ABSTRACT Using face-to-face interviews and semi-structured questionnaires with timber housing developers, this study assed the perceptions of respective industries about government stimuli and public policies towards timber construction in Brazil. Four questions were developed under qualitative aspects, which were percentually measured to enable a response comparative. Thereby, 107 of 210 companies were evaluated here. Under statistical view, this sampling revealed a margin of error acceptable and next to the ideal condition. Results suggest that current policies have been apparently restrictive. Timber house producers still are dependant on strategies for whole national segments, whose scope does not promote both local cleaner industries and those focused on sustainable solutions such as from this studied sector. Tax cuts and exemptions for greener products could be an efficient alternative to incentive this production sector, and promote these sustainable timber houses. The creation of assertive public policies could attract more investors and developers to expand this industry and other forest-timber sectors and, consequently, contribute to reduce the housing shortage in Brazil.

ABSTRACT Wood is a material used for various purposes since ancient times and is mainly used in civil and rural construction and industry. Due to the predatory exploitation of known trees, it is necessary to characterize new species for use in urban and rural structures as alternatives of species commonly used. This study aimed to determine the physical and mechanical properties of Guarucaia wood (Peltophorum vogelianum Benth.) based on the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 7190 (1997) and estimate the strength and stiffness as a function of apparent density using the analysis of variance and also estimate stiffness as a function of its strength. The mechanical properties of P. vogelianum were considered compatible for structural use when compared with others used for the same purpose, being classified in the class C50 of dicotyledon species and evidencing the possibility of its use for structural purposes. According to the results of the poor quality in the fit of regression models in the statistical analysis, the strength and stiffness could not be estimated as a function of apparent density nor stiffness properties as a function of their respective strengths.

ABSTRACT Over the years, the species of eucalyptus has become a multipurpose raw material. In addition, the most relevant aspect of the use for various purposes is related to the production of a high quality wood, coming from short duration plantations, which is fundamental to the current demand of the industries. However, its use in civil construction has not yet reached a level of importance, due to the low knowledge of many of its resistance properties and the consequent popular fear in the use of reforestation woods, in particular the Eucalyptus grandis. This research investigated its main mechanical properties, aiming to reinforce its constructive applications in wood structures. For this, two physical properties and fourteen mechanical properties, in two different moisture conditions of the samples were evaluated, according to the norm NBR 7190 (1997). In the first moisture content, the samples were stabilized at 30%, while the second level considered the content of 12%. It was obtained 3580 determinations for the sixteen properties. From the 14 mechanical properties, only 7 had significant increases with the moisture reduction (30% to 12%), consisting of the rupture modulus in the parallel and normal compressions, normal traction and static bending; modulus of elasticity in normal compression and static bending and in shear strength.

ABSTRACT: Eucalyptus urophylla consists in a wood-producing species, which offers a natural multiple raw material of good quality for applications in rural and civil constructions. However, Eucalyptus urophylla still has a small utilization as building parts and elements, resulting from the possible ignorance and low diffusion of its structural possibilities. Thereby, the present research aims to measure the main thirteen mechanical properties of Eucalyptus urophylla wood for two different moisture contents, 12% and 30% (green wood). Furthermore, in these two conditions of moisture content evaluation, volumetric mass densities were also evaluated. At the end of this evaluation, which included 2688 determinations, all the obtained results were statistically treated with t-test at a 5% of significance level in order to evaluate the influence of moisture content in the evaluated properties. Twelve mechanical properties were significantly affected by moisture content, and the behavior pattern consisted in increasing the values of the properties with the reduction of the moisture content.

ABSTRACT This study aims to manufacture and apply polymer-cementitious blends based on a combination of epoxy polymer and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) for timber beam repair. The material was used to repair timber beams of “Maçaranduba” (Manilkara sp.) and “Cedro doce” (Cedrella spp) wood species. A full factorial design was conducted to investigate the effect of cement particle content (0wt%, 30wt%, 40wt% and 50wt %), type of cement (ASTM-II and ASTM-III), and pigment addition (0wt% and 0.2wt%) on the physical and mechanical properties of the blend. The cement content factor affected all properties investigated. The highest elastic modulus was achieved by the blends produced with 50wt% of cement and 0.2wt% of pigment inclusion. This condition was used to repair the timber beams evaluated under four-point bending test. The insertion of the blends in timber beams achieved superior load levels to the unreinforced woods in both species, inferior load levels to the reference condition (without defects) in “Cedro doce”, and superior to the reference condition in “Maçaranduba”. These results were justified by the low density of “Cedro doce”, providing a better blend-wood interface adhesion.