The name Delf
Wood Science Foundation (DWSF) dates back from 1992. Before that time, the
foundation already existed under a different name.
The aim of the foundation, in general, is to promote scientific research on
structural wood. In particular, the objective is to contribute to the
development of fundamental theory, which due to austerity policies, has
been increasingly neglected by standard research institutions. No other
institution is, for instance, active on the development of Deformation Kinetics,
the scientific method that applies for all materials and gives the
physical-chemical constitutive relations at a given temperature and
time--necessary for a real understanding and prediction of creep and damage
(See the project description). The same could be said, for instance, in
Fracture Mechanics--that it should be based on failure of the matrix of the
wood polymer and on small flat elliptical cracks to explain the mixed mode
failure criterion and to be able to simulate progressive damage or to obtain
the deformation kinetics equations necessary for a good explanation of the
data (See project description).
Because new theory should be discussed for further development and
acceptance, it is very important to get a reaction of the readers in order
to start this discussion. Send your questions and comments and when
permitted, the contribution will be published on this website.
