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Alpine craft: Scientists develop sustainable wood panels using traditional shingle-making techniques
by Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Wooden shingles characterize the appearance of roofs and facades in the Alpine region and have been hand-crafted for generations. This centuries-old craft inspired researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich to use this very efficient wood separation method to produce new types of wood-based materials. The work is published in the journal RILEM Technical Letters. "In view of the growing impact of climate change on our forests and the construction sector, the production of panels from split sticks is an obvious choice. This means that they can be produced from wood of varying quality and from hardwood species, generate less material loss and should come close to solid wood products in terms of strength," says Ingo Burgert, Professor at ETH Zurich and leader of a research team at Empa. In Central Europe, spruce in particular, is coming under increasing pressure due to longer periods of drought. More drought-resistant deciduous tree species will therefore play a more important role in the future. At the same time, the majority of hardwood in this country is currently burned to generate energy -- despite the fact that more and more buildings are being built with wood, not least because as a renewable resource, it binds CO in the building material for longer periods. Splitting for maximum material yield Traditionally, shingles are split by hand from log segments, while industrial processes rely on pneumatic splitting tools. "Shingle production shows us how wood can be processed in an energy-efficient and material-efficient way," explains Burgert. "Wood can be split parallel to the fibers with minimal energy and almost no losses." This chipless wood processing considerably increases the sawn timber yield, which, at around 60%, is significantly lower in Swiss sawmills. In traditional shingle production, however, only selected high-quality softwood is usually used. In order to adapt the process for lower-quality hardwood species and to split longer sticks, the researchers rely on a two-stage splitting process. First, flat elements are separated, which are then further processed into wooden sticks of the desired dimensions. On a laboratory scale, the researchers adapted an apparatus for splitting firewood for this purpose. Thanks to a multi-bladed splitting head, several boards or sticks can be produced at the same time during one splitting process. Selection thanks to AI The splitting process produces wooden sticks in the direction of the grain without cutting the stiff and strong fibers. However, the irregular shape of the sticks poses a challenge. To overcome this, Burgert and his team are relying on artificial intelligence (AI). An automated camera system captures high-resolution images of each wooden bar, which are fed into a neural network. "With AI, we can determine important wood properties such as stiffness for each stick, regardless of shape, size or type of wood," explains Empa researcher Mark Schubert. "If we use different types of wood of different qualities in the future, wood sorting will play a crucial role. With our machine learning algorithms, we therefore generate as much data as possible about each individual piece of wood in order to use it optimally for wood-based materials with defined properties." The team has pressed the first panels without sorting the wooden sticks beforehand. Even so, the potential of the manufactured demonstrators is already apparent: The panels can be produced in a highly resource-efficient manner and have mechanical properties that make them ideal for load-bearing components in the future. Despite challenges in terms of production processes, bonding, scalability and the predictability of material properties, Burgert is optimistic: "Our process has the potential to offer a sustainable alternative for the use of wood in times of accelerating climate change."
