State & Private Forestry
Forest Products Laboratory
The Forest Products Conservation & Recycling Review is assembled and edited monthly by Adele Olstad and John Zerbe of the FPC&R; Technology Marketing Unit at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). Review contributions and correspondence may be sent to either Adele or John at the address below. For copies of FPL or North Central Forest Experiment Station publications,
contact FPL Information Services at the same address.
The individual items included in the Review reflect the content and tone of the original articles. Inclusion of an item does not
imply agreement nor endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of facts or opinions contained in any article. The Review does
not evaluate the accuracy of the information reported.
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53705-2398
Phone: (608)231-9200
FAX: (608)231-9592
E-mail: FPC&R; Technology Marketing Unit OR
FPL Information Services (for publication requests)
Look for items in these categories:
Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material --The 1999 edition of the Wood Handbook, published by the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, is a complete revision of the 1987 edition, reflecting recent research accomplishments and technological changes.
First issued in 1935, the Wood Handbook has served as an invaluable aid to manufacturers, engineers, architects, researchers, educators, suppliers, and many others involved in the manufacture and utilization of wood and wood products. It provides information on the physical and mechanical properties of wood and how these properties are affected by variations in wood. The chapters address (1) characteristics and availability of commercially important wood, (2) wood structure, (3) physical properties and moisture relations, (4) mechanical properties, (5) commercial lumber, (6) lumber stress grades and design properties, (7) fastenings, (8) structural analysis equations, (9) adhesive bonding of wood materials, (10) wood-based composites and panel products, (11) glued structural members, (12) drying and control of moisture content and dimensional changes, (13) biodeterioration, (14) preservation, (15) finishing, (16) use of wood in building and bridges, (17) fire safety, (18) round timbers and ties, and (19) specialty treatments. Each topic is discussed in general and includes references for additional information. Also included are an expanded and updated glossary of terms and a detailed index.
The Wood Handbook is available electronically on FPL's Web site (www.fpl.fs.fed.us/pubs.htm) or in soft cover from the Superintendent of Documents Online Bookstore ( www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale.html) and the Forest Products Society, 2801 Marshall Ct., Madison, WI 53705-2295. Tel: (608) 231-1361, ext. 202; Fax: (608) 231-2152.
The National Agroforestry Center's Web Site (www.unl.edu/nac) has been named "best of the net" for forestry- related sites on the Internet by About.com, Inc. (formerly the Mining Co.), an Internet resource containing thousands of hyperlinks to Web sites related to more than 600 topics.
The National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of the Rocky Mountain Research Station and State & Private Forestry of the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The purpose of NAC is to accelerate the development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable land use systems. To accomplish its mission, NAC interacts with a national network of partners and cooperators to conduct research, develop technologies and tools, establish demonstrations, and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.
The NAC Web site provides an overview of agroforestry and NAC programs as well as links to informational and technical NAC publications; printed materials can be ordered through the site. The Web site also provides links to additional resources.
The Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service has announced the following continuing forestry education courses:
Sites Worth Visiting -- The Wood-E Bulletin, distributed by Bob Love of the Department of Forest Products at Oregon State University, Corvallis, mentions two Web sites worth a visit:
The National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) will hold its annual convention September 23-25 in San Diego, CA. Contact Mary Bartee at NHLA headquarters for more information. Tel: (800) 933-0318; Fax: (901) 382-6419.
Creating a Positive Perception of Wood Use -- According to Bob Legg, president of the Temperate Forest Foundation, two parallel approaches must work in concert to create a better perception of modern forestry, forest products, and the forest products industry. One is a promotion campaign that brings everyone together to rally for the advantages of using wood. The other is a long-term educational program that links credible organizations in a quest to educate teachers and students about the value of wood.
According to Legg, such a campaign is needed to combat
negative images about using wood as opposed to steel, cement, and plastic.
Legg states that environmental organizations promote images that make people
feel guilty about using wood. At the same time, other product industries see
an opportunity to gain market share by making people feel good about using
their products. For example, if asked "Would you rather frame your house
from a clear-cut or six recycled cars?" most people will choose the six
recycled cars without thinking any deeper.
[Source: Random Lengths LOCATOR, May 1999]
The Nature of Wood and Wood Products CD-ROM, authored by Jim L. Bowyer of the Department of Wood and Paper Science at the University of Minnesota and Ruth L. Smith of WebSmith, Inc., presents a series of modules designed to provide a basic understanding of wood as a material and of the principal products made of wood. Topics include the fundamental properties of softwoods and hardwoods, formation and chemistry of wood, juvenile and reaction wood, lumber, plywood, composite products, wood measurement, pulp and fiber products, raw materials and the environment, and influence of forestry practices on wood quality, drying, specific gravity, strength, and preservation.
