A.P. Schniewind – författare

73 articles, newly commissioned or revised from the acclaimed Encyclopedia of Materials Science & Engineering, cover the whole range of knowledge and current research in wood science. Topics discussed include the availability of economics and timber resources, wood products such as plywood and mineral-bonded wood composites, the major commercial and wood species of the world, fundamentals of wood properties and behavior, factors causing deterioration and their control and principal processing methods. Recent developments in the use of acoustic emission techniques and biotechnology in wood processing are dealt with and the range of materials covered includes woody materials such as bamboo, coconut wood and rattan, not hitherto treated by any similar publication. Extensively illustrated, with nearly 200 photographs, drawings and tables in over 300 pages, each article is intended to serve as the primary source of information on a given topic. The reader is guided to further reading by helpful cross-references and nearly 500 up-to-date citations in the bibliographies at the end of each article. A comprehensive, three-level subject index is also provided. The Concise Encyclopedia of Wood & Wood-Based Materials will be invaluable to architects, engineers, builders, plant managers, wood technologists, purchasing agents, politicians, timber merchants, and furniture manufacturers.

The impetus for this book was the desire to systematically organize the extant literature on the conservation of cultural property made of wood, from its beginnings before the Christian Era to the year 2000. Various published reviews and monographs, including Holzkonservierung (Wood Conserva­ tion) published by the senior author in 1988, have appeared over the years, especially in English and in German. They have provided exemplary treat­ merit of individual areas or aspects of wood conservation, but a comprehen­ sive, up-to-date exposition of historic and current developments has been lacking. The diverse professional fields of the authors, as well as their insights into methods of conservation and restoration of wood artifacts in Europe, North America, and Asia provided a solid basis for the success of this under­ taking. One of the goals during the examination of the literature was that not only well-known conservators and scientists from countries that are leaders in wood conservation should be represented, but that less well-known, often not as readily accessible contributions should also be included. Only in this manner was it possible to draw a comprehensive picture of the national and international state of wood conservation. The Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (AATA) of the Getty Institute were very helpful in our efforts to evaluate as many publications as possible.

The impetus for this book was the desire to systematically organize the extant literature on the conservation of cultural property made of wood, from its beginnings before the Christian Era to the year 2000. Various published reviews and monographs, including Holzkonservierung (Wood Conserva­ tion) published by the senior author in 1988, have appeared over the years, especially in English and in German. They have provided exemplary treat­ merit of individual areas or aspects of wood conservation, but a comprehen­ sive, up-to-date exposition of historic and current developments has been lacking. The diverse professional fields of the authors, as well as their insights into methods of conservation and restoration of wood artifacts in Europe, North America, and Asia provided a solid basis for the success of this under­ taking. One of the goals during the examination of the literature was that not only well-known conservators and scientists from countries that are leaders in wood conservation should be represented, but that less well-known, often not as readily accessible contributions should also be included. Only in this manner was it possible to draw a comprehensive picture of the national and international state of wood conservation. The Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (AATA) of the Getty Institute were very helpful in our efforts to evaluate as many publications as possible.