Guided by the principles of visual perception and basic design, this research was conducted to examine users’ preferences on how they perceive natural unique wood phenomena of Pedunculate Slavonian ...Oak veneers (Quercus robur L.) such as color changes, wood rays, sapwood, and knots, which in the production and technical sense represent defects and wood residue, but could be used in the design of sustainable and ecological wall decorations. The goal was to detect samples with the most positive attributes and to observe their connection with activities and functional space if they are viewed as wall coverings in the interior. The results confirm that discoloration and wood rays are considered the most harmonious (“prettiest”) decors. Discoloration is associated with quiet cognitive or medium-intensity activity that can be used in libraries, hotel rooms, and classrooms. Wood rays are connected with very quiet activity in ambulance waiting rooms or religious buildings and museums. Knot decors are considered the most natural and are recommended for interiors with very or medium-intensive activities such as restaurants, cafes, and hotel receptions, but attention should be paid to the way the wall decors are arranged on the walls. Sapwood–hardwood decors are the subject of further research and improvement concerning the relationship between the dark and light parts of the veneer. In conclusion, the results provide useful guidelines for manufacturers with a large veneer residue in production and who want to design decorative wall panels, as well as for designers and architects designing interiors for a specific purpose and function where certain user behavior and psychological stimulation are desired.
The growing awareness of nature conservation encourages producers, engineers, and designers to contribute to the rational and innovative use of raw materials. Sustainable development is imperative, ...symbolizing the balance between meeting the needs of the present generations without compromising the needs of future ones. The aim of this paper is to investigate the production process of cut veneer of Pedunculate Slavonian oak (Quercus robur L.) and which parts of the logs are lost or thrown in the production of cut veneer, to analyze the increase in the use of veneers that currently represent residue in processing, and to propose directions of designing a new product from the analyzed residue—decorative wall panels. The research was conducted in the company Spačva Ltd. in Vinkovci, Vukovar-Srijem County, Croatia, in 2021/2022. The findings emphasize that the vast majority of unused veneers, considered technologically unacceptable in the production process, can be decoratively and visually desirable due to their natural appearance in the design of a new product. By analyzing and applying the design principles and elements, natural phenomena were applied to the veneers that represent the basic motif of the new decorative wall panels. The initial solutions of the decorative wall coverings made of veneer with a natural appearance and the solution from other wood residues from production are shown. The results of this study have potentially far-reaching implications for wood product manufacturers and demonstrate the importance of applying design in wood technology to reduce residue, demonstrating that residue from standard production can be designed into an innovative, sustainable product that reduces environmental damage.
The paper provides an overview of research conducted in the field of wood application in the interior environment and on how solid wood as a material affects human behavior and sense of wellbeing. ...The analyzed literature includes articles published in the period 1989-2021 in Pub-Med, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) databases using keywords: wood; wellbeing; psychological and physiological responses; indoor environment. Thirty-one articles were processed. Results from the studies confirmed that people have a strong connection and positive behavioral reactions in relation to the use of solid wood in interiors. Wood visually and tactilely affects the mental state of users, and affects physical state, productivity, and stress. Selected studies were reviewed to better understand the impact of the solid wood application on user behavior, health, and wellbeing using objective and subjective test methods. All the findings can be a potential guide for greater future implementation of wood in the sustainable interior design of timber buildings by wood processors, manufacturers, architects, and interior designers, as well as a more vital branding of sustainable and healthy wooden products and buildings with the aim of increasing the wellbeing in interior environments with an emphasis on furnishing sustainable public facilities.
