Wood Materials Engineering Lab

AboutAbout the lab

From the production of wood resources to their structural use

The Wood Materials Engineering Lab conducts education and research on the production, physical conversion, material design and development, and structural use of wood resources, in harmony with global environmental conservation and the use of forest resources.
Living comfortably in wooden structures over the long term requires understanding the physical properties and strength performance of wood and wood-based materials and assessing the safety of members in existing buildings, so the lab pursues research on performance evaluation.
Assistant Professor Hasegawa works on nondestructive evaluation, using ultrasound and other methods to examine wood without damaging it.
Associate Professor Andi Hermawan works on wood drying methods, modification technologies, and the development of wood-based materials using waste wood and natural adhesives.

ResearchResearch themes

The lab studies the performance evaluation of wood and wood-based materials, aiming to provide wood-based materials that are safe, reliable, and kind to the global environment. Associate Professor Andi Hermawan's research themes are multifaceted property evaluation of wood and wood-based materials, the development of wood drying methods and modification technologies, and the development of wood-based materials using waste wood and natural adhesives. Assistant Professor Hasegawa's theme is nondestructive evaluation using ultrasound and other methods.

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Nondestructive evaluation of properties inside tree trunks using ultrasound↗

The speed at which ultrasound travels depends on a material's elastic modulus, so it offers a clue to how mechanical properties vary within a tree trunk. The lab has worked on visualizing the distribution of propagation velocity, from domestic timber to fast-growing trees from overseas.

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Predicting the residual strength of wooden structural members↗

There is concern that biological degradation by decay fungi and termites reduces the strength of structural members. The lab is developing a method that uses ultrasound to predict the loss of strength that degradation may cause in the future.

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Nondestructive testing of the fire performance of flame-retardant-treated wood↗

In fire-retardant wood, the amount of flame-retardant chemical can be unevenly distributed inside the wood, which is one cause of failing to meet the required fire performance. The lab is developing a method that uses air-coupled ultrasound and X-ray CT to determine the distribution of the chemical and predict fire performance nondestructively.

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