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Some dads might struggle with an Ikea flatpack, but this Vietnamese woodworker and content creator built his son an entire wooden Apple Car after the tech giant’s US$10 billion project flopped. Source: Supercar Blondie Completely carved from timber in the perfect dimensions for his young son, it features light-up Apple logos and consoles. In case you’re wondering – yes, it drives. With no actual car to work from since the US$10 billion Apple Car project was abandoned, ND – Woodworking Art, aka Truong Van Dao, took design inspiration from Midjourney’s AI images. He then builds and solders a metal chassis before attaching the electrified wheels and sorting the suspension. As the car and its mechanics begin to take shape, he paints the frame black before getting to work on the wooden body. Initially fitting together like a rudimentary jigsaw, the talented woodworker is then able to carve, sand, and refine everything down to the wheel trim, dash, and working steering wheel. Even the centre console and two seats are hewn from timber. Next come the light-up badges on the hood, wheels, and bumper before varnishing and adding light-up Apple-inspired screens to the cabin. His son and daughter seem like they’re having the time of their lives as Dad drives them down the road in their new wooden Apple Car. Fans are keen, too. One even argued that this version might be better than the real thing. Well, it never actually got made, so it’s definitely better than the real thing in that sense. One even said that the artist should ‘put [his] own brand’ on the car instead, writing: “Much better than Apple.” This isn’t the dedicated dad’s first time in the workshop, however. In fact, Truong has built an entire fleet of wooden cars. As well as a wooden Cybertruck that grabbed the attention of Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, he’s crafted a Ferrari GTO 250 and a Ford F-150 Raptor, Rolls-Royce 6×6, STRV TANK – the latter three of which were made within the same year-long period. He doesn’t restrict himself to cars, either. The Vietnamese dad previously built an incredible wooden train for the kids in his village.  

A healthy forest ecosystem is essential for a healthy planet. Forests regulate the climate, rainfall patterns and watersheds and are crucial for providing oxygen and clean water. With the increased focus on environmental sustainability, the use of wood for fuel, fibre and wood products is increasing. Source: Timberbiz Healthy, sustainably managed forests can provide an endless supply of fuel, fibre, and wood products. Wood is the only renewable building material available today and the environmental benefits of wood construction are gaining recognition. Compared with a traditional timber stud, a steel stud requires 21 times more energy to produce and releases 15 times more sulphur dioxide to the atmosphere. Producing concrete emits up to three times more carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compared to lumber production. Broader focus on silviculture With the increased importance that the global Forest Industry has on the decarbonization of the atmosphere, and in order to help global forestry customers meet the growing demand for sustainably sourced, cost-effective wood products, John Deere Forestry has shifted its strategic focus from forest harvesting to include the entire Forestry Production System. Applying this holistic thinking to the forest industry, it was clear that the forest harvesting segment has experienced a significant improvement in productivity, efficiency, and safety through mechanization over the past four decades. Forest harvesting has undergone a significant transformation, but silviculture is an area of the overall Forestry Production System that hasn’t experienced much change. As the company explored this further with customers and forest owners worldwide, it was clear that increased urbanization was making it increasingly difficult to attract and retain forest workers for the labour-intensive jobs typically found in silviculture. In some regions, especially those that have experienced higher than normal forest losses due to the effects of climate change (forest fire, insect infestations, drought etc), silviculture activities are so constrained by the labour shortage that it is putting significant pressure on maintaining the exceptional history of sustainably managing the forest ecosystem. Brazilian forests as a starting point Like all significant change activities, you have to start somewhere. In discussions with forest customers worldwide, John Deere saw a good opportunity to work with Brazil’s forestry industry primarily because they have very organized silvicultural activities, their plantation forestry infrastructure is well defined, and their forests have very short rotation times – which provides quick feedback on the positive and any potential negative impacts of mechanized silviculture. Additionally, there was considerable “pull” from Brazil’s forest industry for mechanized silviculture solutions to help meet the growth of the eucalyptus plantation forest area over the coming decade. According to the latest survey by the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá, January 2022), the Brazilian forestry sector plants more than one million seedlings per day and has 9.5 million hectares of productive forests. In addition to the significant investment in sustainably managed productive forests, Brazil’s forest industry has also developed another six million hectares of native forest, exclusively for conservation and providing a natural habitat for native species. Mechanized planting as a solution to challenges? Leveraging customer-focused processes, developed by the John Deere Ag Advanced Marketing team, the company mapped the entire Silviculture Production System and looked at the areas where customers were experiencing the biggest challenges. They also looked at where the biggest opportunities existed for customers to improve productivity and efficiency. Comparing the challenges and the opportunities, they quickly identified that mechanized planting provided one of the biggest opportunities for Brazilian customers to meet the challenges they were facing. John Deere assembled a small, highly talented team by bringing