About

Brian Bond, Ph.D., is a professor and Associate Dean of Extension, Outreach, and Engagement in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. He leads and represents the Extension efforts in the college and maintains an extension and research program in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials. His program in SBIO focuses on improving the sustainable use and manufacturing of wood products. He has twenty-five years of experience in wood drying, sawmill performance, and the performance of wood products. He is also the director of the College of Natural Resources Leadership Institute. Dr. Bond earned his B.S. from Clemson University in 1991, his M.S. from Virginia Tech in 1993, and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 1998. His areas of expertise include wood drying, wood processing and manufacturing, wood identification, performance of wood in use, and wood flooring.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Composite material
• Organic chemistry
• Engineering
• Geography
• Pulp and paper industry
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Horticulture
• Agricultural engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Botany
• Forestry

Selected publications

• Machine learning-based prediction of processing time in furniture manufacturing to estimate lead time and pricing

  European Journal of Wood and Wood Products · 2025-01-13 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Dimensional stability and equilibrium moisture content of thermally modified hardwoods

  BioResources · 2024 · 12 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Materials science
  • Composite material
  • Horticulture

  The dimensional stability and equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of thermally modified hardwoods were studied. Lumber of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera); red oak (Quercus borealis); white ash (Fraxinus americana), red maple (Acer rubrum); hickory (Carya glabra), and black cherry (Prunus serotina) were modified in industrial thermo-vacuum system. The water absorption rate, EMC, swelling, anti-swelling efficiency, shrinkage, anti-shrinkage efficiency, and anisotropy of the specimens were measured and compared to unmodified wood. The results show that thermal modification significantly decreased water absorption of wood which leads to improved dimensional stability. Specifically, thermally modified wood showed reduced EMC (22% in hickory to 59% in red maple), increased water absorption repellent (14.9% in black cherry to 29.6% in yellow-poplar), increased anti-swelling efficiency (14.2% in hickory to 71.4% in ash), increased anti-shrinkage efficiency (23.5% in red maple to 65.6% in ash), and reduced anisotropy coefficient (4.7% in red oak to 31.9% in black cherry).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparison of microscopy and quality control testing to examine the durability of adhesive bondline in cross-laminated timber

  Journal of Building Engineering · 2024-03-01 · 4 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Prediction of equilibrium moisture content and swelling of Thermally modified hardwoods by artificial neural networks

  Research Square · 2024-04-02

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract In this study artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed for predicting the effects of wood species, density, modifying time and temperature on the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and swelling of six different thermally modified hardwood species. Lumber of Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera); red oak (Quercus borealis); white ash (Fraxinus americana), red maple (Acer rubrum); hickory (Carya glabra), and black cherry (Prunus serotina) were selected. Using Keras and Pytorch libraries in Python, different feed forward and back propagation multilayer ANN models were created and tested. The best prediction models, determined based on the errors in training iterations, were selected and used for testing. Based on the performance analysis, the prediction ANN models are accurate, reliable and effective tools in terms of time and cost-effectiveness, for predicting the EMC and swelling characteristics of thermally modified wood. The multiple-input model was more accurate than the single-input model and it provided a prediction with R 2 of 0.9975, 0.92 and MAPE of 1.36, 7.77 for EMC and swelling.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Lumber Supply-Chain Practice in Cross-Laminated Timber Industries in the United States: A Comparison with Austrian Producers

  Forest Products Journal · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Lumber is the main raw material for cross-laminated timber (CLT) production, accounting for up to 80 percent of the cost. The availability, quality, and price of lumber are critical factors that influence the completion of CLT projects in the United States. Although structural-rated CLTs are made from structural-grade lumber available in the commodities market, CLT mills have additional requirements to process the lumber more efficiently. These requirements increase production costs, affecting the supply chain, delaying production schedules, and increasing project completion times. This study aims to identify the differences in the lumber supply-chain practices for CLT manufacturing in the United States and Austria. The authors used the case-study survey with convenience sampling method to describe how CLT mills work with suppliers, their delivery preferences, quality-control practices, and current critical issues in each country. The study shows significant differences in lumber procurement and quality monitoring between CLT mills in the United States and Austria. Although the quality of lumber supplied to Austrian CLT mills does not require additional preparation, the quality of lumber in the United States significantly affects production efficiency and cost. To address the lumber supply-chain problems in the United States for CLT production, the authors recommend sorting lumber from the current market to meet minimum requirements and introducing a new lumber grade specifically for CLT mills. Furthermore, adopting the Austrian practice of mass-producing blank CLTs can provide a continuous supply of lumber from sawmills or distributors and increase collaboration opportunities with suppliers and producers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Prediction of equilibrium moisture content and swelling of thermally modified hardwoods by Artificial Neural Networks

  BioResources · 2024-08-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  In this study artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed for predicting the effects of wood species, density, modifying time, and temperature on the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and swelling of six different thermally modified hardwood species, as previously published by the authors. Lumber of Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), red oak (Quercus borealis), white ash (Fraxinus americana), red maple (Acer rubrum), hickory (Carya glabra), and black cherry (Prunus serotina) were selected. Treatment type, species, temperature, time, and density were used as inputs for the models. Using Keras and Pytorch libraries in Python, different feed forward and back propagation multilayer ANN models were created and tested. The best prediction models, determined based on the errors in training iterations, were selected and used for testing. Based on the performance analysis, the prediction ANN models were accurate, reliable, and effective tools in terms of time and cost-effectiveness, for predicting the EMC and swelling characteristics of thermally modified wood. The multiple-input model was more accurate than the single-input model and it provided a prediction with R2 of 0.9975, 0.92, and MAPE of 1.36, 7.77 for EMC and swelling.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Adhesive bonding performance of thermally modified yellow poplar

