Hardwood Research Supporting Industry

The USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, has created a hardwood initiative and support team to research hardwood industry needs directly related to shoring up and developing new markets. The lab has adopted the technology readiness level (TRL) framework for transitioning fundamental research technologies into viable market products. To support the TRL process, technoeconomic analysis (TEA) is often used to evaluate the real-world viability of emerging technologies, helping transition them successfully to industry while fostering the development of new markets.

Some of the hardwood research that the lab is working on will be forthcoming in future editions of the Hardwood Magazine, and some of them are highlighted here to provide you with an idea of what the lab is working on. A few examples include domestic hard-wood trailer decking, custom conference room table manufacturing using undervalued lumber, investigating new fire-resistant structural and non-structural materials, and evaluating the properties of thermally modified wood (TMW), like the beautiful deck at the NHLA headquarters (Figure 1). In addition to these technologies, a regional project is investigating the impacts of the Appalachian hardwood mills and markets and a national project is assisting with the development of life cycle inventories (LCIs) that feed directly into the development of life cycle analysis (LCA) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) that keep the hardwood industry competitive in today’s national and export markets.

Over the last few years, the lab, along with our partners at State, Private, and Tribal Forestry, has organized several convenings around research needs, specifically targeting hardwoods that evolved into a very productive NHLA-led hardwoods industry needs workshop. These workshops are important for several reasons as they 1) give industry a platform and voice to let researchers hear what is important, 2) allow practitioners in the field to help identify, develop, and prioritize near-, mid-, and long-term research needs, and 3) offer a great chance for the hardwood industry to collectively come together to discuss ideas and generate actionable plans to move the industry and markets forward.

By ANDY MARTIN, PhD, PE, F.ASCE

Assistant Director, Wood Products Research, Forest Service