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rmo-Hydro-Mechanical Treatment of Australian Sawlog and Pulplog
Hardwood Resources
Nathan Kotlarewski1, Michael Lee2, Matthew Schwarzkopf3,4, Jaka Pečnik3,4,
Marica Mikuljan4
1 University of Tasmania, ARC Centre for Forest Value, Nathan.Kotlarewski@utas.edu.au
2 University of Tasmania, Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood, M.W.Lee@utas.edu.au
3 University of Primorska, matthew.schwarzkopf@iam.upr.si, jaka.pecnik@innorenew.eu
4 InnoRenew Centre of Excellence, marica.mikuljan@innorenew.eu
Australian sawn-board product is regulated by timber’s physical and mechanical properties
to ensure safe operating performances in context specific applications. Contemporary and
emerging timber resources, however, are lacking the traditional properties of commercially
sawn products, namely density. One technique used to improve timber properties is densification
through thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) treatments (Rautkari et al., 2010; Sandberg et al.,
2013; 2007). The objective of this study was to assess the change in timber properties of several
Australian wood species densified using a THM treatment to identify if these modified species
could be utilised in regulated building applications. Three hardwood species from different
forest management schemes were tested in this study: Eucalptus obliqua, E. nitens, and E. globulus.
E. obliqua was sourced from regrowth sawlog (60 year-old), E. nitens from plantation sawlog (26
year-old) and plantation pulplog (16 year-old) and E. globulus from plantation pulplog (26 year-
old). Australian Standard (AS) 3959:2018—Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas—
states E. obliqua and E. globulus are suitable for general construction with a density ≥750kg/
m3 and E. nitens is suitable for window and door joinery with a density ≥650kg/m3. Air-dry
densities measured from each species, according to their respective forest management scheme,
suggest sawn-board products from these resources are lower in density than required for use
in building construction in bushfire prone areas; E. obliqua ~595 kg/m3, E. nitens (sawlog) ~560
kg/m3, E. nitens ~525 kg/m3 and E. globulus ~520 kg/m3. By using THM treatment, samples were
densified to 67% and 53% of their original thickness (15mm) to demonstrate modified sawn-
board can meet AS for use in construction and joinery; E. obliqua ~875 kg/m3 and ~980 kg/m3,
E. nitens (sawlog) ~775 kg/m3 and ~1015 kg/m3, E. nitens ~680 kg/m3 and ~940 kg/m3 and E.
globulus ~775 kg/m3 and ~870 kg/m3 at 67% and 53%, respectively.
Keywords: hardwood, sawlog, pulplog, sensification
Acknowledgements: Australian Research Council, Centre for Forest Value, University of Tas-
mania, TAS, Australia, grant number IC150100004 / European Commission, InnoRenew CoE
project (Grant Agreement #739574) under Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming and investment
funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the EU’s European Regional Development Fund
REFERENCES
Council of Standards Australia., 2018, 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas. Standards Australia,
Sydney, NSW.
Rautkari, L., Kutnar, A., Hughes, M. and Kamke, F.A., 2010, June. Wood surface densification using different methods.
In Proceedings of the 11th world conference on timber engineering (pp. 20-24).
Sandberg, D., Haller, P. and Navi, P., 2013. Thermo-hydro and thermo-hydro-mechanical wood processing: An
opportunity for future environmentally friendly wood products. Wood Material Science & Engineering, 8(1), pp.64-
88.
Sandberg, D. and Navi, P., 2007. Introduction to thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) wood processing. School of
Technology and Design Reports, No. 30, University of Sweden.
INNORENEW COE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020
16
Hardwood Resources
Nathan Kotlarewski1, Michael Lee2, Matthew Schwarzkopf3,4, Jaka Pečnik3,4,
Marica Mikuljan4
1 University of Tasmania, ARC Centre for Forest Value, Nathan.Kotlarewski@utas.edu.au
2 University of Tasmania, Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood, M.W.Lee@utas.edu.au
3 University of Primorska, matthew.schwarzkopf@iam.upr.si, jaka.pecnik@innorenew.eu
4 InnoRenew Centre of Excellence, marica.mikuljan@innorenew.eu
Australian sawn-board product is regulated by timber’s physical and mechanical properties
to ensure safe operating performances in context specific applications. Contemporary and
emerging timber resources, however, are lacking the traditional properties of commercially
sawn products, namely density. One technique used to improve timber properties is densification
through thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) treatments (Rautkari et al., 2010; Sandberg et al.,
2013; 2007). The objective of this study was to assess the change in timber properties of several
Australian wood species densified using a THM treatment to identify if these modified species
could be utilised in regulated building applications. Three hardwood species from different
forest management schemes were tested in this study: Eucalptus obliqua, E. nitens, and E. globulus.
E. obliqua was sourced from regrowth sawlog (60 year-old), E. nitens from plantation sawlog (26
year-old) and plantation pulplog (16 year-old) and E. globulus from plantation pulplog (26 year-
old). Australian Standard (AS) 3959:2018—Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas—
states E. obliqua and E. globulus are suitable for general construction with a density ≥750kg/
m3 and E. nitens is suitable for window and door joinery with a density ≥650kg/m3. Air-dry
densities measured from each species, according to their respective forest management scheme,
suggest sawn-board products from these resources are lower in density than required for use
in building construction in bushfire prone areas; E. obliqua ~595 kg/m3, E. nitens (sawlog) ~560
kg/m3, E. nitens ~525 kg/m3 and E. globulus ~520 kg/m3. By using THM treatment, samples were
densified to 67% and 53% of their original thickness (15mm) to demonstrate modified sawn-
board can meet AS for use in construction and joinery; E. obliqua ~875 kg/m3 and ~980 kg/m3,
E. nitens (sawlog) ~775 kg/m3 and ~1015 kg/m3, E. nitens ~680 kg/m3 and ~940 kg/m3 and E.
globulus ~775 kg/m3 and ~870 kg/m3 at 67% and 53%, respectively.
Keywords: hardwood, sawlog, pulplog, sensification
Acknowledgements: Australian Research Council, Centre for Forest Value, University of Tas-
mania, TAS, Australia, grant number IC150100004 / European Commission, InnoRenew CoE
project (Grant Agreement #739574) under Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming and investment
funding from the Republic of Slovenia and the EU’s European Regional Development Fund
REFERENCES
Council of Standards Australia., 2018, 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas. Standards Australia,
Sydney, NSW.
Rautkari, L., Kutnar, A., Hughes, M. and Kamke, F.A., 2010, June. Wood surface densification using different methods.
In Proceedings of the 11th world conference on timber engineering (pp. 20-24).
Sandberg, D., Haller, P. and Navi, P., 2013. Thermo-hydro and thermo-hydro-mechanical wood processing: An
opportunity for future environmentally friendly wood products. Wood Material Science & Engineering, 8(1), pp.64-
88.
Sandberg, D. and Navi, P., 2007. Introduction to thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) wood processing. School of
Technology and Design Reports, No. 30, University of Sweden.
INNORENEW COE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020
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