Image:
Ca va
Hawaii
impo ts
much
of
the
lumbe
used
to
build
its
homes,
schools
a d
i f ast uctu e,
but
a
ew
U ive sity
of
Hawaii
at
Mā oa
esea ch
p oject
is
aski g
whethe
some
of
that
mate ial
could
i stead
come
f om
t ees
al eady
g owi g
o
the
isla ds.
Mo e
tha
34,000
ac es
of
ma aged
eucalyptus
pla tatio s
exist
ac oss
Hawaii,
yet
much
of
the
wood
is
ot
used
fo
st uctu al
co st uctio
because
e gi ee s
a d
builde s
lack
the
locally
specific
desig
data
equi ed
to
ce tify
it
fo
that
pu pose.
Led
by
civil
e gi ee i g
esea che
Ju
Wa g,
the
ew
p oject
will
ha vest
Hawaii-g ow
eucalyptus,
tu
the
t ees
i to
lumbe
a d
test
the
mate ial
fo
st e gth
a d
du ability.
Suppo ted
by
a
$300,000
USDA
Fo est
Se vice
Wood
I ovatio
G a t,
the
wo k
aims
to
establish
e gi ee i g
desig
values
fo
st uctu al
applicatio s.
The
esea che s
say
successful
testi g
could
educe
depe de ce
o
impo ted
lumbe
while
c eati g
ew
oppo tu ities
fo
Hawaii’s
fo est y
a d
wood-p oducts
i dust ies.
Meet
the
U ive sity
of
Hawaii
esea che s
testi g
whethe
local
eucalyptus
ca
become
co st uctio -g ade
lumbe
The
p oject
is
led
by
Ju
Wa g,
a
assista t
p ofesso
i
the
U ive sity
of
Hawaii
at
Mā oa’s
Depa tme t
of
Civil,
E vi o me tal
a d
Co st uctio
E gi ee i g.
Rathe
tha
assumi g
eucalyptus
is
automatically
suitable
fo
st uctu al
co st uctio ,
the
esea che s
a e
taki g
a
testi g-based
app oach:
t ees
will
be
ha vested,
p ocessed
i to
lumbe
a d
subjected
to
st e gth
a d
du ability
testi g
so
that
e gi ee s
ca
establish
the
ume ical
desig
values
equi ed
fo
co st uctio .
The
eed
fo
this
wo k
is
specific
to
hawaii-g ow
wood.
Ea lie
U.S.
Fo est
Se vice
esea ch
fou d
that
eucalyptus
g ow
i
Hawaii
has
useful
mecha ical
p ope ties,
but
also
docume ted
challe ges
such
as
g owth
st ess,
splitti g
a d
diffe e ces
i
de sity
a d
st e gth
betwee
t ees
g ow
i
Hawaii
a d
those
g ow
elsewhe e.
The
ew
esea ch
is
i te ded
to
p ovide
the
mode
e gi ee i g
data
eeded
to
dete mi e
whe e
the
locally
g ow
mate ial
ca
safely
be
used.
The
U ive sity
of
Hawaii
says
the
p oject
will
wo k
with
state
age cies,
fo est
la dow e s
a d
i dust y
pa t e s
to
evaluate
the
wood
u de
co ditio s
eleva t
to
comme cial
co st uctio .
If
the
testi g
establishes
eliable
desig
values,
the
wo k
could
eve tually
suppo t
st uctu al
applicatio s
a d
e gi ee ed
wood
p oducts
made
i
Hawaii.
Wa g’s
b oade
esea ch
focuses
o
i f ast uctu e
sustai ability
a d
st uctu al
behaviou ,
maki g
the
eucalyptus
p oject
pa t
of
a
wide
effo t
to
develop
co st uctio
app oaches
suited
to
Hawaii’s
e vi o me tal
a d
i f ast uctu e
eeds.