Projects


As a practice-oriented research institute, we deal with problems and questions of the entire woodworking and wood processing industry in a quick, confidential, and unbureaucratic manner. Our specialists cover a wide range of subjects and research interdisciplinary topics in an interdisciplinary manner. The overview below shows the wide range of current research projects recently completed at Holzforschung Austria.

design-element
project status:

Grade2New

research area:
Raw & construction materials

Wood is widely recognized as a competitive renewable raw material for construction products. To maintain and improve this unique selling position, Europe is pushing the circular use of wood-based…

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ErKa

research areas:
Building & living
En­er­getic use

Qualification initiative for (thermal) upgrade of double windows

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TreeGuard

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Climate changes are leading to increased (re)forestation in our forests. As a result, the demand for tree shelters, especially alternative, biodegradable ones, is growing. Conventional, plastic-based…

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SuperBark

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Raw & construction materials

Softwood bark is a by-product of the timber industry that is currently mostly used to produce energy and heat. In the project SuperBark, phenolic components and cellulose nanofibers are extracted from…

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Terrasse digital

research area:
Building & living

Decking e.g. for terraces and balconies is one of the most important and at the same time a very challenging application for wood in outdoor areas. The variety of requirements and options with lack of…

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HyPELignum

research area:
Building & living

The European project „HyPELignum“ under the coordination of RISE (SWE) focusses on the development of printed electronics on wood and wood-based materials. Use-cases considered involve the replacement…

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dataholz_build_up

research area:
Building & living

The aim of the project is to further develop the digitization of the online component catalog into a multifunctional planning tool. A thematic focus is on the analysis, selection and evaluation of…

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TimberLoop

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Raw & construction materials

Due to the further CO2 storage and resource savings in each new life cycle, its high availability and many synergistic effects, construction timber from previous use has a high potential for the…

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Smart & Urban Tree

research area:
Building & living

Can we use wooden, structural measures to mitigate the increase in summer temperatures in public spaces in Vienna? Together with the Technical University of Vienna, we explore how wooden structures…

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Bauen mit Laubholz

research area:
Building & living

Project purpose is to establish foundations for an effective use of local hardwoods as construction products. Priorities are to develop new processing methods to increase the yields and a greater…

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Fem4Wood

research areas:
Building & living
En­er­getic use
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Raw & construction materials

To participate in Horizon Europe, Holzforschung Austria needs to have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP). In this project, we have developed a GEP with the aim to increase female leadership. The institute…

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KraftPell

research area:
En­er­getic use

Application und modification of kraft-lignin as additive for wood pellet production

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Parkett_Klima_Wandel

research area:
Building & living

In this project, hygrothermal simulation and simulation of time-dependent deformation and stress distribution in wooden floors is used to predict the effects of the future development of climate…

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Coole Hülle

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

The main USP of the project was the development of a future-oriented ventilated wooden façade that counteracts and at least partially compensates for increased room temperatures due to climate change.…

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Coole Fenster

research area:
Building & living

Windows with shading optimising the trade-off between summery overheating, wintery heat protection and adequate illumination

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Mindwood

research area:
Building & living

Functional inkjet printing for smart wooden construction elements with integrated monitoring

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OptiPUR

research areas:
Building & living
Raw & construction materials

The trend towards high-quality living surfaces is steadily increasing in structural timber constructions, especially when using cross-laminated timber. In order to keep the visible surface permanently…

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Crackless Wood

research area:
Building & living

Cracking is one of the main reasons for degradation of exterior wood coatings. Without proper maintenance, these cracks lead to complete coating failure. The project “Crackless Wood” aims at the…

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EURODECK

research area:
Building & living

Quality and Assessment Programms for Wooden Decking

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SimBraWood

research area:
Building & living

Numerical simulation of the fire behavior of wooden structures

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Bau-Cycle

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Raw & construction materials

“Bau-Cycle – Sustainable building material cycles by means of material analysis and pollutant separation” aimed to close essential gaps in the circulation of construction products, in particular the…

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ThermNat

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Building components with sustainable materials: focus (hygro-) thermal conditions

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StainMap

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The goal of the project is the prediction of the probability of bluestain on sawn timber based on the interaction of different variables. The essential foundations for predicting the sensitivity to…

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Schutz.aufs.Dach

research area:
Building & living

Sound protection by wooden roofs with roof top insulation

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Geklebte Plug-In Fenstermontage

research area:
Building & living

The aim of the project is to develop a new mounting method to simplify the installation of windows and doors, which should be suitable for new buildings and renovation and should also ideally be…

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VAMOS

research area:
Building & living

Vakuumglas-Kastenfenster: Performance - Monitoring in Sanierungsprojekten

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OptTreat

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Climate change. A buzzword that has become a turning point in the management of our forests. With a changing supply of wood species, the use of hardwoods in construction is now within reach. Since…

