Search Results (938)

The forestry industry has evolved during its history by continuously adapting to the natural environment and new technological solutions, but its progression into the future has taken some different paths depending on the level of understanding for a sustainable greener future. Countries with a long wood culture have learned from the past and brought their knowledge into a sustainable forestry and building industry. This paper presents possible solutions for reusing timber, using logs as building materials, contributing to the regeneration of traditional heritage, and exploring the possibility of recycling and reusing materials after the building’s life cycle. The study includes solutions regarding the reuse and recirculation of old weathered wooden constructions, inspired by the Nordic countries. Climate adaptation has been a challenge since ancient times, and the Nordic climate offers more than difficult conditions. The buildings are adapted to the harsh climate and local resources, and the mountainous landscape offers building materials mainly in the form of wood and stone. Reuse and recirculation have always been practiced in the traditional construction of wood culture. Full article

The present study evaluates the quality of charcoal produced from Quercus scytophylla Liebm. in Guerrero, Mexico, using a portable metal oven, namely, the Guadiana Valley Experimental Field (CEVAG) type. A $2\times 3$ factorial design was employed to analyse the influence of wood heterogeneity (sapwood vs. heartwood) and position within the oven (low, medium, high) on the yield and physicochemical properties of the charcoal. The mean yield of the process was found to be 20.0–26.7%. The characteristics of six properties were determined: moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, basic density, and calorific value. The charcoal exhibited a low moisture content (1.49–3.56%) and ash content (2.18–2.52%), meeting international standards. Volatile matter was higher in heartwood (22%). Fixed carbon (73.73–74.05%) was close to the optimal parameters of international standards. The calorific value exhibited marked variations in accordance with the position during the process of carbonisation, with elevated values observed in the lower section (6751–7508 cal g⁻¹). The basic density of the wood was higher in the sapwood, with a maximum value of 0.57 g cm⁻³ observed in the upper section. A positive linear relationship was identified between the basic density and calorific value, although the coefficient of determination was small ($R^2=0.67$) and therefore inconclusive. The analysis showed the type of relationship that can be established between these two variables. The upper part of the kiln exhibited the optimal physicochemical properties, with the levels deemed acceptable. The utilisation of this oak for charcoal production fosters sustainable forest management and engenders direct economic benefits for rural communities. In conclusion, the research provides a viable technical model for sustainable wood energy production in forestry regions and underscores the need to evaluate other timber species with this potential. Full article

Wood is a primary bioproduct widely utilized as timber in construction and carpentry. Characterization of its properties, particularly moisture response, is essential for industrial performance. The Fiber Saturation Point (FSP) influences the dimensional stability and efficiency of industrial processes such as drying. This study determines the maximum dimensional variation and the FSP of Eucalyptus nitens solid wood from plantations in Northwestern Spain, studying 354 specimens of 20 × 20 × 50 mm. Mean and median values were calculated considering and omitting outliers. Additionally, a graphical FSP value was obtained by applying the statistical theory of the center of gravity, defined as the intersection of lines derived from the two-dimensional data distribution. For maximum dimensional variation, the analysis yielded mean values of 5.2% [±1.53] and 11.2% [±2.84] and medians of 4.8% and 10.4%, in radial and tangential directions, respectively. The mean FSP was 29.9% [±7.95], the median 28.9%, and the graphical estimate 30.8%. Establishing the FSP defines the critical moisture threshold at which significant changes in physical and mechanical properties, as well as dimensional alterations, occur in this bioresource, particularly for its use as a bioproduct in carpentry and construction or for industrial wood drying. Full article

Ecosystems provide essential services to local communities, which in turn offer incentives for the preservation of natural resources, as these resources are crucial to the sustainability and evolution of human societies. So, this study examined the demand for ecosystem services among communities surrounding the Luki Biosphere Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 361 randomly selected individuals and focus group discussions in 18 villages, complemented by field observations on local resource use (agriculture, charcoal production, wood harvesting, and tree felling). The services provided by the reserve were identified according to citation frequency, perceived usefulness, and level of agreement among respondents. Results indicate that agricultural products (28.5%), charcoal (19.1%), non-timber forest products (17.5%), and firewood (10%) are the most requested. The Chi-square test showed significant associations between dependence on ecosystem services and socio-economic variables such as gender (p = 0.014 < 0.05), education level (p = 0.033 < 0.05), and annual income (p = 0.000 < 0.05), while age was not significant (p = 0.504 > 0.05). Poverty and rapid demographic growth were identified as key drivers of demand and factors contributing to growing pressure on natural resources. The study emphasizes feedback loops between changes in ecosystem service supply and community responses, as well as trade-offs between services and actors. It recommends integrating ecosystem values into agricultural and forestry policies, while raising awareness and educating local communities to promote sustainable resource management. Full article

