Browsing by Author "Montero, Claudio"

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    Assessing Treatments to Mitigate End-Face Cracking in Air-Dried Acacia dealbata Logs
    (2024) Suazo-Uribe, Manuel; Salvo-Sepulveda, Linette; Rosales, Victor; Montero, Claudio; Louzada, Jose L.; Branco, Jorge M.
    Acacia dealbata Link, known as Mimosa in Portugal, is an invasive hardwood species with potential for construction use, but research is limited. The available stock of small-diameter juvenile wood logs can help reduce this gap, but tangential cracking at log ends challenges fastener connections. This study evaluated different treatments to control and reduce end-face cracking in small wood logs during air drying, an economical and environmentally friendly procedure. The extreme two-thirds of sixteen Mimosa logs were subjected to two treatments: one with longitudinal kerfs 15 mm deep along the length (two and three kerfs) and the other with a hollow in the center up to half the length (16 mm and 30 mm diameters). Over 219 days of air drying and compared with the central part, kerfing treatments significantly reduced outer-wood tangential cracking (p < 0.001), with the three kerfs also reducing crack numbers (p < 0.05) but increasing significantly cracks near the pith (p < 0.01). The 30 mm central hollow significantly reduced central perforation cracking (p < 0.05). Prospectively, the results suggest that a combined treatment approach involving cross-cuts could help reduce and/or control end cracking, thereby improving the suitability of wild Mimosa logs for construction use.
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    Feasibility of Bonding High-Moisture-Content Wood Using Nothofagus chilean Species
    (2023) Rosales, Victor; Rodriguez-Grau, Gonzalo; Galarce, Carlos; Montero, Claudio; Alvarado, Claudia; Munoz, Lisa; Pommier, Regis
    Appraising and protecting forests requires a management plan and the creation of innovative products for the market. The development of the green gluing technique could add value to native timber. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the response and the productive process of Nothofagus species using this technique. This work investigated the viability of implementing the green gluing method using three types of Nothofagus. Wood pieces were made using a one-component polyurethane adhesive. Delamination, shear tests, morphological characterization, and bond line thickness analysis tested their capacity. The results showed a variable response depending on the Nothofagus type, where the surface treatment could improve the green gluing performance. The findings highlight the relevance of increasing knowledge about the essayed species and their preparation to maintain their natural moisture condition.
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    The Adhesion Performance in Green-Glued Finger Joints Using Different Wood Ring Orientations
    (2024) Rodriguez-Grau, Gonzalo; Cordonnier, Pierre-Louis; Navarrete, Benjamin; Montero, Claudio; Alvarado, Claudia; Pommier, Regis; Rosales, Victor; Galarce, Carlos
    Structural lumber is designed to meet the technical standards that ensure safety, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. However, some tree species face limitations in their growth, which restricts their widespread use. An example of this is Nothofagus alpina, which has excellent mechanical properties but is not utilized much due to the challenges in extracting its timber and poor utilization, mainly because of the length of the wood. There is little information concerned with the uses and better management of small pieces using Nothofagus species, but it is still insufficient. This study investigates the adhesion performance of green-glued finger joints with varying wood ring orientations and moisture contents ranging from 21% to 25% using Nothofagus alpina. The primary aim is to assess how ring orientation and wet timber affect the green gluing process for creating larger wood pieces than sawn wood. The resulting products could meet the standards for wood serviceability number three for native Chilean wood. The findings indicate that finger joint performance improves with higher timber moisture levels. However, the orientation of the wood fibers did not significantly affect the performance under the tested conditions. It is important to note that this effect may become more significant near the fiber saturation point. These findings emphasize the need for a detailed protocol on the green gluing technique for Nothofagus alpina and the associated drying and surface processes in finger joint construction.