Rad donosi pregled istraživanja provedenih na području primjene drva u interijeru te utjecaja masivnog drva kao materijala na ljudsko ponašanje i osjećaj ugode. Analizirana literatura obuhvatila je članke objavljene u razdoblju 1989. – 2021. u bazama podataka Pub-Med, Google Scholar, Scopus i Web of Science (WoS), a pretražene su korištenjem ključnih riječi: drvo, blagostanje, psihološke i fiziološke reakcije, unutarnje okruženje. Obrađen je trideset i jedan članak. Rezultati istraživanja potvrdili su da ljudi osjećaju snažnu povezanost s masivnim drvom u interijeru i pozitivno reagiraju na njegovu primjenu. Drvo vizualno i taktilno utječe na psihičko stanje korisnika, na njihovo fizičko stanje te na produktivnost i stres. Odabrane su studije pregledane primjenom objektivnih i subjektivnih metoda ispitivanja kako bi se bolje razumio utjecaj upotrebe masivnog drva na ponašanje, zdravlje i dobrobit korisnika. Sva otkrića mogu biti potencijalni vodič za opsežniju buduću primjenu drva u održivom dizajnu interijera drvenih zgrada, na što uvelike mogu utjecati prerađivači drva, proizvođači, arhitekti i dizajneri interijera, kao i aktivnije brendiranje održivih i zdravih drvenih proizvoda i zgrada radi povećanja dobrobiti u interijerima, s naglaskom na opremanje održivih javnih objekata.
The mismatch the kindergarten furniture dimensions with the children's anthropometric, as well as the design of non-ergonomic kindergarten furniture, potentially affects inappropriate body positions, ...and thus potential low back pain when sitting in later human development. The aim of this study was to examine the anthropometric measurements of preschool children and compare them with the dimensions of the preschool chairs in kindergartens in North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Croatia, in order to perceive the current situation and suggest improving for kindergarten furniture design. 848 children in 27 kindergartens participated in the research. A total of 36 types of chairs was found and measured. Children's upper leg length, popliteal height and hip width were measured and compared with the three main chair functional dimensions according to the EN 1729–1:2015. The main value of this research is the comparative data obtained, which indicates that there is a significant difference between preschool chairs and children's dimensions in some groups, but that the results cannot be generalized since they refer to a specific kindergarten population. In reality, it will never be possible to satisfy all dimensions of children and furniture, primarily due to the existence of (too) tall and (too) short children in certain groups. A further recommendation is to introduce a systematic measurement of preschool children at the beginning of the new school year and thus harmonize their anthropometric dimensions with the furniture.
The paper provides a limited overview of existing pressure sensors based on composite technology from carbonized biomass and synthetic materials which could be implemented in seating furniture. ...Carbon-based pressure sensors have proven to be good for pressure measurement that works on the principle of the piezoresistive effect. Research on materials based on carbonized components of biological origin encourages the development of composite sensors made of different materials, which have different negative and positive properties. Despite the great potential, such sensors are still not sufficiently researched and there is a lot of space for their improvement. Today’s rapid development of technologies and frequent work at the computer leads to excessive sitting while working, which is a big problem for human health. Chairs with sensors could be increasingly used in the future, and in combination with the Internet of Things could be used to monitor the sitting habits and health of users. Sensors implemented in seating furniture are one way of monitoring sitting habits, warning users of inappropriate body positions when sitting, and mitigating the negative consequences of long-term improper sitting. The paper analyses research that includes the production and application of sensors made of carbonized bio-materials, which could be used in seating furniture with the aim of monitoring the way of sitting based on the principle of pressure detection. So far, the results have not provided the requested answers. However, they provided an overview of technologies that, with additional research, likely have the potential to be incorporated into seating furniture.
The health consequences of prolonged sitting in the office and other work chairs have recently been tried to be alleviated or prevented by the application of modern technologies. Smart technologies ...and sensors are installed in different parts of office chairs, which enables monitoring of seating patterns and prevents positions that potentially endanger the health of users. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of previous research in the field of the application of smart technologies and sensors built into office and other types of chairs in order to prevent diseases. The articles published in the period 2010-2020 and indexed in WoS CC, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore databases, with the keywords “smart chair” and “sensor chair” were analysed. 15 articles were processed, with their research being based on the use of different types of sensors that determine the contact pressures between the user’s body and stool parts and recognise different body positions when sitting, which can prevent negative health consequences. Analysed papers prove that the use of smart technology and a better understanding of sitting, using various sensors and applications that read body pressure and determine the current body position, can act as preventive health care by detecting proper heart rate and beats per minute, the activity of individual muscle groups, proper breathing and estimates of blood oxygen levels. In the future research, it is necessary to compare different types of sensors, methods used and the results obtained in order to determine which of them are most suitable for the future development of seating furniture for work.