together people with experience in forestry, agriculture and construction equipment development. Working closely with customers, this team managed to quickly create a concept Mechanized Seedling Planter that was initially sent for customer testing in early 2020. Unfortunately, the global pandemic stopped testing. Promising test results John Deere was able to resume field testing after global travel restrictions were lifted. They presented the concept Mechanized Seedling Planter to customers at the Florestal 2022 forestry show in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, in May 2022. The Mechanized Seedling Planter is currently undergoing further customer testing. Initial feedback is very favourable, and it is on track to meet the customer request to be able to plant one hectare of forest per hour and significantly reduce manual labour by approximately 90%. In order to achieve these results, the company integrated several technologies leveraged directly from agriculture, such as automated path planning and steering, which simplifies the operation of the machine and improves the overall quality of the planting. Continuous development for healthier forests The Mechanized Seedling Planter is designed to be adaptable to different species and is intended to be used in different forestry markets around the world. The planter is built on the 1510G forwarder that is in serial production at the Joensuu factory in Finland. The 1510G’s performance and ergonomics provide an industry leading platform for the silviculture solutions Deere is developing. Mechanized planting is only the beginning; through the leverage of agriculture technologies, there are further opportunities to improve the productivity and efficiency, while reducing input costs for forest owners. Emerging technologies like the recently released John Deere See and Spray have significant potential to further reduce the cost of silviculture activities while improving the health of the forest. The future of the forest looks more promising every day.

A recent article published in Case Studies in Construction Materials proposed novel adhesive-free edge connections for cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The flexural performance of CLTs with these connections was examined under four-point bending tests through numerical modelling and verified experimentally. Source: AZO Build Timber has become a popular building material due to its superior environmental performance than concrete and steel. CLT is preferred over traditional materials based on energy, convenience, and environmental prospects. Moreover, CLT exhibits good mechanical and thermal performance in structural applications. However, the performance of timber structures relies on robust connections to address their inherent limitations. Various types of connections are employed to enhance the structural performance of CLT, with steel and adhesive connections being the most common due to their high stiffness, lightweight nature, ease of construction, and durability. Despite their advantages, steel connections are susceptible to corrosion over time, and adhesives can emit harmful compounds, such as formaldehyde, during use. Furthermore, manufacturing and installing steel connections require more material and energy compared to timber connections, while adhesives are costly and have significant global warming potential. To address these issues, this study proposes the use of adhesive-free edge connections for CLT panels. This approach aims to improve the sustainability, extensibility, environmental impact, and transportation convenience of timber structures. The CW connectors explored in this study offer promising alternatives to steel and synthetic adhesives in CLT-based construction. The performance of these connectors varied across different designs during the parametric analysis. For the B edge connection, the dovetail connector’s load-bearing capacity increased by up to 29% with greater longitudinal length. Expanding the distance between two connectors improved the capacity by 5%, and increasing the distance between the connector hole and the CLT panel’s mid-span axis boosted it by 9.5%. The T-shape edge connection demonstrated substantial improvements with specific modifications: reducing the web surface angle increased capacity by 38%, minimizing the lateral distance between connectors raised it by 23%, and increasing the width and thickness of the connector’s flange resulted in an impressive 222% increase. Notably, the T-shape connection with a narrow-angle web surface showed superior performance under compressive loads compared to tensile loads. For the GT edge connection, using CW as the second lamella layer increased load-bearing capacity by 65%, while reducing the rib angle at the groove-tongue connection surface improved it by 47%. The G edge connection’s load-bearing capacity increased by 6% with a shorter external connector length, and using either a dowel (10% increase) or a rectangular-shaped connector (66% increase) further enhanced performance. Importantly, failures were observed in the connectors rather than the CLT panels, underscoring the critical importance of connector strength. Overall, the researchers successfully developed novel adhesive-free timber edge connections for wooden floor systems, enhancing the expandability and energy performance of CLT panels and promoting sustainability in construction. The study highlighted the effectiveness of simulation techniques in assessing both the mechanical performance of existing structures and the potential of new designs. The various geometries and dimensions of timber connections examined in this research provide valuable insights for designing adhesive-free edge connections for CLT panels, which are frequently used as floor elements. The validated numerical models and parametric analysis offer a solid foundation for simulating connected mass timber panels using FEM. Looking ahead, the researchers aim to further explore the development of additional adhesive-free timber edge connections through numerical methods. Future investigations will focus on testing different connection sizes across various dimensions and types of CLT constructions, as well as analyzing the shear strength of the connectors. You can download the case study here.    

