Preface

Wood, a most important renewable and sustainable material resource, has been widely used in daily life for thousands of years and represents a bridge between tradition and modernity. In the course of manufacturing this bridge, new materials, new connections and new adhesives, as well as better logistics, have influenced the quality, manufacturing and efficient transport of wooden products ‒ in short, the entire wood industry. Wood is used in every possible unit size, from macro- to micro- and even nanoscale. It also can be combined with various polymers to obtain composites that can achieve excellent performance.

The aim of this book is to present traditional, present and future advanced functional wooden composites, from traditional timber to currently popular wood-based panels, wooden buildings, wood bio-energy, wood carbon stock, and woodland biodiversity. Lightweight wooden materials, the use of alternative fast-growing species and recycled wood, and many new hardwood and softwood adaptation processes from different countries are discussed. The most recent research into "super wood" functionalities and products using novel advanced techniques in high value-added sectors will also be covered.

I believe that the excellent work of this volume's authors will have significant academic value and a far-reaching impact on the wood industry.

> **Guanben Du and Xiaojian Zhou** Professor, International Joint Research Center for Bio-Materials, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China

**1**

Section 1

Wood Construction