Posljedice dugotrajnog sjedenja na uredskim i drugim radnim stolicama u posljednje se vrijeme pokušavaju ublažiti ili spriječiti primjenom suvremenih tehnologija. U različite dijelove uredskih stolica ugrađuju se pametne tehnologije i senzori, što omogućuje praćenje rasporeda sjedenja i izbjegavanje položaja koji potencijalno ugrožavaju zdravlje korisnika. Cilj ovog rada jest davanje pregleda dosadašnjih istraživanja u području primjene suvremenih pametnih tehnologija i senzora ugrađenih u uredske i ostale vrste stolica radi prevencije obolijevanja korisnika. Analizirani su članci objavljeni u razdoblju od 2010. do 2020. i indeksirani su u bazama podataka WoS CC, Scopus i IEEE Xplore, a izdvojeni su prema ključnim riječima pametna stolica i senzorska stolica. Obrađeno je 15 članaka u kojima su se istraživanja temeljila na primjeni različitih vrsta senzora koji određuju kontaktne tlakove između korisnikova tijela i dijelova stolice te raspoznaju različite položaje tijela pri sjedenju, čime se mogu prevenirati negativne posljedice za zdravlje. U analiziranim istraživanjima autori su dokazali da primjena pametne tehnologije i bolje razumijevanje sjedenja uporabom različitih senzora i aplikacija kojima se očitava pritisak tijela i određuje njegov trenutačni položaj može preventivno djelovati zahvaljujući praćenju rada srca i broja otkucaja u minuti, aktivnosti pojedinih mišićnih skupina, pravilnog disanja, procjene razine kisika u krvi i sl. U budućim istraživanjima potrebno je usporediti različite tipove senzora, primijenjene metode i dobivene rezultate kako bi se uočilo koji su od njih najprikladniji za budući razvoj radnog namještaja za sjedenje.
The paper provides an overview of research conducted in the field of wood application in the interior environment and on how solid wood as a material affects human behavior and sense of wellbeing. ...The analyzed literature includes articles published in the period 1989-2021 in Pub-Med, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) databases using keywords: wood; wellbeing; psychological and physiological responses; indoor environment. Thirty-one articles were processed. Results from the studies confirmed that people have a strong connection and positive behavioral reactions in relation to the use of solid wood in interiors. Wood visually and tactilely affects the mental state of users, and affects physical state, productivity, and stress. Selected studies were reviewed to better understand the impact of the solid wood application on user behavior, health, and wellbeing using objective and subjective test methods. All the findings can be a potential guide for greater future implementation of wood in the sustainable interior design of timber buildings by wood processors, manufacturers, architects, and interior designers, as well as a more vital branding of sustainable and healthy wooden products and buildings with the aim of increasing the wellbeing in interior environments with an emphasis on furnishing sustainable public facilities. KEYWORDS: solid wood in interior, sustainable environment, wood product design, user behavior, wellbeing Rad donosi pregled istrazivanja provedenih na podrucju primjene drva u interijeru te utjecaja masivnog drva kao materijala na ljudsko ponasanje i osjecaj ugode. Analizirana literatura obuhvatila je clanke objavljene u razdoblju 1989. - 2021. u bazama podataka Pub-Med, Google Scholar, Scopus i Web of Science (WoS), a pretrazene su koristenjem kljucnih rijeci: drvo, blagostanje, psiholoske i fizioloske reakcije, unutarnje okruzenje. Obraden je trideset i jedan clanak. Rezultati istrazivanja potvrdili su da ljudi osjecaju snaznu povezanost s masivnim drvom u interijeru i pozitivno reagiraju na njegovu primjenu. Drvo vizualno i taktilno utjece na psihicko stanje korisnika, na njihovo fizicko stanje te na produktivnost i stres. Odabrane su studije pregledane primjenom objektivnih i subjektivnih metoda ispitivanja kako bi se bolje razumio utjecaj upotrebe masivnog drva na ponasanje, zdravlje i dobrobit korisnika. Sva otkrica mogu biti potencijalni vodic za opsezniju buducu primjenu drva u odrzivom dizajnu interijera drvenih zgrada, na sto uvelike mogu utjecati preradivaci drva, proizvodaci, arhitekti i dizajneri interijera, kao i aktivnije brendiranje odrzivih i zdravih drvenih proizvoda i zgrada radi povecanja dobrobiti u interijerima, s naglaskom na opremanje odrzivih javnih objekata. KLJUCNE RIJECI: masivno drvo u interijeru, odrzivi okolis, dizajn proizvoda od drva, ponasanje korisnika, dobrobit
