Improving the durability performance of engineered wood products: A study tour of Europe and North America

Abstract

Engineered wood products (EWPs) are rapidly growing global market share in both structural and appearance end-uses. These products are formed by combining wood components such as flakes, fibres, particles, veneers, strands, rounds or sawntimber into composite products. Often these composite products can also feature non-wood components such as glues, metals and plastics. Examples of EWPs include cross laminated timber (CLT), glulam, plywood, laminated veneer lumber (LVL), oriented strandboard (OSB), particleboard and I beams. These products are used in diverse applications, including construction, flooring, walls, roofs, linings, decorative architectural features, furniture, packaging, utility poles, cross-arms and bridges. The reasons for their growing popularity are multi-faceted and include numerous performance, resource conversion and sustainability advantages.