Heavy timber framing relies primarily on bracing to withstand lateral loads due to earthquakes and wind events. Bracing configurations in heavy timber framed buildings vary widely and include cross bracing, knee bracing, and other geometries. Many heavy timber frames constructed during colonial American times are still standing, exceeding the expected...
New species introductions have been associated with the movement of
people for thousands of years. For instance, horses were introduced into North
America by Spanish explorers, while pigs were introduced by the Polynesians
into many Pacific islands long before the establishment of permanent
European settlements. Both of these species introductions...
Delayed tree mortality is an unpredictable occurrence when prescribed burning is implemented. Fire scorched trees may die as the result of crown scorching, stem charring, root injury, bark beetle attack, or through a combination of these factors. This study examined ponderosa pine mortality and the incidence of two bark beetle...
The overall goal of this study was to gain an insight into the load sharing aspect between oriented strand board (OSB) and gypsum wall board (GWB) in shear wall assembly during racking load. More specifically the objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate qualitatively the load sharing between OSB...
While the heartwood of many wood species exhibits excellent resistance to fungal and insect attack, this resistance is sometimes diminished in second-growth material of the same species. The reasons for the reduced durability are unclear, but they may reflect a combination of both higher proportions of sapwood as well as...
A mathematical and then a numerical model were developed for simulating a convective batch lumber drying process. The model incorporates mass and heat transfer relationships within the lumber stack, as well as thermodynamic properties of the wood and drying air. It takes into account a change of air properties along...
The objective of this research project was to increase the density, strength, and stiffness of two low to medium-density diffuse-porous hardwood species. Wood used in this study was processed using a method of wood densification known as “Viscoelastic Thermal Compression” (VTC). The VTC process is a three phase treatment which...
The tendency of wood to shrink and swell with changing moisture content remains as one of the most significant challenges to using wood in its many applications. Viscoelastic Thermal Compression (VTC) has been shown to significantly increase the density, strength and stiffness of wood. However, dimensional stability is still a...