In the recent years the habits of buying furniture have changed. The fabrication of individual pieces of furniture is increasingly coming to the forefront. A personal contact is being established ...between the customer and the furniture, which is a relationship of one (product) to one (customer). In order to satisfy the individual demands, higher quality as well as higher prices appeared as a necessity. The competition is beginning on the market, where emotion becomes a significant factor in decision-making process. Therefore, functionality and aesthetic functions, determinative forms and fashionable style play a very important role in furniture design and production. The objective of the paper is to report research results on how functionality and aesthetics of different styles of furniture could be determinated, measured and how they influence customer requirements and demands. To establish the proportion of functionality and aesthetic features, a numerical expression of the functions was defined by using various designers’ methods such as Ranking Method Quality Development (RMQD) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). It is shown that both methods could be used very effectively for designed and marketing oriented furniture, for modelling customer satisfaction as well as in connection with aesthetic functions, assuring the quality of the product in the planning stage.
The studies of office chair constructions have identified differences in perception of comfort provided by different types of seats. Four seat constructions and the comfort provided to the users were ...compared by means of subjective indicators. After a two-day sitting on each of the studied chairs, the subjects scored their perception of comfort and discomfort, using the questionnaire with 17 statements. Unlike most similar studies, subjects evaluated seats on their own work places and in the environment to which they are accustomed. Constructional forms of the seat and materials that contributed more to the sense of comfort by minimizing fatigue and pains developed by sitting were determined. Results have shown that the chair with a net is significantly more comfortable than other chairs. The chair with molded PU foam is significantly more comfortable than the chair with springs, but statistically it does not differ significantly from the chair with slabstock PU foam. It has been concluded that the chair with a net got higher scores, which might be attributed to its frame construction and the absence of a hard base under the sitting surface.
Rotation welding is a new method used in wood welding. Heat that develops due to the friction on contact surfaces softens and melts the wood structure (melt is produced). When the friction stops, the ...melt cools down and solidifies forming a firm joint. This research is based on the examination of the influence of various wood species and cross-sections on the strength of joints produced by rotational welding. Using rotation frequency and shifts in the orientation of the horizontal axis, a beech dowel is welded to a base made of common beach (Fagus sylvatica L.), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) (hereinafter only beech, oak and spruce). Welding direction is both parallel to the orientation of the base fibres (PP) and perpendicular to the orientation of the base fibres (R, RT, T). Research results indicate that the dowel welded to the beech base retains the largest strength, whereas the dowel welded to the spruce base reveals the weakest results. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that beech dowels welded in the direction of beech and oak bases have the best strength of a joint. In spruce samples, reaction wood was used (compression wood in conifers) with somewhat different distribution of strength depending on the welding direction.
PDF