|
As we move into the 21st century, the South will assume a major
share of the responsibility for providing our Society's needs
for forest resources. Currently, the South's forests provide
for about 60 percent of pulp and 40 percent of the solid wood
products used by the Nation. With demand expected to grow substantially
over the next 50 years, the South faces a monumental challenge
in helping to meet the renewable material needs of our Nation.
Increased reliance on composite wood products will be necessary
to fulfill the need for versatile and affordable construction
materials for housing, furniture, and other products. Fortunately,
recent developments have highlighted a number of opportunities
to address these needs, and have more clearly defined the challenges
that research must meet to resolve some of the complex issues.
Research
Work Unit SRS-4704 utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to
study virtually every aspect of wood composite production in
order to more efficiently utilize the available resource, and
to minimize the environmental impacts associated with wood
processing. The research program is structured into four
distinct problem areas, listed right:
|
|
