A team of scientists from Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center have developed and released a smartphone app that uses soundwave or vibration measurements to determine the stiffness of a given piece of lumber, a quality that relates to its strength.
To measure a piece of lumber with the “Smart Thumper” app, users are directed to set the board they intend to test on a pair of sawhorses, then set the sample’s specifications. They can choose to run a soundwave test, holding the phone close to the board while it is hit with a hammer, or a vibration test, where the phone is placed on the sample and then gently vibrated vertically. Readouts include the frequency of the soundwave or vibration, a stiffness rating, and the equivalent wood grade.
Frederico Franca, Smart Thumper’s co-developer and an assistant research professor at MSU’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, first envisioned it when he discovered that the equipment used to grade lumber costs around $84,000.
“The goal was to make something cheaper and more readily available to give consumers and stakeholders broader access to nondestructive testing equipment,” Franca says. “Now anyone with a smartphone can download the app to help pick out the stiffest pieces for whatever they are building.”
Developer Dan Seale, professor of sustainable bioproducts, envisions the app in use among carpenters, contractors, architects, lumber mill personnel and do-it-yourselfers.
“All lumber is not the same, even though it may be graded the same. The grade is based on a range of values and characteristics,” says Seale. “Perhaps a consumer has a pack of lumber which meets the specification for No. 2 grade, but they need a couple of pieces for a header, something that might span the opening for a window or door. This app helps select the stiffest pieces that are least likely to sag over time.”
The code development team includes Franca, Seale, and Songyi “May” Han, a sustainable bioproducts doctoral student at MSU whose master’s thesis related to marketing the app.
The app is available for download from the Apple Store for $4.99, with an Android edition coming soon.
