In society, discussions occasionally raise whether current level of wood cutting in Latvia is not too high to maintain sustainable forest industry and biodiversity. Cutting volumes for the state owned forests are calculated based on the model whose aim is to even the timber stock of each tree species in a long term period. The wood resource extraction in the private forests takes place according to free market conditions and depending on market prices. Therefore amount of round wood delivered from private forests can shift in a large range. The research had two main tasks. First task was to survey primary wood processing companies in Latvia and gather information about their round wood processing volumes, how their processing volumes divides between softwoods and hardwoods, dimensions of round wood companies demand for production and assortment of produced materials. Second task was to evaluate round wood utilization balance in the territory of Latvia and estimate if current use of timber resources in Latvia corresponds to amounts that are sustainable. Research results showed that consumption of softwood timber in Latvia is close to maximum to perform sustainable forestry, but consumption of hardwoods is possible to increase at least by 20–25%. Survey of primary wood processing companies showed that round wood processing volumes in Latvia vary from 6 to 7 million m3 annually and that large enterprises, which count only for 4% from total number of primary wood processing entities, process two thirds from annual round wood volume in country.

Forest industry consists of two related industries forestry and wood processing. Wood processing industry, which is a direct consumer of timber resources generated by forestry sector is eager to search for an answer about kind and amount of round wood they can count on in long term period. In Latvia for every five years State Forest Service calculates cutting volumes for the state owned forests based on models which do not guarantee safe long term income maximization. Long term cutting volumes and assortments in privately owned forests have not been analyzed very deeply. The aim of the research was to estimate the hypothetic amount of different timber resources available in the territory of Latvia for wood processing industry within next hundred years and look at geographic location of timber resources and woodworking companies. Research results showed that forests in Latvia are not being depleted and current annual cutting volumes could be increased. Geographic observation of primary wood processing companies showed that most of them are located close to large cities or near main roads of Latvia. This location makes easier round wood deliveries to factory and facilitates transportation of produced goods to an end customer. To clarify where and what profile (softwood or hardwood) production volumes should be increased, model of timber resource demand indicator was implemented.

This study is a part of an extensive research of creep development in softwood (Pinus sylvestris) timber beams under natural environmental conditions. Large size test data sample obtained during long-term (approximately one and half year) static loading of timber beams in a four-point bending simulating the real service conditions of roof structures for winter and non-snow period has been processed and results presented. The correlation between creep deformation and its affecting factors, such as span to height ratio of beam, percent of latewood and width of year ring (a growth ring formed during a single year), orientation of year ring segments against main axis of cross section, number of year rings in 1 cm of wood, and density of wood have been analysed and corresponding coefficients of correlation presented. It is concluded that the most significant creep development affecting factor is density of wood. Strong relationship between creep development and width of year ring, number of year rings in 1 cm of wood and density of wood was observed during test. Orientation of year ring segments against the main axis of cross section, amount of latewood and span/depth ratio do not have noteworthy direct influence on creep development in terms of this study. Temperature can be neglected as creep affecting factor in terms of this study but in the moments of sharp raise or fall of temperature, almost immediate effect on creep development was recorded.