Designed for use with Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, the series contains over 700 photographs and graphics, animation, self-test scroll bars, and many other visually stimulating elements. A demo version is available on the Internet at www.forestprod.org. For more information, contact the Forest Products Society at (608) 231-1361; Fax: (608) 231-2152.
Making Paper From Montana's Straw: A Guide to Making Straw Pulp a Reality investigates the practical aspects and economics of using Montana's excess straw to make paper products. It also outlines a plan to facilitate the start-up of a straw pulp mill in Montana, which will create new jobs and investment opportunities. The report examines the availability of straw in Montana, considers the possible impacts of straw residue removal on soils, and discusses systems for removing residue and costs for purchasing, collecting, storing, transporting, and processing straw. Existing straw pulping technologies are briefly explained and discussed.
According to Billy Stern of Native Forest Network, the question is not whether straw can be used to make paper, but whether production will be profitable given the combined transportation, equipment, and processing costs. A successful pilot project was completed at Weyerhaeuser's linerboard mill in Springfield, OR, and straw is being used for paper in Canada, Italy, India, and China. The characteristics of straw fiber result in pulp with good smoothness, opacity, and stiffness properties, but the pulp lacks tear and burst strength. Straw pulp is best suited for corrugated medium, newsprint, printing and writing papers, and linerboard. Paper products are not usually made from 100% straw pulp, but rather a combination of straw pulp and recycled or wood pulp or other nonwood fibers. For more information, contact Stern by phone (406) 542-7343 or Fax (406) 542-7347.
Uses for Small-Diameter Timber -- A technology called LPSA (light prestressed segmented arch) may help create a market for poles less than 200 mm (about 8 in.) in diameter, such as those harvested from plantation thinnings. Sustainable Science International, an engineering research and development organization, says such timbers make an excellent structural material. It suggests that LPSA technology has the potential to turn large quantities of otherwise unmerchantable forest resources into commercially viable commodities.
In LPSA structures, timbers are connected by metal brackets and the frameworks are compressed with tensioning wires to precalculated levels of structural rigidity and load-carrying capacity. Sustainable Science says such structures absorb large amounts of deformation energy without failure.
To demonstrate the use of small timbers, a 10-m (35-ft) pedestrian bridge was built near Sustainable Science headquarters on the Oakdale Campus of the University of Iowa. In addition to its use for bridges, LPSA is touted to be suitable for a wide range of applications, such as earthquake-resistant residential buildings, scaffolding, power transmission towers, and even structures assembled in outer space.
For more information, visit Sustainable Science's Web site
(www.avalon.net/~ssi/) or write to 100 Oakdale Research Campus, TIC-211,
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000. Tel: (319) 335-4505; Fax: (319) 335-4489.
[Source: Wood E-Bulletin, January 1999]
Expanded Web Sites on Uses and Markets for Southern Pine Lumber --
To promote the use of Southern Pine lumber in both
domestic and foreign markets, the Web sites of the Southern Forest Products
Association (SFPA) and Southern Pine Council provide concise information on
engineered and framing products, treated products, industrial applications,
and international markets. The SFPA site (www.sfpa.org)
provides newsletters, industry updates, and an electronic buyer's guide. The Southern Pine Council's
site (www.southernpine.com),
which has grown to 148 pages, includes span tables as well as other technical information.
[Source: Southern Lumberman, May 1999]
Independent Certification of Environmental Practices Key to Profitability in Canada -- On March 9, Canadian foresters were warned that British Columbia producers would continue to suffer losses if they do not accept independent environmental certification. At its annual conference on the British Columbia forestry industry, the accounting firm of Price/Waterhouse/Coopers reported that lumber and paper companies were expected to post an after-tax loss of Can$1 billion for 1998. Although approximately half of that loss was attributed to write-downs, every market sector except newsprint suffered losses, with problems especially acute in the pulp market.
"Preliminary results indicate that 1998 will return the largest financial losses in the history of British Columbia's forest section," said Mike MacCallum, a Price/Waterhouse/Coopers partner. He warned that the outlook for operating profits in 1999 were not much brighter, although write-downs were expected to have less of an impact on earnings.