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ColorProtect

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Today, the mainly used pigments for coatings in the outdoor area are of synthetic or inorganic origin. Their synthesis and the retrieval of raw materials needed for their synthesis are often harmful…

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Analysis of dust in indoor air

research areas:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Building & living

Depending on its origin, dust is composed of a mixture of organic and inorganic particles. These particles vary in size, shape and structure and can cause respiratory irritation and allergies in…

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TGA-Timber

research area:
Building & living

The time saving properties of timber construction based on high prefabrication standards is commonly lost in the course of implementing the technical building equipment, owing to complicated…

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Kooperationslabor Holz-Beton-Fügetechnik

research area:
Raw & construction materials

Timber-concrete composite ceilings have become increasingly popular in recent years. Current systems, however, mostly use notches or screws for the shear force transmission. These systems are quite…

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READiStrength

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The EU project READiStrength was a cooperation between Austria, Germany and Sweden. We exploited current developments in roundwood characterization technology (especially X-ray CT scanning), as well…

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FIVA

research area:
Building & living

Window prototypes with integrated vacuum glass

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Local leaks

research area:
Building & living

The airtightness or the permissible air permeability can currently only be determined as a total parameter for the entire building using a Blower-Door measurement or for the individual component, e.g.…

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EcoAgents

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Some complexing agents used in the pulp and paper industry fail to meet the environmental requirements and must be replaced in accordance with the statutory deadlines. On the one hand, the project…

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IASca

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Improving indoor-air-quality in wooden buildings with scavenger-materials

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PUPURA

research area:
Building & living

Roof underlay systems constitute the rainproof layers of pitched roofs. Thus, roof underlay systems are essential for moisture protection of ventilated roof constructions. In the current project, the…

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Bahnschwelle 2020

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

The use of timber sleepers is still indispensable for efficient rail operations. Creosote, which has been used for sleeper impregnation for decades, will probably no longer be available for this…

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EQ-Pell

research area:
En­er­getic use

This project works out the basis for resource optimization with methods of statistical process control. Optimal conditions get defined via consistent reduction in the variation of all relevant process…

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Hail resistance

research area:
Building & living

Coating systems for exterior wood should be significantly improved with regards to its resistance to hail. This need exists because the usual types of softwood that are used outdoors with coatings…

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Long Life Decking

research area:
Building & living

In this three-year research project, Holzforschung Austria developed care and maintenance concepts to extend the usability and to improve the appearance of coated and uncoated wooden deckings. This…

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Woodagent

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Determining the content of organic substances in wood samples is currently associated with great analytical effort. The aim of this project was to develop quick and simple methods that should enable…

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Sound Wood Austria

research area:
Building & living

Increasing planning reliability for the sound insulation design of Austrian timber building

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SURF~PARQUET

research area:
Building & living

Structured Surfaces of Wood Flooring with Optimal Resistance against Chemical Influences

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Brand Wasser Schaden

research area:
Building & living

The present research project investigates the essential issues of fire and water damage restoration in the field of timber construction. A sustainable reconstruction of smoke damage as well as the…

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Terpenguard

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

The biocides available in wood protection are facing increasing restrictions by European legislation. As part of the “Terpenguard” research project, Holzforschung Austria is investigating terpenoid-…

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BIG-CONAir

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

In the container village of the Universität Innsbruck, containers were built in timber construction, one of them in solid wood construction and another in wood-clay construction. The indoor air…

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BAOPAP

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Deposition control in paper making machines using innovative, biocide free coating techniques

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SmellProcess

research areas:
En­er­getic use
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

The SmellProcess project is devoted to the unanswered question of how undesirable emissions can be avoided when storing wood fuel pellets. The implementation takes place in cooperation between…

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RooFit4PV

research area:
Building & living

Flat roof structures with intermediate rafter insulation represent physically demanding constructions. Particular attention is paid to the shaded areas here. In a completed HFA research project, the…

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LäDouKi

research area:
Raw & construction materials

In the LäDouKi project, ensile strength tests were carried out for the wood species larch, pine and Douglas fir. With the help of these tests, a strength classification for the sorting classes…

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BioUpgrade

research area:
En­er­getic use

In the cooperation project, the three Austrian Cooperative Research ACR institutes OFI, HFA and Kachelofenverband built up a unique infrastructure. Numerous production and optimisation tests were…

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DauerFen

research area:
Building & living

A long service life is expected from modern wooden windows. This requires permanently tight window corner connections. As part of the research project DauerFen, constructive solutions for stabilizing…

