Wood material science

Max amount of FITech students: 200

Persons without a valid study right at a Finnish university or university of applied sciences have preference to this course.

The course dives into the material science of wood, covering topics such as structure and anatomy, wood formation and wood and water interactions. Students will learn how the macroscopic and molecular structure of wood affects e.g. its physical and mechanical properties.

Course contents

The course covers wood formation, wood structure & anatomy, wood-water relationships, and the physical properties of wood, including wood density & porosity, fluid flow in wood, the thermal & hygrothermal properties of wood, as well as acoustic properties. The course also covers short- and long-term mechanical properties and introduces students to the main agents responsible for wood degradation. Through this course, students will also appreciate the multi-functional role that forests play in providing ecosystem services as well as wood products.

This course is aimed at students wishing to specialise in the materials science of wood, this course will also be of interest to students of architecture, civil & structural engineering, materials science & engineering and related disciplines, who have an interest in the possibilities offered by wood.

Learning outcomes

After the course, students know

• the key anatomical features of wood and can identify wood species from their microstructures
• the anisotropic nature of wood and be able to describe how the anatomical structure of wood affects its physical and mechanical properties
• how moisture affects the mechanical and physical properties of wood
• anatomical factors influencing wood density
• some of the thermal, acoustic, electrical and combustion properties of wood
• the short term and the long term mechanical behavior of wood and how structure/anatomy, density and moisture affect these
• the key degrading organisms that are responsible for the breakdown of wood.

Course materials

All materials available on course online platform.

Teaching schedule

Online lectures (recordings available):

• Introduction lecture Tue 7.1.2025 at 13.15–14
• Closing lecture Fri 14.2.2025 13.15–14

Completion methods

The course is completed independently online according to your own schedule before the course DL 12.2.2025. The course includes reading materials, short videos, exercises and online exams.

Please note that a 5 ECTS course means about 135 hours of studying (The course duration is 6 weeks, so this requires approximately 22,5 hours of studying every week). If you start the course after 7.1.2025 please take the workload into account.

Please check the schedule from the course page and Aalto University study guide.

You can get a digital badge after completing this course.

puu, puumateriaali, puutuotteet, metsä, metsäteollisuus, material science, wood products, forest, forest industry