Wood chemistry, anatomy, microstructure and ultrastructure. Chemical properties and reactions of wood constituents. Wood structure and chemistry with special emphasis on wood durability and wood properties in general. Non-destructive methods for wood analysis. Recent achievements in the field of nano- and ultrastructure of the wood cell wall. Computer aided analysis and design of wood structure. Wood identification.
Physical and mechanical properties of wood and density. Wood-water relations, shrinkage and swelling. Thermodynamics and theories of moisture sorption and measurement. Transport of fluids, heat, and electricity. Orthotropic elasticity and structure. Mechanics of solid wood under axial, flexural, and torsional loading. Failure mechanisms, rheological behaviour, and environmental impact on mechanical properties. Classical and non-destructive methods for mechanical testing of wood.
Wood degradation and protection. Includes how wood is colonized and degraded by bacteria, fungi and insects and how wood may be protected from decay etc. to prolong its service life. The topics include the importance of the decay of woody materials in carbon cycling, and the mechanisms (e.g. biochemical, physical) that fungi use to penetrate and degrade the cellular structure of wood. Aspects of fungal physiology and molecular biology important for decay detection and identification are also considered. The course also addresses environmental concerns associated with the use of wood preservatives and wood coatings. Weathering and durability testing. New alternative methods and processing for wood preservation. Practical methods for wood protection prior, and during service are also discussed.
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