Refining hardwood by bioluminescence

Since more and more deciduous trees are being planted in Swiss forests, whose wood is often burned directly, innovative ideas for a cascade use are in high demand in order to utilize Swiss hardwood more sustainably. Empa researchers are therefore equipping wood with new functionalities. Their latest coup: wood that can glow in the dark.

Researchers find ways to make low-quality hardwoods useful for structural applications

Joseph McNeel, professor and director of the Appalachian Hardwood Center at the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, has been testing the effectiveness of yellow poplar, an abundant West Virginia species, as a source of engineered wood building material.

Chula’s Faculty of Engineering Pioneers the Use of Gamma Rays to Inspect Large Trees

Lecturers of the Faculty of Nuclear Technology at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University have developed a special device for scanning trees to determine trunk density and hollowness to prevent accidents from fallen trees and also as a way to conserve large trees in urban areas.

Multi-story buildings made of wood sell for 9% more than other construction in Helsinki

Building more homes and buildings with wood has been on the radar for years as a way to offset carbon emissions, though construction companies have been hesitant to take the material in broader use. A study at Aalto University in Finland is now the first to show that building with wood can be a sound investment.

Building cities with wood would store half of cement industry’s current carbon emissions

Shifting to wood as a building construction material would significantly reduce the environmental impact of building construction. If 80% of new residential buildings in Europe were made of wood inside and out, they would store the equivalent of about half of the cement industry’s annual emissions.

Land Development in New Jersey Continues to Slow

Land development in New Jersey has slowed dramatically since the 2008 Great Recession, but it’s unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to fight societal and housing inequality will affect future trends, according to a Rutgers co-authored report. Between 2012 and 2015, 10,392 acres in the Garden State became urban land. That’s 3,464 acres a year – far lower than the 16,852 acres per year in the late 1990s and continuing the trend of decreasing urban development that began in the 2008 Great Recession.