Environmental Conservation 624 - Understanding Wood & Products

Wood is an amazing building material: It is beautiful and warm to the touch. It is easy to machine and abundantly available. It is light, yet strong and stiff. And best of all: It comes from a renewable source. To build with wood, however, requires understanding its peculiarities: the variability of its properties, its interaction with water and the possibility of biodeterioration. This course introduces graduate students to the physical and mechanical properties of wood as applies to construction and architecture. It provides an overview of wood-based products and exposes students to structural systems in wood. Basic laboratory techniques for physical measurement and mechanical testing are introduced.

Open to Graduate students only. This is a hybrid course that allows students to take it in a way that works best for them. Tuesday meetings are asynchronous (online lectures) but the TA will be available during class time (as an optional resource). Thursday meetings are in-person but will also be recorded and may be available synchronously for remote attendance. Labs are in-person but can also be completed in take-home format.

Meets with BCT 304 and U1 (matriculated) and C1 (UWW) sections meet together.

Students must either complete the BCT 304 content plus an in-depth wood-related project, or a semester-long extended project on wood (in close consultation with the instructor).