Wood-based secondary raw materials for engineered wood products in specialized applications

SUPERVISOR: Wolfgang GINDL-ALTMUTTER

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: Alexander SCHNEIDER

The use of wood in the construction sector represents a promising alternative to concrete, as wood-based building systems are associated with a substantially lower global warming potential throughout production, processing, and end-of-life phases. However, climate change increasingly threatens the supply of industrially usable timber, as rising temperatures lead to bark beetle outbreaks and extensive dieback in Norway spruce (Picea abies), the dominant species in wood industry. To ensure a stable material supply, it is essential to integrate underutilised tree species and non-sawlog timber, such as thinnings, small-diameter wood and forest residues into material-based applications. 

To address this challenge, the dissertation pursues several approaches to advance the material utilisation of underutilised and non-sawlog wood resources. It examines moisture uptake in OSB panels with the aim of optimising their performance and reducing waste during construction. Additionally, it investigates the substitution of aluminium foams and laminated velneer lumber (LVL) in several automotive applications through the use of underutilised wood species. With these approaches, the dissertation seeks to reduce dependence on high-quality sawlogs by substituting them where technically feasible, with low quality or underutilised material and to develop strategies for characterising and processing heterogeneous wood resources.