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Alpine Craftsmanship Inspires New Materials | Newswise
Newswise -- Wooden shingles characterize the appearance of roofs and facades in the Alpine region - and have been hand-crafted for generations. This centuries-old craft inspired researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich to use this very efficient wood separation method to produce new types of wood-based materials. "In view of the growing impact of climate change on our forests and the construction sector, the production of panels from split sticks is an obvious choice. This means that they can be produced from wood of varying quality and from hardwood species, generate less material loss and should come close to solid wood products in terms of strength," says Ingo Burgert, Professor at ETH Zurich and leader of a research team at Empa. In Central Europe, spruce in particular is coming under increasing pressure due to longer periods of drought. More drought-resistant deciduous tree species will therefore play a more important role in the future. At the same time, the majority of hardwood in this country is currently burned to generate energy - despite the fact that more and more buildings are being built with wood, not least because as a renewable resource it binds CO2 in the building material for longer periods. Splitting for maximum material yield Traditionally, shingles are split by hand from log segments, while industrial processes rely on pneumatic splitting tools. "Shingle production shows us how wood can be processed in an energy-efficient and material-efficient way," explains Burgert. "Wood can be split parallel to the fibers with minimal energy and almost no losses." This chipless wood processing considerably increases the sawn timber yield, which, at around 60%, is significantly lower in Swiss sawmills. In traditional shingle production, however, only selected high-quality softwood is usually used. In order to adapt the process for lower-quality hardwood species and to split longer sticks, the researchers rely on a two-stage splitting process. First, flat elements are separated, which are then further processed into wooden sticks of the desired dimensions. On a laboratory scale, the researchers adapted an apparatus for splitting firewood for this purpose. Thanks to a multi-bladed splitting head, several boards or sticks can be produced at the same time during one splitting process. Selection thanks to AI The splitting process produces wooden sticks in the direction of the grain without cutting the stiff and strong fibers. However, the irregular shape of the sticks poses a challenge. To overcome this, Burgert and his team are relying on artificial intelligence (AI). An automated camera system captures high-resolution images of each wooden bar, which are fed into a neural network. "With AI, we can determine important wood properties such as stiffness for each stick, regardless of shape, size or type of wood," explains Empa researcher Mark Schubert. "If we use different types of wood of different qualities in the future, wood sorting will play a crucial role. With our machine learning algorithms, we therefore generate as much data as possible about each individual piece of wood in order to use it optimally for wood-based materials with defined properties." The team has pressed the first panels without sorting the wooden sticks beforehand. Even so, the potential of the manufactured demonstrators is already apparent: The panels can be produced in a highly resource-efficient manner and have mechanical properties that make them ideal for load-bearing components in the future. Despite challenges in terms of production processes, bonding, scalability and the predictability of material properties, Burgert is optimistic: "Our process has the potential to offer a sustainable alternative for the use of wood in times of accelerating climate change." New center for wood research in the planning The project Split wood rods for innovative wood-based panels in construction is part of the Mainstreaming Wood Construction (MainWood) initiative. This initiative, which is supported by the ETH Board, promotes the increased use of wood in the construction industry. In addition, a Center for Wood Materials and Structures is currently being planned, which will bundle wood research at Empa and ETH Zurich and increase its visibility. As a central point of contact, the center will initiate innovative projects together with the wood industry in order to make better use of wood along the entire value chain. By developing new types of wood-based materials and technologies, the diverse application possibilities of the renewable and COâ‚‚-storing resource wood are to be made even more accessible.
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Scientists at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed a new method for producing sustainable wood panels, inspired by traditional Alpine shingle-making techniques and enhanced by artificial intelligence.
Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed a groundbreaking method for producing sustainable wood panels, drawing inspiration from the centuries-old Alpine craft of shingle-making. This innovative approach combines traditional techniques with cutting-edge artificial intelligence to create more efficient and environmentally friendly wood-based materials
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.The new method comes as a response to the growing impact of climate change on forests and the construction sector. Professor Ingo Burgert, leader of the research team, emphasizes the importance of this development: "The production of panels from split sticks can be done using wood of varying quality and hardwood species, generating less material loss and approaching the strength of solid wood products"
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.The researchers have adapted the traditional shingle-making process, which involves splitting wood parallel to its fibers. This method is highly energy-efficient and results in minimal material loss. The team has developed a two-stage splitting process that allows for the use of lower-quality hardwood species and the production of longer sticks
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.To overcome the challenge of irregular stick shapes, the team has incorporated artificial intelligence into the process. An automated camera system captures high-resolution images of each wooden bar, which are then analyzed by a neural network. Empa researcher Mark Schubert explains, "With AI, we can determine important wood properties such as stiffness for each stick, regardless of shape, size, or type of wood"
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The new panels demonstrate significant potential for sustainable construction. They can be produced in a highly resource-efficient manner and possess mechanical properties suitable for load-bearing components. This innovation could offer a sustainable alternative for wood use in the face of accelerating climate change
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.The project is part of the Mainstreaming Wood Construction (MainWood) initiative, which aims to promote increased use of wood in the construction industry. Plans are underway to establish a Center for Wood Materials and Structures, which will consolidate wood research at Empa and ETH Zurich. This center will serve as a hub for innovative projects in collaboration with the wood industry, focusing on developing new wood-based materials and technologies to expand the applications of this renewable and COâ‚‚-storing resource
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