A brand-new office tower in the Perth CBD is just one example of property companies looking at timber as a means to build sustainably. As more tenants, in both the office and industrial market, increasingly have net-zero goals or emissions reporting requirements, many are looking at ways to lower their emissions impact. Source: Timberbiz Perth’s first timber hybrid office tower Westralia Square 2 (WS2), developed by GDI Property and currently leased at 90% capacity, was officially opened by WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti. GDI CEO and Managing Director Stephen Burns said the success of the timber hybrid build placed the issue of sustainability, particularly relating to embodied carbon and scope emissions, at the forefront of design thinking and provided a resounding solution. “GDI Property took the decision to develop WS2 as a timber hybrid building, a novel approach for buildings in the Perth CBD, as it delivers significant project benefits as well as a step-change in the embodied carbon results which is becoming more important for governments, industry and the broader community,” Mr Burns said. “As sustainability targets loom larger and emissions reporting requirements becomes a bigger feature for governments and businesses, there must be a growing focus on the emissions generated by their office spaces, not just operationally, but for embodied carbon. “The timber hybrid construction meant we could use the existing engineering in place for the carpark underneath us and build higher and bigger than a standard concrete build. It also meant less mess, quicker build times and an embodied carbon saving of about 70 per cent compared to a concrete equivalent building. “We believe the way we have delivered WS2 brings a step change approach to minimising embodied carbon in our built environment.” Both Arup and Built, who were both partners in the creation of WS2, have chosen the tower their new Perth headquarters. Arup’s WA leader, Lewis Macdonald, said establishing its WA headquarters at WS2 was a perfect fit for the global sustainable development consultancy. “Our engineering solution of a timber hybrid structure enabled GDI to increase net lettable space on this site, which sits over a pre-existing underground carpark, while simultaneously delivering carbon savings. It really pushes back on myths around green premiums, and the idea that sustainable solutions don’t make economic sense,” Mr Macdonald said. “For Arup’s offices, the timber structure unlocks additional sustainable outcomes. We were able to significantly cut down on waste in the creation of the void at the centre of the offices, removing the timber floor slabs in sections and reusing them in the design of the stairs and platforms, meaning less waste sent off site, and reducing the need for new materials in the process. And unlike concrete, the timber can continue to be reused and recirculated in the future. Each choice tells the story of how important we view shaping a better world through sustainable development.” Other reused materials include salvaged task chairs, comms racks, joinery carcasses and timber for furniture. In line with the Living Building Challenges, new materials avoided a ‘Red List’ of ingredients, representing the worst-in-class materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem. Jon Stone, Director, WA, Built said with an embodied carbon saving of about 70% compared with a concrete equivalent building WS2 “sets a new standard for sustainable commercial developments and exemplifies the opportunities adaptive reuse and hybrid timber construction present in reducing embodied carbon”.  

Timberlink has launched its Australian-made wood composite products brand, Everdeck, comprised of decking boards, edge boards and concealed fasteners. Source: Timberbiz Everdeck boards are manufactured in Tasmania from a combination of Australian recycled plastic and plantation pine timber residues such as wood shavings. Everdeck decking boards are currently available in a 137mm width and length of 5.4M, and in a range of six different colours. “Our Everdeck boards contain at least 50% plantation pine timber residues which are sourced from our Bell Bay facility,” Timberlink’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Simon Angove said. “These residues are combined with Australian recycled plastic to create a value-added product that is simple to install and easy to care for.” The Everdeck wood composite products manufacturing facility was announced in 2021 and was supported by a $5.8m co-investment from the Australian and Tasmanian Governments’ Recycling Modernisation Fund (Plastics) Round 1 Grants Program (RMF). It is a part of Timberlink’s Bell Bay, Tasmania, plantation pine timber manufacturing site, and is the first facility in Tasmania to manufacture wood composite products. Everdeck decking boards, edge boards and concealed fasteners are now available in Tasmania with availability in other Australian states to follow. To support the launch of these products, Timberlink has released a new website at www.everdeck.com.au which features an interactive deck planner tool which allows consumers to explore different layout options and colours for their deck, as well as calculate an estimate of materials. The deck planner is located at www.everdeck.com.au/deck-planner/