Due to their sustainability, lightweight qualities, and simplicity of installation, wood slab systems have gained increasing attention in the building industry. Cross-laminated timber (CLT), an engineered wood product (EWP), improves structural strength and stability, offering a good alternative to conventional reinforced concrete (RC) slab systems. Conventional CLT, however, contains adhesives that pose environmental and end-of-life (EOL) disposal challenges. Adhesive-free CLT (AFCLT) panels have recently been introduced as a sustainable option, but their environmental performance has not yet been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the environmental impacts of five slab systems are evaluated and compared using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The investigated slab systems include a standard CLT slab (SCLT), three different AFCLT slabs (AFCLT1, AFCLT2, and AFCLT3), and an RC slab. The assessment considered abiotic depletion potential (ADP), global warming potential (GWP), ozone layer depletion potential (ODP), human toxicity potential (HTP), freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential (FAETP), marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MAETP), terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (TETP), photochemical oxidation potential (POCP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP), covering the entire life cycle from production to disposal, excluding part of the use stage (B2-B7). The results highlight the advantages and drawbacks of each slab system, providing insights into selecting sustainable slab solutions. AFCLT2 exhibited the lowest environmental impacts across the assessed categories. On the contrary, the RC slab showed the highest environmental impact among the studied products. For example, the RC slab had the highest GWP of 67.422 kg CO₂ eq, which was 1784.3% higher than that of AFCLT2 (3.779 kg CO₂ eq). Additionally, the simulation displayed that the analysis results vary depending on the electricity source, which is influenced by geographical location. Using the Norwegian electricity mix resulted in the most sustainable outcomes compared with Sweden, Finland, and Saudi Arabia. This study contributes to the advancement of low-carbon construction techniques and the development of building materials with reduced environmental impacts in the construction sector. Full article

As a green-material structure, cross-laminated timber (CLT) has attracted increasing attention and applications in construction. This study presents an analytical model for a CLT plate under the coupling effect of load and moisture content, where the moisture-induced deformation and moisture-dependent properties are both considered. In the analytical model, state-space equations for moisture variables and for stresses and displacements in the CLT plate are established based on moisture diffusion theory and three-dimensional elasticity theory, respectively. Using the transfer matrix method, the relationships of moisture variables, stresses, and displacements between any two layers of the CLT plates are formulated. The analytical solutions are then determined by the load and moisture conditions applied to the top and bottom surfaces. Comparative analysis indicates that the proposed solution surpasses finite element methods in both computational accuracy and efficiency. In addition, the stress and displacement patterns of CLT plates under pure load and pure moisture conditions, as well as their interrelations, are investigated through a decoupled analysis. An applicable modified superposition principle is then proposed. Finally, a detailed parametric study is conducted to examine the effects of moisture distribution and wood species. Full article

The precise localization of the pith within sawn timber cross-sections is essential for improving downstream processing accuracy in modern wood manufacturing. Existing industrial workflows still rely heavily on manual interpretation, which is labor-intensive, error-prone, and unsuitable for real-time quality control. However, automatic pith detection is challenging due to the small size of the pith, its visual similarity to knots and cracks, and the dominance of negative samples (boards without visible pith) in practical scenarios. To address these challenges, this study develops Wood-YOLOv11, a task-adapted YOLOv11-based pith detection model optimized for real-time and high-precision operation in wood processing environments. The proposed approach incorporates: (1) a dedicated sawn-timber cross-section dataset including multiple species, mixed imaging sources, and clearly annotated pith positions; (2) a negative-sample-aware training strategy that explicitly leverages pithless boards and weighted binary cross-entropy to mitigate extreme class imbalance; (3) a high-resolution (840 × 840) input configuration and optimized loss weighting to improve small-target localization; and (4) a comprehensive evaluation protocol including false-positive analysis on pithless boards and comparison with mainstream detectors. Validated on a comprehensive, custom-annotated sawn timber dataset, our model demonstrates excellent performance. It achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) of 92.1%, a Precision of 95.18%, and a Recall of 87.72%, proving its ability to handle high-texture backgrounds and small target sizes. The proposed Wood-YOLOv11 model provides a robust, real-time, and efficient technical solution for the intelligent transformation of the wood processing industry. Full article

