The Forestry Forum

RE:  NEW USES FOR WOOD 

In addition to tall buildings, bridges, and other structures from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glum-lam materials, wood-based materials (and other plants) are experiencing a small explosion of innovation to replace non-renewable raw materials.  Here are only a few products that have recently been featured by the media. 

Plastic wrap (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.woodworkingnetwork.com_technology_wood-2Dbased-2Dmaterial-2Dcould-2Dreplace-2Dflexible-2Dplastic-2Dpackaging&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=0rlK6aYIvt0i54Vj7jmE6Gx72xTrnKpNkmCvZl7aRLo&e=)

Steel replacement (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.woodworkingnetwork.com_technology_new-2Dsuper-2Dwood-2D10-2Dtimes-2Dstronger-2Dcould-2Dreplace-2Dsteel-2Dsays-2Dscientists&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=D-8e_SdnteOzylT-cO-syjk256BKKK18Lna_mEcPfTs&e=)

Automobile tires (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.woodworkingnetwork.com_technology_wood-2Dtires-2Dcould-2Dhit-2Dmarket-2Dtwo-2Dyears&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=8oWblMc1qZvmLlyA-d4l6IzCynpiggGGXWpemo3ZORc&e=)

Scotch tape (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.woodworkingnetwork.com_technology_scientists-2Dderive-2Dsticky-2Dtape-2Dwood-2Dsay-2Dit-2Dperforms-2Dscotch&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=W7603-b14cXuwd5uJSI5ae-UkLDMHRP8nxoOR4NKLio&e=)

Nanofibers (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.woodworkingnetwork.com_technology_another-2Dsuper-2Dwood-2Done-2Dstronger-2Dspider-2Dsilk&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=E1Fe3UxaXUj77m1DwyN5sAeQ3mT25Z3Yb8ZBu2EAXEI&e=)
Clothing (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.fibersource.com_fiber-2Dproducts_rayon-2Dfiber_&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=CojSzgmD0E8i5CLMEjKa8M1HeIbnsRrkcgmwZRL5z-8&e=) and Textiles (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__easternwhitepine.org_wood-2Dtextiles-2Dinnovative-2Duses-2Dfor-2Dtimber-2Dproducts_&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=l97ZT-ZAIducO7himjobFiz2eYlcKARtvpc0MNIVP7k&e=)

Plastic bottles (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.sustainablebrands.com_news-5Fand-5Fviews_packaging_hannah-5Fritchie_carlsberg-5Fworking-5Fdevelop-5Fbiodegradable-5Fwood-5Ffiber-5Fbottle&d=DwMFAg&c=nE__W8dFE-shTxStwXtp0A&r=T1JVz4puQ1-4gnlXY8OPEg&m=sEx0fyzR-nFvQCma6hAJbDUB4lTjAFcYNQ93Ik2pB7c&s=k37JD38Gp1y15C65JhbUcyvbqxSuyb9BOvnkmxFFLSc&e=)

From Bill cook, MSU Extension

I see wood nails used in a nail gun. 

Harry Watt with NCSU wood extension emailed that there was a CLT seminar in Asheville, so I met him and a bunch of architects and engineers there yesterday where WoodWorks put on a presentation... and lunch :). I see a lot of potential for these panels. They could use a fair amount of pretty low grade material. I think one of these buildings was 14 stories. Harry's research and what is of most interest to me is using these panels in residential construction. Nice seeing the possibility of more of those kinds of uses.

Just in case you thought research is all boring, these guys had fun ;D
http://www.woodworks.org/publications-media/blast-testing-research/ (http://www.woodworks.org/publications-media/blast-testing-research/)

If you're interested in CLT's, poke around on that site.

I had not heard the term CLT - cross laminated timber.  
Appears used more in other places than in US currently.

Whatever is made, open the mill!!!

We are a good decade behind European research and adoption on CLT's. Our building codes recognized CLT in the last revision as did the NDS, the wood engineering reference, so we're starting to catch up. These seminars are to spread the word to the building design community.

If you google T3 in Minneapolis that is a new CLT 7 story office building that just came online. It is the largest CLT building in North America right now I think. I talked with an architect who saw it a week or so ago. His opinion was along the lines of, well, they learned a lot while building that one. It employed a whole lot of nail laminated panels, standing 2x's up on edge and nailing them together face to face to create a floor, roof or wall panel. It worked but even before they were done nailing all that together in the prefab shop the designers were figuring out a better way to make those.