Quality control and improvement of structural timber

Modern applications of structural timber like e.g. in the field of multi-storey domiciles or large span structures require graded timber products with sufficient and in many cases high performing mechanical properties. This can only be reached by means of advanced methods for quality control within the production process of structural timber. In this paper, quality control and improvement of structural timber is subdivided into three constitutive sub-items: 1) process monitoring, 2) process calibration and 3) process optimization. The paper at hand can be considered as a summary of the authors’ investigations and contributions within COST action E53. Different approaches for quality control and improvement of structural timber by means of machine grading are described. An optimized combination of the three sub-items of process control may lead to an enhanced recovery of the timber material quality and to an improved benefit and reliability in the graded timber material.