Sylvatest

Sylvatest is an ultrasonic measuring device that provides an overall diagnosis of a wooden component to test its mechanical strength. This is a specific non-destructive testing tool for wooden beams.

Description
Sylvatest is an acousto-ultrasonic measuring device that provides an overall diagnosis of the wood element, based on the speed and energy absorption of the transmitted ultrasonic wave. The result given reflects the residual health of the wood in the trunk of the tree tested or the beam measured. These are non-destructive tests.

The technology was developed by Professor Jean-Luc Sandoz as part of his thesis at EPFL in 1984 and was further developed by researcher Yann Benoit in 1998.



Applications
The sylvatest is used in many countries (Brazil, Europe and Asia).

It has been used on historic buildings such as the Entrepôts des magasins généraux in Paris, the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the beams of Notre-Dame de Paris or even the Château de Valère.

It is also used to certify the quality of wood for registered designations of origin such as Bois des Alpes or Bois de Chatreuse.