R&DWorks

R&D Works October 2019
03. R&DWorks-October 2019Read More

From the floor up! New opportunities for fibre-managed plantation hardwood in construction
Researchers from the University of Tasmania, with support from industry partners Forico and Britton Timbers, were inspired by the opportunities associated with the estimated 960,000 ha of hardwood plantations across the country, resulting from planting that was started more than 30 years ago. Industry partners Britton Timbers and Forico were inspired by the opportunities associated ...Read More

New symposium to showcase latest Australian plant biosecurity research
The inaugural Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium (PBRI) will showcase current plant biosecurity research being conducted by a large range of research teams in Australia. This two-day event, funded by RDCs including FWPA as a founding partner, will be held on 15 and 16 August at The Edge in Brisbane’s state library.  The program is set ...Read More

Benefits of transparent wood are heating up
Since the initial creation of transparent wood three years ago, further developments have resulted in additional material benefits, including the ability to store and release heat. In 2016, scientists from Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology created specially treated timber that could transmit light, acting as a cheaper alternative to the silica-based glass traditionally used ...Read More

‘Plants get stressed out too’ – reducing the climate’s impact on harvests
A new research paper has provided fresh insights into how plants respond to stress. Scientists hope to develop new ways of limiting negative impacts on crop yields. Professor Joanne Chory, director of the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute, an American scientific research centre, was the senior author of the research ...Read More

Pacific Timber Engineering Conference headed for Brisbane
The Future Timber Hub is preparing to host its fifth Pacific Timber Engineering Conference (PTEC). Between 10 and 12 July, PTEC 2019 will provide a forum for interested parties to share the latest developments in research and applications for timber in construction. Industry members, academics, practitioners, researchers and students from across the Asia-Pacific region and ...Read More

Researchers work with PNG balsa industry to support its continued development
The balsa export industry in the East New Britain Province (ENB) of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is big business. Despite this, it faces major challenges with productivity and sustainability, market access and product development. Australian researchers have taken initial steps to work with industry stakeholders to change all of this. The project, supported by the ...Read More

Aiming for the sky in cross-industry plant pest surveillance
Australia’s agriculture and horticulture industries have joined forces, developing a program to change the way airborne pests and diseases are detected. The program, iMapPESTS: Sentinel Surveillance for Agriculture, will rapidly monitor and report the presence of particular, targeted airborne pests and diseases for all agricultural sectors, including forestry, viticulture, grains, sugar, horticulture and cotton. The ...Read More

Productivity rises in multi-storey mass timber construction
A team of Australian researchers has been working to measure the onsite installation productivity of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in multi-storey building projects, demonstrating the significant productivity opportunities associated with the material’s use, and how to maximise them. Professor Perry Forsythe, of the University of Technology Sydney’s School of the Built Environment, who led the ...Read More

Stepping up knowledge: how MDF products can be used more broadly in stair construction
New research has demonstrated medium density fibreboard (MDF) is suitable for use in more elements of stair construction than previously thought. The study has resulted in the development of new industry guidelines around the appropriate use of MDF products in stair structures across a range of scenarios. Understanding the characteristic properties of any material is ...Read More