Japanese Cedar Lumber Research Articles

Effect of high temperature drying with load on reduction of residual stress and correction of warp of Japanese cedar lumber

While sawing logs along the pith to produce lumber, warps would occur in lumber due to the release of residual stress. Correction sawing should be performed to correct warps, so warps decrease the yield of lumber. Therefore, it is crucial to find a way to produce straight lumber without correction sawing. The present study focused on a series of high temperature drying with load, and it was confirmed that residual stress was eliminated, and warp was corrected after a series of high temperature drying with load. Besides, the optimal schedule conditions of high temperature drying were determined. After 6 months of storage, the treated lumber remained straight and residual stress in lumber did not recover. By applying high temperature drying with load to warped lumber, it is possible to dry lumber and correct the warps at the same time.

Effects and interaction of different interior material treatment and personal preference on psychological and physiological responses in living environment

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood is widely used as a traditional construction material in Japan. The relationship between an individual’s perceived comfort level and a preference for Japanese cedar wood interiors is of interest. We compared volunteers’ physiological responses and subjective evaluations of wooden dwelling spaces with different wood materials: planed Japanese cedar lumber, or printed grain resin sheet overlay boards. Eighty-three subjects were asked to stay in each room for 30 min. We evaluated salivary stress markers, blood pressure, the profile of mood states-brief form (POMS), and a questionnaire that used the semantic differential method to evaluate the subjects’ feeling state for both rooms. The concentrations of the volatile organic compounds in both rooms were also quantified after the experiment. The results demonstrated that the subjects’ evaluation of each room was highly dependent on their preference; each room was evaluated more positively by subjects who preferred it. Although the subjects’ feelings were also influenced by their preference, the room with Japanese cedar did not elicit negative feelings, even from the subjects who disliked it. The subjects’ physiological responses were totally independent of their preferences. Their blood pressure decreased in the Japanese cedar room, and their salivary alpha-amylase activity was repressed in both rooms. These results indicated that the subjective evaluations were influenced in part by the subjects’ preferences, while their physiological responses were not affected. Regardless of which room the subjects preferred, the Japanese cedar room reduced the subjects’ blood pressure compared to the room with artificial materials.

Influence of moisture content on estimating Young’s modulus of full-scale timber using stress wave velocity

The effect of moisture content on the stress wave propagation velocity was investigated in order to estimate the Young’s modulus of full-scale timbers in an air-drying state using the measurement of stress wave propagation velocity above the fiber saturation point. Using Japanese cedar lumber, the velocity and the density under high-moisture condition and air-drying states were measured respectively; after measuring the modulus of elasticity in an air-drying state, the moisture content of each condition was measured. By performing numerical analysis on these data, the relationship between the moisture content and the rate of change of velocity of full-scale timbers was derived. This relationship was used to estimate the Young’s modulus of the timber in the air-drying state from the velocity in high-moisture condition. First, the velocity and the Young’s modulus in an air-drying state were estimated accurately from its density, moisture content and velocity under high-moisture condition. In cases where the density could not be measured, using the database of mechanical properties with the Monte Carlo simulation method, the Young’s modulus of the full-scale timber in an air-drying state might be estimated within 20% accuracy from its moisture content and velocity under high-moisture condition.

Impregnation of laser incised wood of Douglas fir and Japanese cedar by dipping (passive impregnation) in solutions of copper azole (CuAz-B) and a fire retardant (PPC)

Abstract The performance of the passive impregnation method of CO2-laser incised lumber has been investigated concerning wood preservation against different wood-destroying agents. Copper azole type B (CuAz-B) preservative and polyphosphatic carbamate (PPC) fire retardant were impregnated into Douglas fir and Japanese cedar lumber under both green and kiln-dried conditions. Final drying of the lumber was performed by steam injection or kiln drying. The temperature and pressure change in the lumber, as well as the total chemical retention, penetration, decay resistance, fire retardancy and total treatment time were calculated according to different standards. The preservative retention was higher in the Japanese cedar for both green and kiln-dried conditions (5.32 and 5.58 kg m-3, respectively) compared to Douglas fir (5.01 and 4.81 kg m-3). Fire retardant retentions were more than 100 kg m-3 in all cases. The penetration was approximately 100% throughout the lumber. There were no significant differences in the decay resistance test between the different categories of lumber. Moreover, it was possible to treat the green lumber in less than 48 h starting from the green conditon to the final drying. Hence, the presented passive impregnation technique could be useful for industrial application.

Effect of steam injection re-drying of Japanese cedar on preservative leaching after passive impregnation

This study investigated the effects of steam injection re-drying on the leaching of copper azole type B (CAz-B) preservative from green and kiln dried Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D.Don) lumber treated by the passive impregnation method. The leaching and fungal treatments were performed according to the JIS Z 2101-1994 standard. Sixteen hours of steam injection re-drying reduced the moisture content from 152 to 82% and 195 to 55% for initially green and dry lumber, respectively. Preservative retention was higher in the dry lumber (5.21 kg/m3) compared with the green (4.66 kg/m3), however, leaching percent was similar for both types. Preservative leaching and mass loss due to fungal attack were significantly lower in the lumber re-dried by steam injection compared with air dried. Thus, steam injection re-drying after passive impregnation treatment could be a step toward fixing CAz-B preservative in Japanese cedar lumber.

