Non-Destructive Evaluation of Plantation Eucalyptus nitens Logs and Recovered Samples to Analyse the Stiffness Property

Eucalyptus nitens (H. Deane & Maiden) Maiden is a widely planted hardwood species in Australia, particularly in Tasmania, where it occupies approximately 168,000 ha. Although primarily managed for pulp production, the species is attracting interest for sawn and engineered wood applications. Previous evaluations of its properties have relied on destructive testing; however, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques provide a viable alternative for industrial applications. This study examined the use of acoustic-based NDE to assess plantation-grown E. nitens logs sourced from two Tasmanian harvesting sites, focusing on the relationship between dynamic modulus of elasticity (DMOE), static MOE, and modulus of rupture (MOR) across radial positions from pith to bark. The results indicated that core samples exhibited stronger correlations with static MOE and MOR compared with middle and outer samples. DMOE consistently overestimated static MOE by 10.81% and 24.66% at the two sites, with variation evident across radial positions. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of acoustic NDE for evaluating wood stiffness, highlighting the importance of sample location within logs.