Improving grading methods for structural timber by non destructive techniques

Project Information

TIMBRAD

Grant agreement ID: CR184091-BRE21300

Project closed

Start date 1 May 1994

End date 31 July 1994

Funded under

• Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies - CRAFT -, 1990-1994

Total cost No data

EU contribution No data

Coordinated by

Établissements Robert Weisrock
France

Objective

The aim of this project is to develop new computerised grading methods for structural timber using non- destructive techniques. Currently, grading machines based on the measurement of MOE are more efficient than visual grading, but are still too conservative to achieve anything approaching the optimum yields that a perfect grading system could achieve. For example, research shows that British grown Scots pine currently returns a yield of less than 10 % for the high strength C30 grade and that the potential yield is close to 60 %. The equivalent figures for French grown Douglas fir are 9 % when visually graded to C30, with a potential yield of 78 %. With improvements m yield, timber, which is the only structural material that is a renewable resource, could be more competitive with concrete and steel for structural use.
There is currently world wide interest in improving timber grading machines and it is important that Europe does not get left behind. It is proposed to collaborate with acknowledged experts outside Europe (who have their own funding), to spread the work load, saving time and costs by taking advantage of an exchange of knowledge and expertise. This collaboration will also help to establish differences between species. The objectives are: (1) Develop nondestructive techniques (CCD cameras, micro-wave and gamma-ray emission, etc...) for the measurement of timber properties which can predict the strength of the material.
(2) Investigate new methods (neural networks, stochastic finite elements analysis, statistics, ...) for establishing the relation between these non destructive properties and the strength of the material.
(3) Use the results of steps I & 2 to propose efficient new machines and modifications to existing machines which could be implemented in the industry (sawmills, timber trade, glulam and truss manufacturing companies). The European timber industry, mainly comprising small companies, has strong interest in this project which should assist in increasing the use of timber in structures, based on improved quality of their products.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › sensors › optical sensors
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › artificial intelligence › computational intelligence

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Programme(s)

• FP3-CRAFT - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies - CRAFT -, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 1.3.3 - Polymers and polymer matrix composites
• 2.1.1 - Innovative design tools and techniques

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Établissements Robert Weisrock

• EU contribution: No data
• Address: 7 rue Jean Jaurès ; 88580 Saulay-sur-Meurthe ; France
• Total cost: No data