New method to locate the pith position in a wood cross-section based on ultrasonic measurements

[Display omitted] •Proposal of a nondestructive method for pith detection in wood cross-section.•Works with trees, timbers and lumbers.•Method for detecting pith even in the case that it is outside of the cross section. There is a growing need for nondestructively evaluate the integrity of trees and wooden structural elements. Such an investigation can be performed with the use of different test methods. Nevertheless, in order to yield acceptable results, the test methods should consider the anisotropic nature of the wood, which includes the shape of the annual rings, and also the pith location in the cross-section. This paper presents a new method to determine the pith location of a tree or structural element made of timber or lumber based on ultrasonic tomography readings.