Emerging opportunities for low-grade hardwood in glue-laminated timbers

John J. Janowiak

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

The hardwood industry must deal with a log supply that has a diminished capacity to yield high-quality lumber. Average sawlog diameter continues to decrease. This has an adverse affect on the recovery of quality appearance lumber, despite the implementation of improved sawing methods. The industry is faced with the potential reduction of availability for select red and white oaks. Indications are that mixed eastern hardwood forests in the future may be less favorably disposed toward these resources. Inventory data indicate increasing sawtimber volume but are weighted toward hardwoods with lower market demand. New market opportunities are important with the development of user applications for under-utilized hardwood. Better and expanded markets for hardwood lumber is of interest to many sawmill managers. One emerging opportunity for using less-desirable hardwood is in the manufacture of glue-laminated (glulam) timbers. Hardwood-based glulam has been the subject of intense research to develop this technology for application to highway-rated bridge structures. Various study evaluations have been conducted with demonstration bridge construction projects. Results indicate that high-performance glulam products can be effectively manufactured with lower quality hardwood lumber. This paper provides an overview of recent investigations to study under-utilized red maple (Acer rubrum) lumber resources for the manufacture of structural glulam timbers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages60-66
Number of pages7
StatePublished - 1997
EventProceedings of the 1997 Conference on Eastern Hardwoods, Resources, Technologies, and Markets - Harrisburg, PA, USA
Duration: Apr 21 1997Apr 23 1997

Other

OtherProceedings of the 1997 Conference on Eastern Hardwoods, Resources, Technologies, and Markets
CityHarrisburg, PA, USA
Period4/21/974/23/97

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • General Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Emerging opportunities for low-grade hardwood in glue-laminated timbers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this