A timber guardrail for highways made with hardwoods

A timber guardrail made of sustainable tropical hardwoods has been developed in the Netherlands. The guardrail is an environmentally friendly alternative for zinc-coated steel barriers. The guardrail is made of a combination of two durable hardwood species: angelim vermelho (Dinizia excelsa) from Brazil and azobé (Lophira alata) from Africa....

Influence of slope of grain on the mechanical properties of hardwoods and the consequences for grading

The main parameter that influences the bending strength of timber from tropical hardwood is the slope of grain. Although in the grading rules a specific threshold value is given, in these hardwoods the global slope of grain is very difficult to quantify by a visual assessment. The slope of grain measured after testing gives a better indication,...

Yield optimization and surface image-based strength prediction of beech

Wood is a strongly anisotropic and heterogeneous material with natural defects that are affecting the uniform scatter of the fiber patterns. European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the species, used for this study. The logs of these species have generally complicated shapes with frequent curvatures, which is in contrast to most of the softwood...

Vertical Forest Engineering: Applications of Vertical Forests with Self-Growing Connections in High-Rise Buildings

Living architecture is thriving. The integration of buildings with vegetation has become a necessity in many metropolitan areas of the world today, including Singapore, New York City, Shanghai and Milan, to name a few. It expands the potential of vertical and horizontal, exterior and interior, exposed and enclosed spaces in a building that can...

Ageing phenomena of oak wood-animal glue bonded assemblies for preservation of cultural heritage: Poster presentation

The structural preservation of panel paintings and decorated furniture as significant parts of Dutch cultural heritage, requires comprehensive knowledge on the long term behaviour of their constituent materials namely wood and animal glues. A decorated cabinet crafted by Jan van Mekeren (1684-1744) is chosen as the case study. The environment...

Vertical Forest Engineering: Applications of Vertical Forests with Self-Growing Connections in High-Rise Buildings: Poster presentation

Living architecture is thriving. The integration of buildings with vegetation has become a necessity in many metropolitan areas of the world today, including Singapore, New York City, Shanghai and Milan, to name a few. It expands the potential of vertical and horizontal, exterior and interior, exposed and enclosed spaces in a building that can...