Lam I-joists : a new structural building product from small-diameter, fire-prone timber

The goal of our research is to promote healthy and sustainable forests by developing value-added uses for curved and small-diameter trees. In typical North American logging or thinning operations, much of this low-value timber is felled and left on the ground, chipped, or burned because most mills are not equipped to handle it. By understanding the fundamental processing requirements for and the mechanical properties of curved and small-diameter material, we can gain insight into possible options for using this resource. Through cooperative efforts with industry, universities, and government institutions, we are working to use innovative technologies to investigate the potential for using an additional 8.5 to 17 million board feet per year of fire-prone “woody” fuel per forest unit for value-added products. In the study reported here, research was focused on processing small-diameter curved and cull timber into dimensional 2 by 4 studs and then converting that material into a value-added laminated I-beam, called LamLumber. This paper describes research to date on processing needs and basic research being conducted on small-diameter timber.