Wood is an important renewable resource in Québec. Did you know that most structures made of wood include wood fibre that has been processed to make it a stronger, more durable and less expensive building material? This activity guide will introduce you to the technical careers that are needed to convert harvested logs into products such as laminated beams, plywood and torrefied wood. You will try out a simple exercise simulating what a wood engineer would do to evaluate the structural properties of wood and you will play the role of a project manager defending the use of wood as a building material for a new stadium.

This short video will help you understand these forces:

• Structures and Forces (YouTube)

This video will help you understand the calculations you will be doing in this exercise:

• Elastic Deformation – Compressed Greek Column (YouTube)

This website will help you understand the physics in this exercise.

• Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion (Khan Academy)