In a little over a week, the Forest and Rail group will be heading to Flatwoods, West Virginia for a quick tour of two more wood product plants. The first stop will be at Weyerhaeuser in Sutton to examine the production of oriented strand board, OSB, a product used widely in construction as a sheathing in building. The board use wood chips that are bonded together using a resin and heat to create a product the exhibits many qualities of solid wood.
The second stop will be at Appalachian Timber Services in Sutton. They produce products such as railroad ties and bridge timbers that are resistant to rot through the use of chemical treating or species that are naturally resistant to environmental factors. The fact that wood ties are still used today in railroads demonstrates the longevity and attributes that make wood a viable material even with other materials available.