  BioResources · 2023 · 7 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Materials science
  • Composite material

  Thermal modification of wood changes its chemical, physical, and structural properties, which may affect adhesive bondline quality and bonding performance. This research compared the effect of thermal modification on the adhesive bonding performance of poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) wood. Samples were prepared from thermally modified and unmodified yellow poplar using one-component polyurethane (PUR) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA), as they are adhesives used in wood products. Microscopic properties of the bondlines were investigated to understand shear performance and durability. Adhesive line thickness, penetration, shear strength, and moisture durability were measured, and failure modes were recorded. Thermal modification negatively affected the wood and adhesive interaction by reducing penetration (31.2% in PUR and 29% in PVA), therefore creating a thicker adhesive line (70% in PUR and 2% in PVA) and consequently causing a significant reduction in the shear strength of both adhesive types (27% in PUR and 36% in PVA) compared with non-modified specimens. The PUR adhesive had higher shear strength than PVA by 2.7% in non-modified and 14% in thermally modified wood.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Producing structural grade hardwood lumber as a raw material for cross-laminated timber: Yield and economic analysis

  BioResources · 2023-11-03 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  The economic feasibility of producing structural-grade hardwood lumber (SGHL) that qualifies as a raw material for structurally rated cross-laminated timber (CLT) was examined. 126 yellow poplar logs from diameters 12 to 15 inches were selected and divided into test and control samples. A log yield study was then conducted of the yield and revenue generated when producing lumber graded with National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) rules, SGHL rules, and a mix of both rules (NHLA and SGHL-graded lumber). Producing mix-grade lumber added approximately 27% more revenue than producing NHLA-grade lumber on average if sawmills adopt a cant sawing method. Mix-grade lumber production resulted in 32% of the total volume produced as SGHL and the remaining 68% as NHLA lumber. As a result, 2 Common and lower-grade lumber board footage was reduced to only 29% in test samples and remained converted into SGHL compared to more than 85% of 2 Common and lower-grade lumber boards for control samples. 95% of the SGHL produced as mixed-graded lumber with NHLA-grade lumber met the specifications required to produce structural CLT, and the remaining 5% can be utilized to produce non-structural grade CLTs if they meet the minimum requirement of the materials for CLT production.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Design and Evaluation of a Shear Analogy Tool for Custom Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Panels Made from Various Wood Species

  Forest Products Journal · 2023-12-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract A user-friendly cross-laminated timber (CLT) design tool called SAM-CLT was developed to calculate the minimum design values for custom CLT panels. Custom panels are those made from different species not currently included in APA PRG 320 and include the use of multiple species in a panel. The tool uses the design value of hardwood and softwood lumber published in the national design specification book to design custom CLTs and the standard CLT grade lumber specification values published in PRG 320 standard. SAM-CLT was designed based on the shear analogy model and is intended to assist CLT manufacturers, construction and design companies, and researchers in designing and evaluating CLTs’ deformation when using different lumber types and thicknesses. This project included the calibration and validation of the tool, followed by examples of its use by computing the design value of the softwood, hardwood, and softwood–hardwood hybrid CLTs. The SAM-CLT tool was adjusted to match the published standard design values on PRG 320 and validated by comparing output for standard CLT layups. In the next step, SAM-CLT tool was used to calculate the minimum design value of custom CLTs made from hardwood–yellow poplar lumber and softwood–southern yellow pine lumber. Based on observed validation results of the tool and its application results to determine the design values for various CLT layups, this project concludes that SAM-CLT can be a valuable tool for designing custom CLTs, evaluating CLTs’ strength properties, and promoting heterogeneous lumber types in CLT manufacturing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Physical Properties of Thermally Modified Juvenile and Mature Wood of Hevea brasiliensis (Euphorbiaceae)

  Figshare · 2021-01-01

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Exposing timber to temperatures approaching 200 °C causes thermal modification and changes its characteristics. This study evaluates the effect of various levels of thermal treatment on the physical properties of juvenile and mature wood from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Boards taken from 53-year-old rubber trees were thermally modified at up to 220 °C. Thermal treatment caused decreases on the oven-dried density, equilibrium moisture content, and swellings on juvenile and mature woods of H. brasiliensis. Influence of thermal modification at 180-200 °C in juvenile wood was lower than in mature wood, whereas the treatment at 220 °C caused a greater variation in properties of juvenile wood. The thermally modified wood is a suitable product for use in environments with high levels of relative humidity.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Henry Quesada

  Virginia Tech

  17 shared

• Omar Espinoza

  10 shared

• Sailesh Adhikari

  Tribhuvan University

  9 shared

• Larry D. Teeter

  6 shared

• Abasali Masoumi

  5 shared

• Elias Taylor Durgante Severo

  Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

  5 shared

• Róger Moya

  Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

  5 shared

• Robert D. Smith

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  4 shared

Labs

• Sustainable BiomaterialsPI

Education

• Ph.D. Wood Science and Forest Products, Wood Science and Forest Products

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• M.S. Wood Science and Forest Products, Wood Science and Forest Products

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Forest Products

  Clemson University