Utilization of mixed species through grouping and standards

Summary

The main thrust of forest products research on the world scene in recent years has been directed towards improving the potential of those economies dependent upon the marketing of mixed timber species. Usually the need is greatest in the tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Technological developments have and still are making improvements in mixed species utilization, but equally significant is the acceptance of concepts such as grouping techniques and the use of national and international timber standards.

The single most important critical end-use of timber is its structural application. It is here that grouping, or the establishment of strength classes, has the most potential for improved utilization and overall simplification. To achieve acceptance of such a concept it is particularly useful to have it incorporated in a standard as the use of standards is now universally accepted as being essential to the efficient use of all structural materials. In Australia such a procedure, evolved over 40 years, has been most successful and has prompted several countries to adopt the system or a variation of it and for many others to express an interest.

In a similar vein, the promotion of the lesser-known timber species is a tedious and not always successful operation due to the difficulty in conveying in a convincing manner the appropriate information, often in several languages. Grouping on the concept of suitability for broad end-uses combined with the use of a reference species ensures that the dissemination of information is clearer and much less complicated.

Classification systems for characteristics such as density, shrinkage and durability are already in fairly common usage but require a standardization.