Chris Helton
Extension Specialist
Chris Helton is a Research Assistant at the Tennessee Forest Products Center. His position in the Agricultural Experiment Station is a 100% research appointment. He has been with the University of Tennessee Department of Forestry since 1988 on a part-time research appointment.
Chris is a Knoxville native and a graduate of The University of Tennessee, where he earned his B.A. in 1992. Although his academic background is in American Studies, his practical experience is in wood and wood properties. Prior to working for the university, Chris spent eight years in the lumber retail industry and nearly two years in private business.
In March of 1996, Chris was hired to fill the position of Research Assistant in the newlyformed Tennessee Forest Products Center. His responsibilities are to manage the laboratory facilities of the Center, including equipment operation and maintenance, product testing and support of all research projects. His strengths are wood identification. properties testing, wood construction, OSB construction, and water soak testing. Chris has contributed to several publications dealing with density profiles in oriented strandboard and whole-panel soak tests.
With the establishment of the Forest Products Center, the research program of the Center is quickly broadening to support the Tennessee forest products industry. Current research projects include:development of a state database for the Tennessee forest products industry; an outdoor exposure demonstration and research site; development of an inspection manual for timber bridges for the Federal Highway Administration; cooperative work with Oak Ridge National Lab ondevelopment of a Ngh-speed microwave drying system for lumber; establishing strength adjustment factors for oriented strandboard at high hun-ddity conditions; density profile-thickness swell-bonding strength relationships and; direct industry support and work with individual producers.
