Industrial by‑products of oak from flooring production as a resource for load bearing building products – an idea testing project
The Swedish flooring industry generates significant volumes of oak material that are rejected each year, primarily for aesthetic reasons such as knots or colour variation. Today, most of this material is used for energy recovery, despite oak being a slow-growing hardwood with inherently good mechanical properties.
The aim of the project is to investigate whether discarded oak material from flooring production can be used as a raw material for load-bearing building products.
To evaluate this potential, laminated beams will be manufactured from the material and tested with regard to strength, stiffness, variability and adhesive bond performance.
By exploring new ways of using an existing industrial side stream, the project contributes to a more resource-efficient and circular use of wood resources. The results will provide industry with knowledge about the technical potential of discarded oak material and support future decisions regarding product development and value-added applications.
