Assessing the total crack formation on wood surfaces is important to further our understanding of the wood degradation and aging process and to examine both untreated wood as well as different modification systems. Manually assessing cracks can be both time consuming and difficult to perform accurately without bias and is therefore usually performed according to a rating scheme based on visual assessment. To improve accuracy and generate more possible output parameters, a model to detect and classify surface cracks on naturally- and artificially exposed wood surfaces was developed using region-based image segmentation. The model uses an iterative thresholding approach aimed to provide better results on complex, multi-coloured wood surfaces. The model was able to detect all cracks with widths greater than 0.6 mm in both exposure classes and calculated the total length of the cracks close to those that were measured manually (R²= 0.990-0.995). In its current state, the model is best used to calculate the total ratio of the surface that is cracked which allows for analysis of the crack development over time. 

To gain further knowledge of how to best utilize hardwoods such as European aspen in future timberconstructions, specimens of aspen were exposed naturally outdoors during a period of 16 months in southern Sweden.Half of the specimens were thermally treated, while the others were left completely untreated. After the exposure, thespecimens were assessed based on their total color change, change in gloss, dimensional stability, and crack development.The results show that the surface lightness of the untreated specimens and thermally treated specimens became similarafter the exposure, as the thermally treated specimens got lighter, and the untreated specimens got darker. The total surfacecrack length was greater in the thermally treated specimens, this could be attributed to the chemical changes occurringduring the treatment, thus lowering the tensile strength perpendicular to the grain. Further validation of different thermalintensities is necessary to find suitable treatments for different exposure scenarios.

Forest fires, i.e., wildfires, often cause an inevitable strain on society and human living conditions. Incident Commanders (IC) at the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) are challenged to handle forest fires and at the same time address the forest owners’ needs; this stipulates a need for collaboration, information, and communication. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore and describe the ICs’ experiences and actions in their interactions with forest owners during forest fires on private property. Interviews were conducted and analyzed using Flanagan’s Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to describe the experiences and actions of 22 ICs. The results showed that a firefighting operation needs clarity in information exchange with the forest owner as a stakeholder, not a victim. The trust between forest owner and IC accelerated the operational phase. The ICs demonstrate more care than the law stipulates, and they worry about the forest owners. Therefore, the FRS needs to form a strategic partnership with forest owners and their network on a local level. Also, future forest fire drills should not only include emergency stakeholders (i.e., police, ambulance, etc.) but also forest owners and local volunteer organizations. For a resilient community, FRS and forest owner collaboration is vital.

Denna skrift baseras på erfarenheter och observationer från flertalet olikaforskningsförsök vid Linnéuniversitetet samt följeforskning av ett parpågående och planerade byggprojekt med träfasader. Syftet har varit attöka och sprida kunskapen om obehandlade träfasader i allmänhet ochobehandlad gran i synnerhet. En obehandlad fasad kan vara en lämpligersättningsprodukt till andra typer av obehandlade fasader som i nulägetofta har ett avsevärt högre klimatavtryck, ofta beroende på långvägatransporter. Målet är att ökade kunskaper om obehandlat trä ska möjliggöraoch skapa en ökad användning av trä i utomhusapplikationer.Handledningen är tänkt att vara en hjälp för de som är intresserade av,projekterar för, eller bygger med obehandlade träfasader.Författarna vill rikta ett stort tack till kollegor och samarbetspartners,särskilt Derome, Granitor, JGA och Södra. Denna skrift tillkom medbidrag från CBBT: Centrum för Byggande och Boende i trä.