The province's foresters have waged a long battle with
environmental groups. In the wake of 1998 losses, the industry was warned that
it must accept independent certification of their environmental practices or
continue to lose markets.
[Source: Timberworkers News, March 1999]
Old Beams for New Houses -- Glenville Timberwrights of Baraboo, WI, is taking old wooden beams from demolished warehouses, factories, and World War II military bases and giving them second lives in homes. Some of these timbers are as long as 8.5 m (28 ft), and a few have been scarred by fires or riddled with bullets. The company uses a centuries-old type of post and beam construction, creating a house frame from timbers that are connected by wooden pegs and carefully crafted joints. The beams give the house a stout frame and also become decorative centerpieces that span rooms and support high ceilings.
A house can be framed in about a month in the company's warehouse-type shop. First, work crews use metal detectors to pull nails and screws from stacks of old beams. Each beam is then milled, planed, hand-crafted, and brushed with a Danish oil finish to bring out its luster. The refurbished beams are notched, pegged, and tied together into house frame sections like giant Lincoln logs. The frame sections are then disassembled and trucked to the house building site for reassembly. Once a frame is completed, it is wrapped in polystyrene panels laminated to oriented strandboard. The panels form outside walls that are heavily insulated and rigid enough to span long distances.
What separates Glenville Timberwrights from many timber-frame
builders is its use of only recycled beams, primarily from demolished Chicago
warehouses and factories. "We are really proud of the fact that we make
everything from recycled timbers," says owner Tom Holmes. "No new
trees are harvested." And, as the houses are built, nothing is wasted--wood scraps
are turned into flooring, steps, stair railings, cabinets, and toy boxes, and wood shavings can be
recycled into animal bedding.
[Source: Wisconsin State Journal, May 23, 1999]
Europe Approaching Goal of 50% Recovery of Packaging Materials --
In a report on the implementation of the European
Packaging Directive in member states of the European Union, the German
consulting company INTEC forecasts that in the year 2000 around 30 million
tons of packaging will be recycled or incinerated with energy recovery. If
this prediction comes to pass, the goal set by the Directive of recovering
about half of all packaging will be achieved. At the same time, obstacles to
free trade have not been completely removed. Regulations continue to protect
local reusable packaging systems for beverages in Germany and Denmark. The
Green Dot trademark is now being used in Belgium, Germany, France, Austria,
Portugal, Spain, and Luxembourg to finance packaging recovery and recycling.
Ireland will join these countries this year.
[Source: Resources Report, Issue 8/99]
Brazil Tests Collection of Recyclables -- With support
from Germany, Brazil is testing separate collection and processing of
recyclable materials, particularly packaging, from household waste in Rio de
Janeiro. This project could serve as a model case for resolving waste
problems in Brazil's urban areas. The amount of municipal solid waste
generated per year in Rio de Janeiro has risen to 530 kg (1,168 lb) per
capita, which corresponds to roughly the same level as that in fully developed
industrial countries. The recycling rate, which includes composting, stands
at 7% at best.
[Source: Resources Report, Issue 8/99]
Competition Among Wood, Plastics, and Wood-Plastic Composites Becoming More Focused -- Plastic lumber derived from recycled polyethylene and polystyrene is in competition with wood in an increasing number of products. Among them are extruded plastic lumber, landscape timbers, pallets, fencing, roadside posts and barriers, park benches, hockey rinks, benches and bleachers, picnic tables, pens and stalls for farm animals, livestock feeders, and barn flooring.
Wood-plastic composites are also becoming more prominent in the marketplace. Wood may be used as a filler for plastic, and plastic as a filler for wood. Elvin Choong of Louisiana State University is using plastic filler to reduce water absorption in wood. Using combinations of virgin and recycled wood and shredded black plastic garbage bags, he has developed a product that is more water-resistant than standard particleboard. For another wood-plastic marriage, a company is using carbon-reinforced plastic and aramid fiber to fortify wooden glulam beams. The process increases load-bearing and tensile strength.
Although many benefits are claimed for wood, plastics, and
composites, more performance tests and life cycle analyses are needed to reach
definitive conclusions on the suitability of competing products for various
applications. Parameters that need to be assessed are (1) resources--renewable vs. nonrenewable,
recycled vs. virgin content, and impacts of extraction, energy, and water on the ecosystem;
(2) manufacturing--energy requirements, water effluent, air emissions, hazardous waste,
and solid waste from manufacturing; and (3) packaging material usage--transportation impacts,
including energy requirements and pollution effects; environmental impacts, including energy/water requirements, toxic
exposures, and pollution generation; and disposition, including reuse,
recycling, incineration, and landfilling.
