wood technology

introduction to

Written by Celine Lityo

Design and edits by Rebecca Sopacua
 “I’m so board. I wish something fun wood come
along”
The field of wood technology
might sound odd. After all is
there so much to study about this
age-old building material? In
fact, wood technology is a broad
study of everything wood, from
its characteristics, structures,
and properties to wood
production and manufacturing.
Wood technologists work to
improve efficiency in the
production line through
research and technical control.

Our thoughts have been limited to picture wood as a log or a wooden chair. But little
did we know that wood’s versatile structure allows it to take form as paper or tissue as
well as wood fuel and alcohols for energy. Chop it up in different ways and we get
wood chips, wood wool, pellets and veneer. The possibilities are endless!

Recently, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has just
released data that shows the highest growth of global wood production in 70 years.
The rapid growth in the wood industry makes sense due to the positive economic
growth and higher demand for furniture products. Many climate change activists
advocate for wood free and more sustainable materials, fun fact: there were more
trees in the United States today compared to 50 years ago. Trees are a renewable
resource, so wood products aren’t all that harmful to the environment as claimed,
unless it is responsibly sourced. This way, we can still enjoy durable, beautiful and
renewable wood for our daily use.
Written by Celine Lityo
Design and edits by Rebecca Sopacua
 Wood products are categorized into many groups depending on
their manufacturing processes and purposes. Three of the most
common are:

LUMBER is the wood used in

construction, furniture, paper and
other similar purposes, this is the
type of wood that takes form as
planks or boards. Lumberjacks sell
their timber by thickness and
length.

ENGINEERED
WOOD PRODUCTS
takes up a whole range of man-made
woods. Harvested wood is modified
by altering its structural bonding of
strands, particles or fibers using
adhesives. These include densified
woods, plywood, fiberboards,
laminated veneers and many more.

MASS TIMBER are mostly

used in construction. Weighing in at
1/5th the mass of conventional
concrete, its high strength to weight
ratio makes them a strong building
block. Mass timber is also fire
resistant and cheap.

These different types of wood are constantly being innovated to suit the
growing market. Learn the various types of wood and processes on our
next report!

Written by Celine Lityo

Design and edits by Rebecca Sopacua
SOURCES:
- http://www.fao.org/forestry/statistics/80938/en/
- https://www.afandpa.org/our-products/wood-products
- https://home.howstuffworks.com/lumber.htm
- https://www.thinkwood.com/news/4-things-to-know-about-mass-timber
- https://career.iresearchnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Wood-Technologist.jpg
- https://www.naturallymed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/12.jpg
- https://www.hfm.tum.de/fileadmin/_processed_/e/c/csm__DSC3103_88985d2b58.jpg
- https://media.brstatic.com/2017/06/23113752/how-much-does-a-cord-of-wood-cost-912x720.jpg
- https://cdn.redshift.autodesk.com/2016/04/MGA-mass-timber-wood-innovation-design-centre-hero.jpg
- https://i0.wp.com/www.builder.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/kayu-solid-dan-engin
eering.jpg?resize=700%2C350&ssl=1

Written by Celine Lityo

Design and edits by Rebecca Sopacua