Italian forests are characterized by a high number of tree species, as a result of the great variability of climatic conditions, soil, altitude and exposure. Therefore there are many timber species, potentially suitable for several uses, including structural one. Nevertheless, at present the structural timber used in Italy is mostly imported, because, among other reasons, the technological characteristics of national timber are little known. On the other hand, timber elements used for structural purposes have to be strength graded according to the indications of the standard EN 14081 [1]. Strength grading requires the measurement and the observation of some timber properties in order to predict its strength. But, because of the timber properties variability, the statistical approach provided by the standard and in order to reduce the uncertainty of indirect strength prediction, numerous experimental data from different species, various cross sections and geographical origin are needed [2-4].For these reasons, CNR-IVALSA started a research program to promote Italian timber for structural uses, by characterizing several wood species (from physical and mechanical point of view) and testing the efficiency of visual and machine grading methods. Part of the results of the study are reported.
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