[Source: Wood Technology, January/February 1999]
Sawmills Reconsider Woodburning Facilities for Thermal Energy and Electricity -- Following the energy crises of 1973 and 1979, many sawmills and other wood industries installed woodburning facilities for space heating, process heat, and power. However, when oil prices dropped in 1985, woodburning conversions decreased significantly. Now, growing concern about waste disposal and environmental impact as well as favorable legislation has led forest products industries to reconsider woodburning facilities.
Energy deregulation has sparked interest in obtaining energy from renewable resources. Because deregulation allows consumers to choose their energy providers, at least in theory, a few companies in California and Pennsylvania have been buying green energy and selling this electricity to customers for an added surcharge. Because green energy is more expensive to produce, it costs the customer slightly more than does nonrenewable energy.
Green energy utilizes renewable resources such as wind and solar power, geothermal power, and sustainable biomass. Biomass produces significantly fewer sulfur emissions than conventional fuels and creates no additional carbon dioxide. Certification of green energy to assure source integrity is conducted by the Center for Resource Solutions, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that established Green-e, a certification program for the distribution of renewable energy. Green-e, supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council, was adopted in California in November 1997 and was chosen to certify Pennsylvania energy in July 1998.
Last year the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia surveyed electric customers in Pennsylvania about their preference for renewable or green energy. Approximately 78% of survey participants favored the use of renewable energy, while about 68% were willing to pay more for green energy.
The Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) provides monetary incentives for electric companies (started between Oct. 1, 1993 and Sept. 30, 2003) that provide customers with energy produced by renewable resources. In Tennessee, boiler systems are given a sales tax exemption. "Last year there was an amendment that authorized complete sales tax exemption on all equipment used exclusively in the harvesting of timber. As a general rule, boilers that are an inherent or integral part of the manufacturing activity are equally considered to be industrial machinery for the purpose of the exemption," explained Ray Todd, supervisor of Taxpayer Services Division, Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Converting waste into energy is not a new concept. Manufacturers and installers of energy recovery equipment and power conservation systems are located throughout the United States. Several companies and their systems are listed here. Note: This listing is for information purposes only and is not intended as a complete listing of companies or their products, nor are they being specifically recommended.
Paper Sludge for Crops -- Scientists from the University of Wisconsin have been researching
the application of paper sludge to food crops. Wisconsin is the leading U.S. paper producer; the
industry generates 4.7 million tons of paper and over 1 million tons of sludge
annually. For more information, send a Fax to (608) 262-6250.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, February 1999]
The National Wooden Pallet
and Container Association (NWPCA) Web Site
(www.nwpca.com)
continuously updates its roster of pallet, container, and reel providers. The
site includes contacts for information, lists of specific products and
services, and hotlinks to Web sites of individual companies. Pallet users can
use the NWPCA site to locate local suppliers for specific products, such as
new and repaired pallets and containers, and services such as retrieval and
recovery systems or disposal systems. The site also contains information
about pallet quality assurance programs, pallet design and construction
standards, publications and services available from NWPCA, and a calendar of
events. The "Industry Watch" section features articles on news and
trends affecting the industry.
[Source: Timber Talk, February 1999]
Composite Structural Insulated Panels Reintroduced -- Back in 1952, Alden B. Dow, son of the founder of the Dow Chemical Co., began designing structural insulated panel (SIP) homes in Midland, MI, using foam-core SIPs for exterior walls, interior partitions, and roofs. According to the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA), which represents about 100 companies and approximately 90% of the panel manufacturing business in the United States, SIP production exceeded 2.9 million m² (30 million ft²) in 1996, a 100% increase over 1991 production. This amount roughly represents all the walls and roofs in about 8,000 homes. The rate of SIP production is expected to increase to 4.6 to 10.4 m² (50 to 112 million ft²) by the year 2000.
The main ingredients of an SIP are two exterior skins and a rigid foam core. Oriented strandboard (OSB) is the most common material for the skins, although they can be made of waferboard or plywood; metal and gypsum are also being considered. The rigid foam core is composed of an insulating material, usually expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane, or polyisocyanurate. EPS is usually the material of choice because of its low cost, but the core must be made thicker to equal the insulating properties of other materials.
