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We investigated the feasibility of using several fast-growing tropical or subtropical hardwood species for timber production by measuring key wood qualities in relationship to the high rates of lateral growth. The trees tested were sampled from even-aged plantations of Acacia mangium, A. auriculiformis, hybrid Acacia(A.mangium × A. auriculiformis), Eucalyptus grandis, E. globulus, and Paraserianthes falcataria (Solomon and Java origin) that had already reached commercial harvesting age. The released strain of the surface growth stress (RS), xylem density (XD), microfibril angle (MFA), and fiber length (FL) were measured at the outermost part of the xylem at breast height in each tree. Results were then compared to the lateral growth rate (radius/age) at breast height, which provides a relative indicator of the amount of tree growth per year. Our findings indicated that RS was constant, regardless of lateral growth rate in each species. Similar results were observed for XD, MFA, and FL, with a few exceptions, suggesting that high growth rates do not intrinsically affect the wood properties of fast-growing tropical or subtropical species that have reached harvesting age. However, special attention must be paid to patterns of xylem maturation when developing plantations of such species.

The aim of this study was to determine the physical and mechanical properties of glued laminated timber (glulam) manufactured from small-diameter logs of three wood species, Acacia mangium (mangium), Maesopsis eminii (manii), and Falcataria moluccana (sengon), with densities of 533, 392, and 271 kg/m 3 , respectively.Glulam measuring 5 cm by 7 cm by 160 cm in thickness, width, and length, respectively, was made with three to five lamina, or layers, and isocyanate adhesive. The glulams contained either the same wood species for all layers or a combination of mangium face and back layers with a core layer of manii or sengon. Solid wood samples of the same size for all three species were included as a basis for comparison. Physical-mechanical properties and delamination tests of glulam referred to JAS 234:2003. The results showed that the properties of same species glulam did not differ from those of solid wood, with the exception of the shear strength of glulam being lower than that of solid wood. Wood species affected glulam properties, but three-and five-layer glulams were not different except for the modulus of elasticity. All glulams were resistant to delamination by immersion in both cold and boiling water. The glulams that successfully met the JAS standard were three-and five-layer mangium, five-layer manii, and five-layer mangium-manii glulams.

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Manufacturing glued laminated timber (glulam) can help overcome the limited availability of large-sized timber, and the use of bio-adhesives may resolve environmental problems associated with synthetic adhesives containing high formaldehyde contents. Tannin adhesive is a bio-adhesive that can be used as alternative glue in the manufacture of glulam. The purpose of this study was to determine the physical and mechanical properties of glulam made with mahogany (Swietenia sp.) tannin adhesive and wood from three fast-growing species, namely pine (Pinus merkusii), jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba), and sengon (Falcataria moluccana). Glulam (3 cm × 6 cm × 120 cm in thickness, width, and length, respectively) was manufactured with three layers of lamina. The physical and mechanical properties of the glulams were tested based on relevant standards. The results showed that pine glulam fulfilled the standard for the modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity, while sengon glulam met the standard for shear strength. In the delamination test, sengon glulam was resistant to immersion in cold water and hot water. All glulams had low formaldehyde emission levels and therefore fulfilled the standard requirements. The results showed that the tannin adhesive from mahogany bark was equal in quality to methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate for glulam manufacturing.

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