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Unit of Study FORS2005 - Wood Science and Utilisation (2022)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    There will be a three day compulsory residential for all students (Online and On Campus) that will be held on the Lismore campus. Please refer to http://scu.edu.au/timetables for further information on timetables.

Unit description

Introduces students to the properties of wood, how these properties are measured and the uses of wood in the human environment. This unit also examines how wood properties can be influenced by forest management practices.

Unit content

Topic 1: Introduction to materials science

Topic 2: Tree physiology, wood chemistry and anatomy

Topic 3: Energy and fuels

Topic 4: Wood properties and wood products

Topic 5: Managing wood quality

Topic 6: Wood density

Topic 7: Hygro-mechanical properties

Topic 8: Mechanical properties

Topic 9: Degradation

Topic 10: Wood modification

Availabilities

2022 unit offering information will be available in November 2021

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the broad differences in material properties, manufacturing methods, utilisation, and recycling of renewable biomaterials, compared to other common materials such as metals, ceramics and plastics

identify the general chemistry and anatomy of the major classes of woody plants

identify the properties of wood that contribute to utility/value, how they are expressed and how they are measured in the field and in a laboratory

explain the connection between the features of a standing tree, the variation that occurs within a forest, and the impacts these have on utilisation

recognise the methods applied to managing wood properties during the production cycle of a forest

demonstrates an understanding of the principles of conversion of forest products to renewable consumer goods, fuels and energy.