The Academy Lecture
Daniel Guitard
Professor University Bordeaux 1
« Laboratoire Energétique et Phénomènes de Transfert »
Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers — Talence — France
Wood mechanics — From trees to timbers and wood products
The academy lecture to be given by professor Daniel Guitard will be in the general domain of Wood mechanics. It will review results described in almost one hundred PhD Thesis defended in France during the last twenty five years, on the characterisation and modelling of the mechanical behaviour of solid woods and wood based materials such as plywood, particle board, fibres board and MDF.
It will be argued that no further progress in scientific knowledge in this field can be achieved without a better understanding of the way in which wood is formed by and within the tree during tree growth. We have to understand, why and how gravitropism and heliotropism are involved in the formation of reaction wood to control the orientation of the trunk and branches to ensure best occupancy of aerial space. Also, why and how the primary and secondary growth of tree roots are biomechanical responses by the living tree to ensure, on one hand, the uptake of water and minerals, and, on the other hand, the anchorage of the structure in the soil? Answers to these questions will contribute to understanding the consequences of forestry practices on the technological properties of the wood produced.
Beside this scientific discussion, some steps of the evolution, during the last 25 years in France, of Research and Higher Education teaching in the more general domain of Wood Sciences will be reviewed. Tribute will be paid to a small number of colleagues, either close to retirement or just retired, who have participated with enthusiasm to this adventure, often in close collaboration with foreign colleagues.
The Lecturer
Daniel GUITARD, expert in Wood Rheology and Tree Bio-mechanics, is Engineer and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Lorraine. He is one of the promoters of Wood Science in France. His academic career starts in Nancy, in 1968 until 1988, when he moves to Bordeaux where he joins a CNRS/INRA/University research unit on Wood Rheology. In the mean time he was, from 1980 to 1983, Director of the Polytechnic University in Yaoudé (Cameroun) and, from 1996 to 1998, Scientific advisor for the French speaking Universities Organisation (AUPELF-UREF). He is actually the Head of the Physics Department always at the University of Bordeaux I. Author of more than 100 publications, he was elected Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science in 1991.
Monday, October 25, 2003,