Computed tomography laboratory for data-based material modeling and materials research for sustainable wood resource management and efficient wood utilization.

• Subject Area: Image and Language Processing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing ; Forestry
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 514175549

Wood is an important and reliable carbon sink and at the same time a renewable resource as a basis for construction and materials. Due to climate changes, growth conditions change and wood species react differently to the challenge. The task of forestry research is to maintain the forest sustainably, to detect changes at an early stage and to set up prediction models for growth, tree species and conservation measures. Remote data sensing and non-destructive examination methods help in this. The density distribution within a grown tree trunk allows conclusions to be drawn about the growth conditions and the properties of the wood. Through a computer tomographic examination, the density function can be created as a three-dimensional digital model and used for further information processing. By linking it with further data, e.g. climate data or data from geoinformation systems and remote sensing, site-specific prediction models for wood quality or future forest conversion, management and protection measures in the forest should be possible. Wood is becoming increasingly important in the building industry, as its good load-bearing properties mean that energy-intensive materials such as reinforced concrete or other mineral building materials can be partially substituted. Due to the increasing use and more difficult growth conditions, it is necessary to make better use of wood as a raw material, to optimise the processing procedures and to develop new types of wood. Wood is an anisotropic, inhomogeneous material whose strength properties depend essentially on the direction of the fibres, the density and the wood characteristics (knots, growth rate, etc.). These can be detected by means of computer tomography (CT) on the unprocessed log. From this, digital models can be created and the processing technology and the use of the raw material in the structure can be optimised. The computer tomograph with the necessary peripherals is used for data acquisition in the field of wood research as the basis for setting up a CT laboratory. This is integrated into the Centre for Data Science at the HNEE for further processing of the data with AI methods. The aim of the CT lab is to generate and analyse data on the growth and structure of wood, from the raw trunk to the processed or reusable beam or wood material, and to develop models. From this, conclusions and prediction models for silviculture, timber technology and timber construction are to be created, which will allow resource-conserving use of the raw material forest and the development of new types of wood and applications.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: CT-Scanner
• Instrumentation Group: 4070 Spezielle Röntgengeräte für Materialanalyse, Strukturforschung und Werkstoff-Bestrahlung
• Applicant Institution: Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde
• Leader: Professor Dr. Luis Carlos Miranda Trujillo