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VIG-SYS-RENO

research area:
Building & living

This R&D project, which was applied for within the FFG funding channel "Stadt der Zukunft"  together with TU-Wien, is to examine window systems with innovative glasses, especially vacuum glasses, for…

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SIOSIP

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The aim of the project "Simulation-based optimisation of sawn timber production" was to model the process chain from round timber to sawn timber for spruce logs processed in Austria. The simulation…

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Agro Add Fuel

research area:
En­er­getic use

The objective of the project was to develop an additive strategy for agricultural biofuels based on fuel indices and the characterization of raw materials. The aim of the use of additives is to…

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Solid Standards

research area:
En­er­getic use

The aim of this project is the application of the new European standards for solid biofuels by the affected market stakeholders. In order to introduce producers, dealers and consumers to the new…

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SIDecA

research area:
En­er­getic use

Sida: Intelligent Densified energy carriers for Austria

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Akustik Center Austria

research area:
Building & living

Holzforschung Austria has set up a building acoustics laboratory at the Stetten location as part of the COIN funding channel. In this project, flexible wood construction test stands in a "modular…

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EU Hardwoods

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The use of hardwood in construction creates new uses and sales opportunities. Due to the European relevance of this issue, the project is funded as part of WoodWisdom-Net. The focus of the project is…

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Servowood

research area:
Building & living

In this European research project, methods for a reliable service life prediction of coated wooden components outdoors are worked out. The aim is to make valid estimations of the service life of…

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SURF~PARQUET

research area:
Building & living

Structured Surfaces of Wood Flooring with Optimal Resistance against Chemical Influences

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LarchCoat

research area:
Building & living

Coating of Larch in Exterior Applications

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Europarquet

research area:
Building & living

Very dry room conditions such as those often found in buildings in low-energy and passive house construction with ventilation systems without air humidification pose a particular challenge for wooden…

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CelluCoat

research area:
Building & living

This project aims at gaining knowledge for decisive improvements in the physical performance and thus also significant extensions of the maintenance intervals of oil-treated wood surfaces by…

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Wood2New

research area:
Building & living

This three-year research project dealt with the connection between wood as a building material and healthy living. The development of emissions in the interior of wooden houses was examined, houses…

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Holz-KombiDry

research areas:
Raw & construction materials
Building & living

Scope of this research is the integration of a thermal energy storage based on sorption materials into drying chambers for the industrial drying of timber. The technical drying of biomass is highly…

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Examination of the behaviour of alternative wood preservatives in weathered outdoor areas

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

This project serves to expand current knowledge about the behaviour of new, alternative wood preservatives in weathered outdoor areas. For this purpose, examinations are conducted on wash-off…

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terrace coverings made of wood

research area:
Building & living

This project examined safety and ecological aspects as well as the long-term behaviour of highly stressed terrace coverings made of wood and wooden materials.

The research focused on the work fields…

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Fire protection in timber construction

research area:
Building & living

Fire protection represents a central safety aspect in construction. This research project aims at removing certain barriers which exist in public and mulit-storey timber construction. With financial…

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Innovative Produkte aus Reststoffschlämmen

research areas:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Raw & construction materials

Together with ÖZEPA, the goal of this project is to develop innovative products from fibre rejects and residual sludges from the pulp and paper industry which can achieve a reasonable market price and…

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InnoGrading

research area:
Raw & construction materials

Currently, strength grading of sawn timber is almost exclusively done at the end of the processing chain. Thus, unsuitable timber is pushed through processes like drying and planing only to be…

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Development of reference materials for the recording of weather influences

research area:
Building & living

When it comes to weathered wooden components such as windows, facades, balconies, fences etc., regular maintenance of the coating is of crucial importance. A maintenance indicator is to be developed…

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EPD platform Austria

research areas:
Building & living
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

Environmental declarations of construction products (Environmental Product Declaration, EPD) are becoming increasingly important in the construction sector, not least due to the standardization…

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Joining techniques in timber engineering

research area:
Building & living

Fasteners and joining techniques are of immense importance for both new buildings as well as for rehabilitation of existing defective or heavy-duty load-bearing timber construction. Therefore HFA made…

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Oils & waxes

research areas:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Building & living

The aim of this research project is to examine the criteria for the use, the well-being and health safety effects of oiled and waxed surfaces of wooden floors.

