Wood technology 1: Tree construction and anatomy

The structure of the tree is optimally designed for the needs of the tree, but not for us. Good knowledge of the characteristics of the raw material is needed to create profitability and avoid costly mistakes throughout the chain from forest raw material to sawn product.

About the course

This course provides you with knowledge and an explanation of how wood properties affect the production strategy, the manufacturing process and the properties of the sawn product.

You will learn:

How the tree and wood is structured from stem to cell explaining the characteristics of wood such as:

• Basic wood anatomy
• Differences between pine and spruce wood
• The origin and properties of different types of wood
• Strength properties
• Knots, value and quality
• What is a defect and how does it affect the value of the sawn product?

After the course you will be able to answer questions such as:

• Who eats wood?
• Can all wood float in water?
• Why is it difficult to impregnate spruce?
• Can grape sugar really build a pine tree?
• Why are there such different patterns in wooden surfaces?
• Why is wood easier to split in winter?
• What is it that smells so good in wood?
• Why are spruce rails often so crooked?
• What is a defect? How big is a twig?

Approach

The course involves approximately 40 hours of work. The course content is largely based on self-study and is divided into 4 parts, each of which is based on recorded lectures, literature, simple home laboratories and exercises and web-based examination.

Expression of Interest

This course is given in Swedish. Please click on “på Svenska” at the top of the page and register your interest there.

Contact us

LTU Professional Education uppdragsutbildning@ltu.se