Description

Using sustainable building materials is gaining a significant presence in the United States therefore proving sustainability claims are becoming increasingly more important. Showing wood products as green building materials is vital for the long-term productivity of the wood building industry. This study examined hardwood lumber manufacturing using Life-Cycle Inventory methodology. Material flow and energy type and use were identified for hardwood sawmills in the northeastern United States. A hardwood log volume conversion of 43.7% to planed dry lumber was found. Values of 608 MJ of electricity and 5,800 MJ of thermal energy per m3 were determined for the manufacturing of planed dry hardwood lumber burning mostly green wood residues on-site for energy. Emission data produced from modeling estimated biomass and fossil carbon dioxide production of 428 kg per m3 and 139 kg per m3, respectively. Increasing wood fuel use, a carbon-neutral process, would decrease the environmental impact of hardwood lumber manufacturing and increase its use as a green building material.

Publication Notes

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

Citation

Bergman, Richard D.; Bowe, S.A. 2007. Environmental impact of producing hardwood lumber using life-cycle inventory. Proceedings of the 10th International IUFRO Division 5 Wood Drying Conference : 2007 August 26-30, Orono, ME, The University of Maine. [S.l. : s.n.], 2007: 6 pages

Keywords

Carbon dioxide, sawmills, energy conservation, forest products industry, environmental aspects, Northeastern states, building materials, hardwoods, lumber, product life cycle, service life, sustainable forestry, environmental indicators, emissions, building materials

Related Search

• Gate-to-Gate Life-Cycle Inventory on Hardwood Sawmills in the Northeastern Region of the United States
  
• Environmental impact of producing hardwood lumber using life-cycle inventory
  
• Environmental impact of manufacturing softwood lumber in northeastern and north central United States