assessed using Highly Annoyed People (HAP) and Highly Sleep-Deprived People (HSDP). The results show that commercial buildings have more significant environmental impacts than residential structures due to their higher material usage. Steel frames generally exhibit the highest environmental impact, while concrete structures contribute most to noise effects. The total noise-integrated impact ranks as steel > concrete > timber. Additionally, noise accounts for up to 33% of the total impact on densely populated areas but remains negligible in low-population regions. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating noise into the LCA for a more holistic assessment of sustainable building designs. Full article