Impregnation of Preservative and Fire Retardants into Japanese Cedar Lumber by Passive Impregnation

Copper azole type B (CAz-B) preservative and polyphosphatic carbamate (PPC) fire retardants were impregnated in succession into green (97% MC) and kiln-dried (18% MC) Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D.Don) lumber by the passive impregnation method to prolong the period of lumber use by increasing its resistance to fire and biological degradation. Lumber was dried with a kiln or by air-drying. Total chemical retention, penetration, leaching, decay resistance (JIS K 1571), and fire retardancy (ISO 834-1 standard, 20 minutes) tests were performed according to the mentioned standards. Preservative retention was higher in the green lumber (4.97 kg/m3) compared with the kiln-dried (4.88 kg/m3) lumber. However, fire retardant retention was similar for both lumber types (107 and 111 kg/m3). Leaching was higher in kiln-dried lumber (21.8%) compared to air-dried lumber (14.4%), although there were no significant differences in the decay resistance test between these two lumber types. The fire performance of both lumber types was similar in the fire resistance test. Therefore, the passive impregnation method can be used effectively for impregnation of both preservatives and fire retardants into wood.

Development of roof trusses with metal plate connectors using domestic plantation timber.

Metal plate connectors (MPCs) were developed and applied to truss assemblies to evaluate the structural performance of Japanese cedar roof trusses in the study. An MPC with a tooth length of 9 mm, a plate thickness of 0.9 mm, and a tooth density of 1 tooth cm^(-2) was designed and produced using SS33 structural steel sheets. The loading capacities of the designed MPC were 216~265 N per tooth, and the derived allowable lateral resistance was 68.3~86.4 N per tooth for Japanese cedar lumber joints in tension. Ultimate bending capacities and stiffness of the 38×140-mm wood roof truss system were 82.6 and 48.9% higher than those of 38×89-mm wood roof truss, respectively. No significant difference was found between Howe and Fink trusses. The critical failures in Japanese cedar roof trusses were located at the heel joint, and these accounted for 75% due to a combination of tooth withdrawal and plate failure in the 38×140-mm truss, and 87.5% due to the tooth withdrawal in the 38×89-mm truss. Flexural deflections of Japanese cedar roof trusses measured at the design load level were within 5.0~20.5% of the design deflection limitation. Furthermore, the designed roof load was only 9.9~18.9% of the ultimate equivalent distributed loads measured at truss rupture, which assures the safety of Japanese cedar roof trusses in service.

Flexural Properties of Structural Laminated Bamboo/Solid Wood Composite Box Hollow Beams

Laminated Moso bamboo members were fabricated with different alignments and used as flanges with Japanese cedar lumber as web members to investigate the flexural performance of laminated bamboo/wood box hollow beams. The results showed that the efficiencies of finger joints in the bending tests were 64.3 and 53.2% for beams respectively laminated horizontally and vertically with bamboo laminae. The maximum bending capacities of the box hollow beams using laminated bamboo members either horizontally or vertically as flanges were 31.3 and 49.7%, respectively, higher than those of beams with Japanese cedar flanges. Furthermore, improved maximum bending capacities, of 69.1 and 74.2%, were respectively found for laminated bamboo/wood box hollow beams further reinforced with 10 d box nails and wood screws between the interface of the bamboo flange and solid wood web compared to that of solid wood box hollow beams. Based on the design deflection limitations, box hollow beams fabricated with laminated bamboo flanges can provide equivalent distributed loads of 1.85~2.09 KN m^(-1), corresponding to loads 30.9 to 47.5% higher than those of solid beams.

Evaluation of the mechanical properties of Douglas-fir and Japanese cedar lumber and its structural glulam by nondestructive techniques

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of the configuration of the lamina on the bending properties of glulam made from Douglas-fir and Japanese cedar lumber. By using a visual grading method according to CNS 14631 and nondestructive evaluation techniques (including the ultrasonic wave technique, transverse vibration test and static bending test), lamina having both higher dynamic MOE and static MOE were chosen for the outside layers, in order to manufacture homogeneous and heterogeneous grade structural glulam lamina, with higher strength properties. The degrees of correlation, obtained from the different nondestructive testing methods, were then analyzed. The results indicated that the DMOEv, DMOEt and MOE values for both Douglas-fir and Japanese cedar lumber showed a decreasing order as follows: construction grade>standard grade>utility grade. It was also found that the transverse vibration test is a better nondestructive method of evaluating sawn lumber. The different configurations of the lamina within glulam can be used to fabricate glulams with different grades of bending strengths. The predicted values of glulam Eb(sp), were higher than those of the experimental values Eb(sc). Moreover, the value of Eb(sc) increased linearly with an increasing MOE of the outside layers of lamina (e3).

Study on Static & Dynamic Bending Strength of Compressed Lumber and the Utilization for Reinforcement.

Japanese cedar is the most important conifer for reforestation in Japan. Recently, compression process upon lumbers are expected to be an effective way to progress the mechanical property and able to extend the uses of Japanese cedar. This study evaluated the static & dynamic bending strength of compressed Japanese cedar lumber (compressed lumber) and tried to progress the bending strength of Al alloy shape by compressed lumber as the reinforcement. As the results, bending strength of compressed lumbers are equal to the A class lumber used for structures by the regulation of JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standard). Bending strength of Al alloy shape can be progressed by compressed lumber.