Formulations of treatment materials and…

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Analytical chemistry of inorganic materials and analysis of compounds of environmental concern

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

With the financial support from the prokis04/2 program we enter into news fields of activity in the area of analytical chemistry. The primary focus is placed on compounds which are used as active…

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Pellets@las

research area:
En­er­getic use

This EU-funded research project “Pellets@las“ is designed to make the European market for solid biofuel, in particular for wood pellets, more transparent. The project aims to facilitate trading,…

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Log Surface

research area:
Raw & construction materials

Advantages in storage and processing lead to many companies removing the bark from round timber only immediately before the sawing. In order to be able to make optimal use of these advantages, the…

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Molecular biological infestation monitoring

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The aim is to determine the protection requirements for freshly cut timber with regard to the seasonal colonisation by microorganisms, depending on geographic and local environmental conditions by…

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Indoor Air Quality

research areas:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Building & living

In the area of low-energy and passive houses, the focus of energetic optimisation has shifted towards cooling in summer and ventilation of rooms. In particular with new buildings without ventilation…

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Electronic measuring techniques for determining stem curvature and taper

research area:
Raw & construction materials

In the course of the review process for “ÖN L 1021 Measurement of round timber” questions arose concerning the determination of stem curvature and taper. To address these questions the cooperation…

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Wood-building diagnostics

research area:
Building & living

All construction works are subject to aging processes. The current prokis04/2 research project aims at establishing methods for identifying safety defficiencies by analysing and monitoring a…

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Optimised fitting systems

research area:
Building & living

The focus of this project, which is being realized with well-known business partners, is the development of hardware fitting systems for the execution of passive house doors – optimised with respect…

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Gradewood – grading timber

research area:
Raw & construction materials

This project is part of the European project “Grading of timber for engineered wood products” for which funding was sought through WoodWisdom-Net. The overall aim is to improve the reliability of…

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Competence centre for facades and windows

research area:
Building & living

The development of modern façade and window designs increasingly head in the direction of large,  integrated element-based solutions. For manufacturers of wooden windows (the majority of which are…

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Innovative Gebäudekonzepte

research area:
Building & living

As part of this research project, a combination of four building types – low-energy house, sun house, passive house, plus-energy house – with several types of construction (concrete, wood, and brick…

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Grain Deviation

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The focus of this project is on the local and global fibre deviation of sawn timber, which is not adequately recorded by common sorting principles. With the help of new, microwave-based methods, this…

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Log Quality

research area:
Raw & construction materials

Even before cutting, the sawmill should know as much as possible about the properties of a piece of round timber. Only in this way the raw material wood can be put to optimal use.

In this project, an…

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Strength grading of round timber and green sawn timber

research area:
Raw & construction materials

The development of a simple, non-destructive, and mostly contact-free method for strength grading of round timber and green sawn timber is central to this research project. Optical vibration measurement via interferometry is the method of choice. The feasibility of this measurement method is indicated by the correlations obtained: good correlations between the dynamic Young’s-Moduli of the sampled round timber and the dynamic Young’s-Moduli of the sawn timber cut from these logs and good correlations between the dynamic Young’s-Moduli of green sawn timber and the dynamic Young’s-Moduli of the sawn timber after drying.

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Timber roof structures

research area:
Building & living

This project aims at developing scientifically based designs for low-sloping roofs in wooden structures. These proven designs are to provide optimal moisture protection. To this end, insight gained…

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VOC emissions – toxicological aspects

research areas:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects
Building & living

This project aims at establishing criteria which will allow the identification of particularly low-emitting wood-based products. The range of parameters considered within these criteria spans the…

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WOODEXTER

research area:
Building & living

This project aims to initiate a development process which leads to design and construction concepts which are based on the service life. To this end, a new methodology for an implementable design tool…

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ChipClass

research area:
En­er­getic use

In recent years, forest wood chips in Austria have changed from fuel for small furnaces to energy for electricity and heat generation on a large scale. The standardization landscape around wood chips…

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Photovoltaics for prefabricated houses

research area:
Building & living

The project "photovoltaics (PV) integrated into buildings for the prefabricated housing industry" of the Austria Association of Prefabricated Houses aims at advancing a technically feasible,…

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Reclamation of calcium carbonate

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

The project “Serecarb” positioned within the “ERA-Net SUSPRISE” framework aims at developing new processes for selectively reclaiming calcium carbonate from the effluents from paper mills and sludge.…

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Serial remediation concepts

research area:
Building & living

In contrast to previous research projects, the main focus of this project is on the development of comprehensive renovation concepts for lightweight structures, taking into account sustainable,…

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New coating materials

research area:
Eco­log­i­cal as­pects

For numerous applications, paper and cardboard have to be coated with special materials in order to prevent migration of substances into the paper. Currently the most effective protective coatings are…

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Colour stabilisation of wood surfaces

research area:
Building & living

Taking different wood species into consideration, treatments and coatings for wood and veneered wood-based panels are to be developed which minimize colour changes as a result of environmental…

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Fire resistance of timber engineering components

research area:
Building & living

Fire resistance is determined using new test methods. However at present, the effect on the classification of timber components remains largely unknown. In the course of the research project the basis…

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