In this paper we consider a problem independent constraint handling mechanism, Stepwise Adaptation of Weights (SAW) and show its working on graph coloring problems. SAWing technically belongs to the penalty function based approaches and amounts to modifying the penalty function during the search. We show that it has a twofold ben-eet. First, it proves to be rather insensitive to its technical p...

Deformations of timber, caused mainly by anisotropic shrinkage, can be partially directed by controlling annual ring orientation through different sawing patterns. Ring orientation also affects the movement of water from within the board to its surface, with rapidity of drying having implications for the wood colour. Here sawn silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) timber was classed into two group...

—It has been estimated that approximately one-third of hardwood sawlogs have a significant amount of sweep and that 7 to nearly 40 percent of the yield is lost from logs that have greater than 1 inch of sweep. While decreased yield is important, for hardwood logs the loss of lumber value is likely more significant. A method that produced lumber while accounting for log curvature (sweep) would a...

According to FAO – ISPM No 15, in international trade wood packaging material on the basis of sawn timber requires to be heat-treated to avoid spreading of harmful organisms. “Heat-treatment” means a minimum core temperature of the wood of 56° C for a minimum of 30 minutes. ISPM No 15 does not defi ne moisture content and therefore does not include rules for the drying process. Practitioners re...