Whole Trees, LLC — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: FOREST-TO-FACTORY: ROUND TIMBER SUPPLY CHAIN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES USDA secretary, Tom Vils

Description

FOREST-TO-FACTORY: ROUND TIMBER SUPPLY CHAIN TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES USDA secretary, Tom Vilsack has urged the Forest Service to "develop new markets" for forest by-products, which encourage healthy timber management. WholeTrees® Architecture & Structures (WT) is commercializing a line of round timber structural systems for the non-residential construction industry. WT is a leader in round timber systems, bringing the structural intelligence of trees to market. With our successful ongoing structural testing of branching round timbers in partnership with the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, we are creating value from this abundant near-waste by-product of a well-managed forest. Previous WT research and development has focused on addressing the structural concerns of the design, and construction and manufacturing, processes but has not attended to the forestry side of the equation. This proposed research is targeted specifi cally towards the supply chain needs of the forestry industry as it meets a growing demand for structural round timber. The goal of this project is to establish what technology and information is needed to allow public and private foresters to select, and preliminarily grade, branching round timber elements for use in round timber frame systems. Since existing forestry selection and grading procedures are limited to milled and engineered wood products, new criteria and technology are needed to facilitate the supply of consistent round timber throughout the round-wood product line. WholeTrees will develop selection technologies for the Forest Products Industry that will three-dimensionally analyze a tree member, estimate its dimensions & structural capacity assign a design value to be verifi ed by proof loading, and inventory it for future use by the construction industry. Phase I Technical Objectives are: • Analyze existing Forest Products Industry, grading technologies and the existing 3-D scanning technologies in a) the forest products industry; b) the construction industry; c) the high tech laser industry, and determine the best initial device and software programs. • Improve on rudimentary structural grading software developed in our 2012 SBIR Phase II structural testing research in order to better interface with the forest products industry. • Determine the accuracy of 3-D analysis required for eventual fi eld selection devices. This proposal directly addresses the USDA Program Priority of supporting Agriculturally Related Manufacturing Technology and the NIFA Societal Challenge Area of Climate Change. A market for small-diameter round timber is a market for forest landowners from what had previously been considered a near waste by-product of forest management. This will create increased economic opportunity for rural communities while protecting America's forest resources.