ABSTRACT
Introduction Timber, arguably the original buildingmaterial, retains its prime importance within the construction industry because of its versatility, diversity and aesthetic properties. About 20% of the earth’s land mass is
covered by forests, divided roughly two thirds as hardwoods in temperate and tropical climates andone third as softwoods within temperate and colder regions. Approximately a third of the annual worldwide timber harvest is used in construction, and the rest is consumed for paper production, as a fuel, or wasted during the logging process.
