Research Unit: Engineering Properties of Wood, Wood based Materials and Structures

Primary Goals: Improving classification of the mechanical and physical properties of wood and wood-based products that are important in engineering design and fostering their efficient use in wood building systems.

The United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of wood products harvesting about 350 million tons of round wood annually. More than half that harvest is used in some form of solid wood product including lumber, wood-based composites, and roundwood products, such as posts, poles, and pilings.

Trends in demand for solid wood products are largely determined by trends in construction. Housing projections suggest a two-thirds increase in the number of new households by 2060. Research focuses on increasing the efficiency of wood-products used in construction, supporting both the conservation and productivity of American forests.