In general, there is little variance in the industry in how SIPs are made. Most companies use one of two methods of adhering the OSB skins to the foam core--adhesive bonding and foam-in-place. The method depends on the foam. For adhesive bonding, a structural-grade adhesive is applied to both sides of a preformed foam core, and the skins are then pressed onto both sides of the foam. This is the usual method of adhering EPS. With the foam-in-place method, the skins are held apart and the chemical components of the foam core (usually urethane foam), together with a blowing agent, are combined and forced between the skins. According to SIPA, manufacturers use three main methods to lock the panels together: a solid 2-by-x blocking joint, a dual plywood or OSB spline joint, or a single top spline joint.
Benefits cited for SIPs include their insulating properties,
energy efficiency, and design flexibility. Although the overall material
costs for SIPs can vary from 10% less than that of conventional building
techniques to as much as 10% more, these costs can become insignificant when
considering the advantages of using SIPs: an SIP home is well insulated, it
can be fitted with a smaller HVAC system because of the smaller load, and
installation of SIPs requires less time and labor than conventional
construction. [Editor's comment: Among the disadvantages of plastic
foam panels, however, is the emission of toxic gases during fire.]
[Source: Environmental Design & Construction, March/April 1999]
New Factory to Use Kenaf in Automobile Interiors --
Kafus Environmental Industries of Vancouver, BC, and Visteon, a
Ford Motor Co. division, broke ground in February for the first U.S. kenaf
factory to be located in Elkhart, IN. (A factory will also start up this
summer in Italy.) When combined with polypropylene, kenaf offers a lighter,
recyclable alternative to fiberglass for interior car door panels, seat backs,
and trim, says Chuck Taylor of the Kafus kenaf-growing facility in
Raymondville, TX. Plant biologist Ralph W. Hardy, president of the National
Agricultural Biotechnology Council in Ithaca, NY, predicts a booming demand
for kenaf as car makers move into "biobased materials." Plans are
underway for a mill in Lasara, TX, that could start producing an annual
120,000 tons of kenaf-based newsprint by the year 2000.
[Source: Science, April 23, 1999]
Nonwood Forest Products From Conifers, published in 1998 with partial funding from the USDA Forest Service International Programs Office, provides an overview of an important part of the special forest products sector in North America and other parts of the temperate world. A limited number of copies are available for distribution. For more information, contact Lynne Tittman, Operations Assistant, USDA Forest Service, International Programs, P.O. Box 96538, Washington, DC 20005-3402. Tel: (202) 273-4750; Fax: (202) 273-4695; e-mail: l.tittman@if.arctic.com (in the subject line, type FAO NTFP Conifer).
Nontimber Forest Products (NTFP) Web Sites -- The number and types of nontimber forest products (e.g., medicinals, edible fungi, wild berries, ferns, floral decorations) are growing as a result of rapid increases in commercial extraction. The cultural and ecological impacts of increased commercialization are unknown. The following Web sites offer a glimpse at these products.
Independent Sawmill & Woodlot Management is a new, full-color national magazine for those interested in small-scale wood processing. The magazine includes reviews of portable sawmills and firewood processors tested in the field and practical articles on sawing, grading, and drying. Several technical columns focus on different aspects of timber processing and woodlot management. The magazine is published six times per year at a subscription price of $18/year or $33 for 2 years. Contact Sawmill Publishing, L.L.C., by phone (207-945-9469), Fax (207-945-9874), or e-mail (sawmill@mint.net) or visit their Web site (www.forestindustry.com/independentsawmill).
SawTech '99, an international conference on sawing technology, is being cosponsored by the Wood Machining Institute and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) on November 4-5 in Seattle, WA. This biennial conference provides a forum for exchanging the latest information on the design, operation, and maintenance of saws, sawing machines, and sawing systems. The special emphasis of this year's conference is technology transfer in the area of thin-kerf (straight and curve) accurate sawing. For more information, contact R. Szymani, Director, Wood Machining Institute, P.O. Box 476, Berkeley, CA 94701. Tel: (925) 943-5240; Fax: (925) 945-0947; e-mail: szymani@woodmachining.com.
A Four-Story Building Made of Wood was constructed last year in Bergshamra on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. This is the first high-rise wooden building in greater Stockholm in modern times. The first high-rise wooden building in Sweden was built in the city of Växjö in 1996.
Contents
Forest Products Laboratory |
Forest Service |
USDA
Please send any questions or comments to
TMU/fpl@fs.fed.us.
Contact-Name: Adele Olstad
Contact-Phone: 608/231-9329
Document-Date: 1999 June 21
Abstract: May 1999 Issue of FPC&R; Review