A method of non-destructive testing of a wood piece using a multiplicity
of sensors. The method may include the steps of sensing the wood piece;
collecting information from the sensors; and integrating the information
into a physical model providing for strength and stiffness prediction.
The collected information relate to material characteristics of the wood
piece and to fiber quality characteristics of the wood piece. The
material characteristics may include one or more of the following
material characteristics of the wood piece: growth ring thickness; grain
angle deviation; clear wood density; knot location; knot density; knot
type; knot size; location in the tree from which the wood piece was cut.
The fiber quality characteristics may include one or more of the
following fiber quality characteristics: microfibril angle, juvenile
wood, biodeterioration; reaction wood species; and manufacturing or
drying defects including one or more of the following defects: sawcuts,
checks, shake; size of actual cross-section, and species.