Branch characteristics (quantity, morphology, and distribution) are critical determinants of tree growth and wood quality. However, the influence of species mixing, particularly mixing ratios, on branch development remains poorly understood. This study examined the branch attributes of Betula alnoides and Castanopsis hystrix in a six-year-old mixed-species trial plantation including monoculture of each species, and three mixtures at ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 (B. alnoides–C. hystrix) in Pingxiang, Guangxi, China. Branch quantity (number, proportion, and density), morphology (diameter, length, and angle), and distribution (vertical and horizontal) were measured or recorded from 40 sampled dominant or codominant trees (20 B. alnoides and 20 C. hystrix). The results showed that mixing significantly increased the number and density of branches over 124.2% and 53.2%, respectively, in the lower crown (below 10 m) of B. alnoides, with these metrics positively correlated to the proportion of C. hystrix, while mixing exerted limited effects on branch quantity and size of C. hystrix. The 1:3 and 1:5 mixtures yielded more small branches (diameter < 10 mm) as well as more large branches (>25 mm) for B. alnoides. Branch distribution was almost uniform in different horizontal directions for both species, while variations in branch quantity and morphology along the stem were primarily species-specific; and both aspects remained consistent across the different mixing ratios. In conclusion, mixing B. alnoides with a low proportion of C. hystrix is proposed to produce high-quality solid wood for both species. Future studies should investigate alternative mixing patterns and higher proportions of B. alnoides in mixture with C. hystrix to optimize large-size and high-quality timber production. Full article

The objective of this article is to evaluate the viability of implementing the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) methodology in the design and construction of complex wooden structures with non-standard geometry. The present study incorporates an analysis of scientific literature from 2011 to 2024, in addition to selected case studies of buildings constructed using glued laminated timber and engineered wood prefabrication technology. The selection of examples was based on a range of criteria, including geometric complexity, the level of integration of digital tools (BIM, CAM, parametric design), and the efficiency of assembly processes. The implementation of DfMA principles has been shown to result in a reduction in material waste by 15–25% and a reduction in assembly time by approximately 30% when compared to traditional construction methods. The findings of the present study demonstrate that the concurrent integration of design, production, and assembly in the timber construction process enhances energy efficiency, curtails embodied carbon emissions, and fosters the adoption of circular economy principles. The analysis also reveals key implementation barriers, such as insufficient digital skills, lack of standardization, and limited availability of prefabrication facilities. The article under scrutiny places significant emphasis on the pivotal role of DfMA in facilitating the digital transformation of timber architecture and propelling sustainable construction development in the context of the circular economy. The conclusions of the study indicate a necessity for further research to be conducted on quantitative life cycle assessment (LCA, LCC) and on the implementation of DfMA on both a national and international scale. Full article

In-depth data on business development processes is required to understand the reasons behind productivity dynamics and economic trends. However, even basic demographic knowledge of Russian timber enterprises is often scarce, which severely limits opportunities for advanced economic research. This paper addresses this issue by introducing an open dataset on the business demographics of logging and sawn wood production companies in Asian Russia, an important center of the global forestry economy. To create an aggregated dataset containing registration and liquidation information from 1991 to 2024, we developed an approach to collect and process primary data on 9731 legal entities in the specified timber industries and Russian regions. This paper presents the periodization of the Russian timber market for the first time based on the obtained dataset. This periodization allows us to track the effects of significant changes in the business environment over the past 35 years. The analysis revealed a structural shift in 2016, due to the launch of the tax authorities’ policy of liquidating abandoned and shell companies. This led to an overestimation of the number of liquidations in official statistics. Our estimates of the liquidation rates for economically active timber companies from 2016 to 2024 are three to five times lower, highlighting the importance of using micro-level data for economic research. Our findings suggest that the crises of 2019–2020 and 2022–2024 had a greater impact on new entries than exits in the Asian Russian timber market. The largest forest companies have demonstrated resilience in the face of changes in the timber market, the pandemic crisis, and economic sanctions imposed on Russia, as evidenced by their low liquidation rates. Full article

The dimensional stability of sawn timber is one of the key factors affecting processing and final application in various fields, such as construction, furniture making, and interior design. One of the most common problems that beech wood producers may confront is the occurrence of various types of warping (deformation) during drying. These warps significantly affect the processability of sawn timber, which can lead to reduced yield and economic losses. Several factors can affect dimensional stability. These factors include the sawing pattern, the position of the timber in the log, and the slope of the annual rings. Our research investigated these factors and focused on two types of warping: cup and twist. The results showed a notable influence of the original position of the timber in the log on the degree of cup warping after drying (r = 0.5194; p = 0.0189), with timber closer to the perimeter exhibiting less curvature. The sawing pattern (parallel to the surface of the log—RsP; parallel to the axis of the log—RsO) had a less significant effect but showed a tendency towards curvature (r = 0.4242; p = 0.0623). Based on the sawing pattern, after drying, the twist warping was more pronounced in RsP logs, while RsO cuts retained better shape stability and had only minimal cup warping. Full article

