Mechanical characterization of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) panels from the peeling of agroforestry poplars

The French poplar industry faces the challenge of renewing its resource base and meeting future demand. Diversification beyond traditional valley-bottom plantations may be required. Agroforestry systems offer environmental benefits and contribute to climate change adaptation, but they provide different growing conditions than conventional plantations. This case study research Koster poplars grown in an agroforestry system to assess their growth characteristics and their suitability for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production, compared to poplars from a conventional forestry system. Radial and height growth, LVL mechanical properties, and the cell wall microfibril angle were compared. Agroforestry poplars exhibited significantly higher radial growth compared to forestry poplars. Moreover, LVL panels made of agroforestry poplar wood exhibited superior mechanical properties (MOE and MOR in bending) compared to those produced from conventional forestry poplars. These differences may be related to stand density and the specific mechanical stress environment. However, the comparison is partly confounded by differences in tree age and is based on a single site and cultivar, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Under the conditions investigated, agroforestry poplars produced LVL with promising mechanical performance, although further studies across multiple sites, cultivars, and age classes are needed to confirm these results.