Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
|
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613906127552512 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Waugh, Jordan |
| author2 | Wessels, Brand |
| author_browse | Waugh, Jordan Wessels, Brand |
| author_facet | Wessels, Brand Waugh, Jordan |
| author_sort | Waugh, Jordan |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135567 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:35.067Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135567 A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber Waugh, Jordan Wessels, Brand Balboni, Bruno Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science. Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Waugh, J. 2026. A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/6743cf4c-4280-4940-8ef6-521895c7bb89 The cost of logs is by far the largest expense item for South African sawmills. The efficiency of conversion of logs to sawn boards, or volume recovery, is consequently one of the main performance indicators for sawmills. The first objective of this study was to quantify the improvement in volume recovery possible when cross-laminated timber (CLT) component manufacturing with increased wane allowance is integrated into a sawmill production process. The second objective was to determine whether the bending stiffness and strength of CLT panels were influenced if components with increased wane allowance and random widths were utilised. The investigation used a sawing study as well as computer simulations to evaluate the effect of increased wane on volume recovery in a sawmill. The simulation study was performed using the Simsaw 6 software program. Forty-five logs, diameters from 18.0-33.9cm, lengths from 4.3m-4.8m, were sorted into three log diameter classes and sawn at a local sawmill using different sawing patterns for each log class. Logs were cut into flitches and no edging to remove wane was performed on the flitches. Four different cross-cut scenarios were virtually performed on each flitch. For the first scenario flitches were virtually cross-cut into 1m long laminates, each with the maximum random width and wane possible (1m scenario). The second scenario includes cross-cutting to 1.5m long laminates, with the maximum random width and wane possible (1.5m scenario). For the third scenario the flitch was cut into a single laminate where the width was maximized, and the maximum wane was allowed (1-cut scenario). The fourth and final scenario involved cross-cutting with the standard wane rules normally applied in South African sawmills (standard scenario). The standard scenario returned a volume recovery of 46.80% while volume recovery increased significantly with the increased wane scenarios: a mean volume recovery of 53.85% for the 1-cut scenario; 57.58% for the 1.5m scenario and 59.14% for the 1-cut scenario. The shorter the laminate length, the higher volume recovery increase is possible. The results from the simulation study showed that Simsaw 6 overpredicted the volume recovery by a mean of 1.53% for the standard scenario and 1.60% for the 1-cut scenario where increased wane levels were allowed. Sawing simulation, therefore, seem to be able to predict actual results relatively accurately for a range of wane allowance levels. The boards from the sawing study were used to manufacture eighteen CLT panels according to a factorial design where the factors were panel thickness (66mm vs. 99mm), wane allowance (wane/clear) and board stiffness (low MOE vs. high MOE). The CLT strip panels were tested in bending according to the EN 16351 (2015) specifications. The inclusion of wane did not compromise the CLT panels’ bending stiffness and strength properties but in fact it can be concluded that waney panels generally performed slightly better than clear panels. Every group in both thickness classes and MOE classes as described above containing wane, for example the 66 wane low class had a mean MOE of 10774.90 MPa compared to the 66 clear low class having a mean MOE of 9125.35 MPa. The same was shown for the 66 wane low class with a mean MOR of 49.37 MPa and the 66 clear low class having a mean MOR of 34.65 MPa. This can probably be ascribed to the higher wood density and stiffness of waney boards compared to clear boards – since waney boards came from the outer parts of logs. Comparisons were also made between the CLT panels’ experimental stiffness and strength results and the predicted bending stiffness and strength, using the shear analogy method. It was observed that an increase in wane did not negatively influence the predictability, using the shear analogy method, of bending stiffness and strength of the CLT strip panels. The experimental work undertaken in this study, support the inclusion of wane and random width products in sawmills since it can drastically improve volume recovery and thus increase value recovery in South African pine sawmills. Also, including wane in CLT panels, does not seem to negatively affect the mechanical bending properties, or it’s predictability. Masters 2026-04-01T13:52:20Z 2026-04-01T13:52:20Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135567 en Stellenbosch University 91 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Waugh, Jordan A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title | A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title_full | A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title_fullStr | A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title_full_unstemmed | A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title_short | A simulation and empirical study of cross-laminated timber from waney SA Pine timber |
| title_sort | simulation and empirical study of cross laminated timber from waney sa pine timber |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135567 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT waughjordan asimulationandempiricalstudyofcrosslaminatedtimberfromwaneysapinetimber AT waughjordan simulationandempiricalstudyofcrosslaminatedtimberfromwaneysapinetimber |