Accurate and efficient wood defect detection is crucial for improving timber utilization rates in the wood processing industry. To address the limitations of existing detection models in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and generalization, this study proposes EFCW-YOLO, an improved model based on YOLOv8n. The model incorporates four key enhancements: the Focal Modulation module for superior context modeling, the Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) mechanism for lightweight channel attention, the C2fCIB module for efficient feature extraction, and the Wise-IoU v3 loss function for robust bounding box regression. Experimental results on the self-built PlankDef-9K multi-species defect dataset demonstrate that EFCW-YOLO achieves a mean average precision (mAP50) of 90.26%, outperforming several mainstream detectors while maintaining a compact model size of 6.12 MB. Furthermore, the model exhibits strong generalization capability, as validated on a cross-domain crop pest dataset. The study concludes that EFCW-YOLO provides a high-performance, lightweight solution for automated wood surface defect detection, offering significant potential for industrial deployment to reduce waste and enhance processing efficiency. This technology holds significant practical potential for enabling precise utilization of wood resources, reducing raw material waste, and enhancing the economic benefits of the wood processing industry. Full article

In Southwest China, traditional wooden buildings in historic villages commonly feature natural vegetation roofing materials, such as thatch or bamboo shingles, which are highly susceptible to fire. Existing research has primarily focused on traditional timber-frame buildings with tiled roofs, while limited attention has been given to those with natural vegetation roofs. This study, taking Wengding village in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, as an exemplary case, conducts a fire risk assessment and explores fire prevention strategies for buildings with bamboo-wood frames and natural vegetation roofs on the basis of Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS): the application of fire-retardant coatings, the use of synthetic thatched roofing materials, and a combination of both. The results indicate that the strategy employing synthetic thatched roofing materials offers the best fire resistance performance. By integrating traditional fire prevention knowledge with modern technologies, this study provides a scientifically grounded reference for mitigating fire risks in historic buildings with natural vegetation roofs in China’s ethnic minority regions, aiming to enhance fire safety while preserving architectural authenticity. Full article

Engineered wood products have become key sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials, offering strong potential for reducing climate impacts in the construction sector. This review systematically assesses recent life cycle assessment studies on engineered wood products to compare their environmental performance and support low-carbon building practices. The peer-reviewed literature published over the past decade was analyzed for publication trends, geographic focus, and methodological approaches, including goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, and life cycle impact assessment. Comparative analyses examined climate change impact and key parameters influencing environmental outcomes. Results indicate a steady growth of research in this field, led by China, the United States, and Europe. Volume-based functional units (e.g., 1 m³) are predominant in structural wood studies, while mass-based units are more common for composites. Cradle-to-gate boundaries are most frequently used, and data are primarily drawn from Ecoinvent, Environmental Product Declarations, and regional databases such as GaBi and CLCD. Common impact assessment methods include CML-IA, ReCiPe, and TRACI, with climate change identified as the core impact category. Cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber consistently show lower and more stable climate change impacts, while fiberboards exhibit higher and more variable results due to adhesive content and energy-intensive manufacturing. Key factors influencing environmental outcomes include service life, wood species, and material sourcing. The review highlights the need for standardized methodologies and further exploration of emerging products, such as nail-laminated and dowel-laminated timber and laminated bamboo, to improve comparability and inform sustainable design practices. Full article

This paper presents results from an extensive study on laminated timber beams manufactured without adhesives or metal fasteners. The use of such elements enables the implementation of the 4R principles in construction (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair). Prior to the testing of beam elements, tests were conducted on embedment strength of wooden dowels in comparison with conventional steel ones. The specimens varied in dowel diameter and in the angle of applied load relative to the grain direction. In addition to mechanically inserted dowels, an innovative dowel-welding method was examined. Welding enhances the bonding between lamellas, thereby improving overall mechanical performance. Further investigations involved beams with lamellas joined by dowels of different diameters, spacing, orientation, and installation methods. Experimental results were compared with analytical models for composite beams. The study showed that, except through the entire height of the beam section, it is possible to use dowels that connect only two lamellas, which is important for production. Dowels placed at 45° in relation to the lamella fibers showed approximately 20% greater capacity. It is also important to mention that study shows how welded dowels are only useful when they have larger diameters because then they achieve a significant level of cohesion. Full article