Climate change is confronting the German forestry and timber industry with increasing uncertainty regarding raw materials. Extreme weather events and biotic disturbances, such as the widespread bark beetle infestation of spruce trees, are causing forest owners to rethink their approach and creating opportunities for light-demanding and pioneer tree species. Smaller areas per tree species pose problems for the wood processing industry, as processes are often optimised for the use of fewer types of wood. In order to make sensible use of the sustainable potential of future natural forest communities, IBHolz at the TU Braunschweig is working with partners from forest and wood research on a flexible concept for the production of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) from a mix of tree species. LVL offers the opportunity to supply load-bearing components and, thanks to its layered structure, can be specifically designed to fulfil a defined range of performance requirements despite the use of different types of wood.
Researchers at the faculty Ressourcenmanagement der HAWK Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingenidentify the timber volume of various future scenarios based on current forest development and are supported in this by the forestry company Oldershausen HOFOS GmbH with data and practical expertise.
A layered material made from different types of wood poses challenges for processors, as different wood properties such as density and extract content affect dimensional stability and bondability. IBHolz is developing special sorting and evaluation procedures for this purpose in order to ensure consistent product properties in collaboration with Holzbiologie und Holzprodukte der Universität Göttingen department. In addition, research is being conducted into solutions for the problems associated with bonding.
HAWK Fakultät Ingenieurwissenschaften und Gesundheit is investigating the optimisation of bonding quality between the types of wood used by applying innovative plasma processes, while Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, together with Prefere Resins Holding Germany GmbH and Mercer Rosenthal GmbH, is adapting the application of established adhesive systems and developing sustainable alternatives.
Together with its partners, IBHolz uses its expertise in component assessment to contribute to sustainable value creation with the forestry associations of the future.
We look forward to an exciting collaboration!
Partners:
Cooperation partners:
Duration of the project:
From 01.01.2026 to 30.06.2028
This project is funded by the European Social Fund Plus / European Regional Development Fund.