Potential Use of Transparent Wood in Spatial Folded Structures

Abstract

Transparent wood is a relatively new material, the manufacturing starts with removing the lignin from wood veneer and infiltrating the delignified wood by a polymer thereafter. Transparent wood usually proves better mechanical properties than original wood and polymer. The article presents the potential use of transparent wood in bearing structures. The transparent wood could be used as I-beams structures, box beams, trusses, or folded structures. A spatial folded structure was numerically analyzed. Various types of transparent wood or transparent plywood were used. A comparison with commonly used materials, such as glass and other wood-based materials were made. The comparison shows that transparent wood has great potential in the use as a structural material. The plywood made from transparent wood veneer with the alternating direction of wood fibers acts as a laminate and allows a biaxial load transfer, which can be successfully used in a thin plate of the spatial folded structure while maintaining relatively good transparency.