As part of the joint research project "Recycling for Re-Use" funded by Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR), the Institute of Building Construction and Timber Structures (IBHolz) dismantled and processed timber cross-sections from several roof trusses between 40 and 90 years old. One aspect of the research project is dedicated to determining the strength and stiffness characteristics of old wood using non-destructive evaluation criteria.
As part of a two-day technical exchange, IBHolz welcomed a colleague from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek) TNO, Dr Jan Niederwestberg, to jointly carry out non-destructive testing of waste wood to determine its mechanical properties. Dr Niederwestberg is also involved in the assessment and reuse of waste wood and took the opportunity at IBHolz to test 243 waste wood samples using the Timber Grader MTG. The Timber Grader MTG measures the vibration frequency of the wood, enabling the modulus of elasticity to be calculated. In addition, the ultrasonic velocity was recorded on the samples using a Silvatest measuring device and the E-moduli determined by both measurement methods were compared. Prof. Mike Sieder, Jan Grobe and Luca Gehling from IBHolz would like to thank Dr Niederwestberg for the intensive professional exchange and the pleasant and interesting time in Braunschweig.