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 course is being taught in a flexible manner that allows students to take it in a way that works best for them. Weekly meetings are available in-person, on Zoom (both synchronous), and as recordings (asynchronous). Hands-on class components (labs and similar) can be attended in-person or completed as a remote activity. Note that some meetings may require synchronous attendance (unless that poses a hardship).

This section meets with BCT 304 and the U+ section of ECO 624.

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).