Forest Products Industry

Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholar Juliet Swinea and her SMART mentor, Pete Stynoski PhD, both individually accomplished researchers, have joined forces through the SMART Program to revolutionize the US Department of Defense (DoD) ballistic design standards. Sources: DVIDS, Timberbiz The pair is being acknowledged for their ground-breaking research and collaboration evaluating the properties of western hemlock cross-laminated timber (CLT), a potential alternate construction material. Together, Swinea and Stynoski assessed the performance of CLT and its resilience against ballistic impacts. CLT is a sustainable type of wood that could be very useful for making temporary housing quickly during military operations and disaster response. “Ms. Swinea’s research on the fundamental behaviour and properties of CLT is contributing directly to the widespread use of this new class of construction materials in the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the DoD, advancing our force protection mission,” said David W. Pittman, PhD, senior executive service director of the US Army Engineer and Research Development Centre (ERDC). The pair’s research has been published in the International Journal of Impact Engineering and a Ecoengineering and Construction Bulletin, which disseminates critical information about emerging construction practices to USACE engineers. Additionally, Swinea presented their research at the 6th International Conference on Protective Structures, an international platform for discussing the integration of sustainable materials into DoD construction. Currently, they are drafting a Criteria Change Request (CCR) along with partners at Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory and USACE Protective Design Centre. In the military, a CCR is a formal process where individuals propose modifications or updates to existing DoD standards, guidelines, or criteria that govern various aspects of military operations, equipment procedures, or policies. The current standard for wood ballistic design equations date back to 1966. Swinea and Stynoski began evaluating whether the current standards were valid for wood composites like CLT, which is a relatively new building material with limited experimental data. They discovered that the existing methods for measuring wood properties didn’t fully account for how well CLT absorbs energy or handles fractures. The CCR rectifies and modernizes the official guidance communicated by the DoD-wide standard.

This month, Red Dot Design Museum plays host to a showcase of the next generation of design talent. A curation of designs from the original London Exhibition, Discovered Singapore presents a visionary group of young creatives in an extraordinary display of furniture, objects and sculptural works in wood. Source: Timberbiz Conceived by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Discovered Singapore provides a platform for new creatives and an opportunity for talented emerging designers to show their work to the public and the industry at Singapore’s premier design venue. Selected from the original global line up of 20, the 10 designers exhibiting in Singapore this May worked alongside design mentors and AHEC’s global manufacturing partners to each develop an object made from their choice of four sustainable hardwoods: American red oak, cherry and hard and soft maple. Throughout the project, designers were supported by AHEC’s technical experts, and mentored by established designers Nathan Yong (Singapore) and Adam Markowitz (Australia). This collaboration has resulted in a highly diverse selection of objects, ranging from functional furniture such as cabinets, tables and seats to more abstract, sculptural works that inspire reflection. Taken as a whole, Discovered represents how experiences of a changing world have impacted each designer’s personal and creative journeys. Discovered Singapore will be held from 16-22 May at the Red Dot Design Museum. The 10 designers are: Nong Chotipatoomwan, Kodai Iwamoto, Mew Mungnatee, Trang Nguyen, Taiho Shin, Ivana Taylor, Yunhan Wang, Tan Wei Xiang, Duncan Young, and Vivienne Wong.