Untreated wood has excellent environmental benefits due to the lack of treatments; however, its durability needs to be great enough to provide a sufficient service life to not override the environmental benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate some wood properties of untreated, unfinished Norway spruce and their influence on moisture dynamics and crack development under natural exposure. Three field-trials were carried out, all under natural exposure during various exposure times. The specimens differed in their exposure direction (north/south), composition (heartwood/ sapwood), density, and thickness. Moisture measurements were carried out either by use of sensors or weighing the specimens, while the crack formation was measured using digital calipers. Generally, high-density spruce exhibited more rapid moisture fluctuations than low-density; this agreed well with the increased crack development observed in the field-trials. More cracks were observed for specimens containing sapwood rather than heartwood. This was likely caused by an increase in moisture uptake, generating greater moisture gradients. The results also showed that the crack tendency was greater in specimens within the high-density group placed facing south, which is likely due to an increase in moisture variation, and perhaps also faster UV-deterioration. No clear correlation between crack tendency and thickness was found.

Wood used outdoors is often surface treated with a paint to protect the wood from moisture anddeterioration. If coated with a dark colour, the albedo value is lowered. A lower surface albedo generates greater amountsof energy absorption and makes the surface, and subsequently the wood, warmer and dryer. This study was carried out to increase knowledge of how different coating colours impact the temperature of the underlaying wood, and the effect this has on the moisture content (MC). The study was performed by exposing panels of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.] painted with three different colours (white, red, and black) to natural sunlight over a month during summer. Each panel fitted with a dry-bulb humidity sensor inside. The results showed a greater variation in calculated equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in the darker panels, since the temperature reached higher levels than the white panels when exposed to sunlight. The maximum recorded temperature was around 50 °C for the dark panels while the maximum forwhite was around 40 °C. Furthermore, it was shown that the temperature inside the panel reaches its maximum around the same time as the outside air, while the maximum values for EMC were recorded approximately 8-9 hours apart between the panels and the outside air.

This study investigates wood density and anatomy of juvenile silver birch stems in Sweden,grown in mixed conifer stands. Our aim is to investigate if fertilization provides increased growth, aswell as an eventual reduction in stem wood density. Measurements of basic density, ring width, cellwall thickness, and vessels are analyzed for 20 birch trees. Bark to pith radial sections are analyzedusing a light microscope and the freeware ImageJ to compare treatments and ages. The results showthat trees with fertilizer treatment have wider growth rings and thinner cell wall thickness comparedto unfertilized trees. The fertilized trees also have a lower cambium age at the same height and thesame diameter, and a slightly lower stem mean density (420 kg m³) than the unfertilized stems(460 kg m³). Fertilizer is a significant determinant of density and cell wall thickness in nonlinearmodels. The fertilized trees have increased growth and reached a fixed diameter earlier. The agedifference between the trees likely explains some of the differences in cell wall thickness. This studysupports the use of fertilizer as a silvicultural option for increasing the growth rate of silver birch fora relatively small reduction of wood density.

To facilitate work on strategic partnerships, 16 higher education institutions in Sweden have produced a guide, within a partnership with funding from Vinnova. The “Strategic Partnership Guide” is a description of and a guide to strategic partnerships. It is formulated from the perspective of a higher education institution. The target group is staff working with collaboration in the area of operational support at Swedish universities and colleges, to provide support in their professional role. The guide may also be useful for vice-chancellors, management teams at higher education institutions, executive boards or academic leaders, to help familiarise themselves with this kind of collaboration. The guide provides an introduction to strategic partnerships and compiles experiences and lessons learned that can facilitate work when getting started with or further developing partnerships.

För att underlätta arbetet med strategiska partnerskap har 16 lärosäten i Sverige tagit fram en handledning, inom ett samarbete med finansiering från Vinnova. “Handledning för strategiska partnerskap” är en beskrivning av och vägledning till strategiska partnerskap. Den är formulerad ur ett lärosätes perspektiv. Målgruppen är personal som arbetar med samverkan inom verksamhetsstöd vid svenska universitet och högskolor, som ett stöd i deras yrkesutövning. Men även rektorer, lärosätesledningar, styrelser och akademiska ledare kan ha användning av handledningen, för att sätta sig in i villkoren för denna typ av samverkan. Handledningen ger en introduktion till strategiska partnerskap och samlar erfarenheter och lärdomar som kan underlätta arbetet att komma igång med eller vidareutveckla partnerskap.