Using x-ray scanned reconstructed logs to predict knot characteristics and log value

Amabilis fir and western hemlock are an important softwood lumber resource in British Columbia (BC). For several reasons, the available wood volume in BC has consistently decreased since 1990. This decrease suggests that sawmilling processes should become more efficient in utilizing wood. In lumber manufacturing, considering knot characteristics and distribution within lumber pieces in the optimisation of the primary breakdown patterns would significantly impact the product quality or grade. The goal of the project was therefore to investigate the impact of growth history on knot characteristics and how they, in turn, influence the manufacturing of lumber in Coastal and Interior sawmills and build predictive models. Computed tomography (CT) scanning can non-destructively detect knots in wood and is gaining acceptance in the wood industry. Seventy-two amabilis fir and western hemlock trees from three plots located on Vancouver Island, BC were scanned, and images were processed to extract knot characteristics and distribution to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) log models. The effects of three diameter at breast height (DBH) classes (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three sites on knot characteristics, including knot volume, number of knots, average knot area on CT image sections and knot/tree volume ratio, were investigated. As expected, the knot characteristics of both species increased with the DBH. The difference of knot distribution between amabilis fir and western hemlock suggests that the latter is more sensitive to growth conditions of temperature, precipitation and sunlight. The 3D log models were then processed in Optitek to simulate the sawmill production and assess the impact of the DBH classes and sites (including knots) on the lumber and value recovery in Coastal and Interior sawmills under normal, optimistic, and pessimistic economic cycles. The sawmilling simulations revealed that the Coastal mill produced a lower lumber volume but a higher value due to the type of products manufactured and the primary breakdown patterns being used. The sawmilling simulation results were compared and used in predicting the value of standing amabilis fir and western hemlock trees. Models were developed based on the knot characteristic and tree features to predict the value of a standing tree.Forestry, Faculty ofGraduat