Characterization of Pacific Northwest Softwoods for Wood Composites Production.

摘要

Forest management practices and the composition of forests are changing. Old growth trees that were once relied upon for timber production are becoming less available. Consequently, the forest industry has begun harvesting higher volumes of fast grown, small diameter trees. Due to the age of these trees, a larger percentage of juvenile timber is present, which in turn reduces physical and mechanical properties. It is critical to know and understand the characteristics of available wood resources for process and product optimization The goal of this research is to characterize wood from small diameter trees to effectively utilize them in engineered wood composites. This research focused on evaluating and examining the variation in physical and mechanical properties of small-diameter Douglas-fir and western hemlock from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State relevant to the production of wood-based composites.