This 334-page proceedings from the Woodframe Housing Durability and Disaster Issues conference, held in October 2004, provides the latest information on problems and solutions related to woodframe housing and disaster issues. Opening with overviews of research and demonstration field test structures and facilities throughout North America that are designed to address the effects and mitigation of various environmental stresses (moisture, wind, earthquakes, fire, decay and insect attack) on woodframe structures, session topics included the influence of construction and design practices; disaster mitigation; assessment and durability treatments; and biological degradation and moisture control.

Swelling and shrinking of wood and wood-based products present perhaps the most vexing technological problems and design/utilization challenges for users and manufacturers of wood and wood products and for the ultimate consumers of these products. This book, written by Otto Suchsland, Professor Emeritus, Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, addresses in detail the fundamental concepts of the swelling and shrinking of solid wood and wood-based composite products and serves as an invaluable guide in the design, manufacture, and use of these products. Chapters cover: the basics of air, water, and relative humidity; wood and its reaction to moist air; dimensional changes in solid wood; warping of solid wood; swelling, shrinking, and warping of laminated wood products; swelling, shrinking, and warping of wood-based composite boards; and the dimensional stabilization of wood and wood products. This is a reference manual that should be on the shelves of every business that utilizes wood as a raw material and in every classroom where the fundamentals of wood technology are taught.

This proceedings contains over 50 papers and abstracts of presentations made at the 2nd Annual Conference on Durability and Disaster Mitigation in Wood-Frame Housing held in November 2000. The information in this proceedings provides design professionals, builders, code officials, government officials, researchers, and educators with the latest information on issues related to housing durability and disaster mitigation. Subjects covered include case studies of product and systems durability performance; national durability programs; wind, fire, flood, seismic, pests, mold, and rot issues; new products and technologies; construction quality assurance and implementation; and builder perspectives on durability and disaster mitigation.

In this book Larry Culpepper explains why and how the entire manufacturing and drying process affects the final quality of lumber from any dry-kiln. From log cutting to kiln maintenance, discover how the proper equipment and practices can increase quality and profitability (by producing narrowed moisture distribution, improved grade recovery, reduced drying time, easier operation, and lower costs). Use this comprehensive resource to: understand the latest kiln technologies and techniques; identify potential problem areas in your operations; learn more efficient use of natural resources; stimulate new ideas for kiln improvement; and contribute to your operation’s overall success. Chapters include: lumber manufacture and its impact on drying; sorting and green lumber handling; lumber stacking and stick laying; kiln steups and loading practices; final loading considerations; dry lumber handling; fan systems and air flow; humidity control; steam-heated kilns; direct-fired dry kilns; computerized lumber drying control; the drying process; quality control; and kiln maintenance and design. Exploring the full scope of processes and challenges involved, this book helps you develop outstanding kiln operations for drying softwood of all kinds.

Written by Kenneth Eckert and Robert Little, this manual presents a common sense approach to predrying. The manual reviews common problems experienced by predryer operators in an easy-to-understand manner. Simple, practical solutions to the problems of mixed species, varying lumber thickness, and stain development are presented. Solutions to the problems of slow drying rates and moisture variation are also discussed. Chapters include: introduction to predryers; stacking, loading, and start-up; air flow; temperature and humidity control; management decisions; sample boards; special problems; considerations when building a predryer; troubleshooting; and references. Applying the ideas and methods presented in this 58-page manual can improve predryer performance and drying quality.

This 372-page publication contains a wealth of information for today’s dry kiln operator and drying supervisor – young or old, experienced or inexperienced. The more than 130 articles contained in the Sourcebook resulted from a careful selection of the most practical and pertinent articles on lumber drying that were published in the Forest Products Society’s Wood Drying News Digest over the past 40-plus years. The Sourcebook is filled with down-to-earth practical information from understanding the basics of shrinkage, stresses, and moisture movement in wood to troubleshooting and maintaining drying equipment. The articles are brief and were clearly written by the world’s leading authorities on lumber drying. Articles are grouped by subject matter for easy access, and a comprehensive index is also provided.

This 274-page manual, reprinted from USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 188 with the consent of the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, offers a practical guide for the kiln operator on all aspects of both hardwood and softwood lumber kiln drying. The manual is also designed to serve as a classroom text – either for a short course on lumber drying or for classroom use in universities and technical colleges which offer wood technology curriculum. The manual is divided into 11 chapters plus a glossary and index.

This 158-page book, originally published in a limited edition by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, contains suggested dry kiln schedules for over 500 commercial woods, both temperate and tropical. The schedules are completely written out for easy reference and use.

Nearly all physical properties of wood are influenced by its moisture content. This 228-page book, written by John F. Siau, provides information concerning the interactions between moisture, heat, and wood, probably the principle source of problems encountered in applications with wood. While this book can be used as a text and reference book for students and faculty in the wood technology field, it will also be helpful to engineers, architects, and designers who work with wood.

This proceedings contains over 30 presentations from a fall 2002 conference on quality drying sponsored by the Forest Products Society. The presentations provide the latest practical information on innovative technologies, markets, and management practices designed to improve product quality of kiln-dried softwoods and hardwoods for manufactured (non-structural) wood products. Topics covered include: an overview of current drying technologies; market trends, needs, and opportunities; advances in kiln controls and other new drying technologies; managing the drying process; and improving the profitability of drying operations.

his proceedings contains papers presented at the 1999 conference held in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of the conference was to provide the latest information on technologies designed to improve the quality of kiln-dried lumber products in the Pacific Northwest. General subjects include: the importance of vertical integration; impacts of changing market demand and supply on profitability; meeting market demands for quality wood products; case histories of the economic benefits of quality drying; adapting your drying operations to changes in the resource; optimizing current drying technologies; and a look at new drying technologies.

This proceedings contains over 30 presentations from a fall 2002 conference on quality drying sponsored by the Forest Products Society. The presentations provide the latest practical information on innovative technologies, markets, and management practices designed to improve product quality of kiln-dried softwoods and hardwoods for manufactured (non-structural) wood products. Topics covered include: an overview of current drying technologies; market trends, needs, and opportunities; advances in kiln controls and other new drying technologies; managing the drying process; and improving the profitability of drying operations.

This proceedings contains papers presented at the 1995 conference. The purpose of the conference was to provide managers and supervisors, as well as personnel directly involved in the drying operation, with the latest practical information on quality lumber drying, with emphasis on species in the Pacific Northwest. The proceedings contains 25 papers from drying economics to new equipment and innovative drying practices and procedures. Subjects covered include: management issues: economics; management issues: technical; new technologies: new approaches; new technologies: new equipment; and drying practices and procedures/operations.