Kuluni Millaniyage has always admired nature in a physical and literary sense. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, her parents instilled their love of wildlife and the environment in her. It was this connection which drew her to a career in research in the forest products sector. Source: Timberbiz
A PhD candidate currently studying at the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW) based in Launceston, Ms Millaniyage had previously studied a bachelor’s degree in forestry and environmental science and had worked in wood science and timber processing.
“Like my motherland Sri Lanka, Tasmania is an island with a luscious environment. I admire the calm serenity, and close-knit community, which provides an extraordinary quality of life for those of us lucky enough to live here,” Ms Millaniyage said.
Following the completion of her bachelor’s degree at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kuluni was employed for two years on a maiden project which processed pre-finished engineered timber flooring, from log to final product.
“The timber utilised was Sri Lankan Teak and I was in charge of conducting necessary testing, research, and development – as well as quality assurance of the production line,” Ms Millaniyage said.
“This experience inspired me to conduct my higher studies on timber product development, which brought me to this beautiful island of Tasmania.”
Ms Millaniyage’s research examines the potential of developing a new generation of Tasmanian engineered timber flooring products for in-state manufacturing and is part of a project headed up by Australian Forests and Wood Innovations (AFWI) – formerly the National Institute for Forest Product Innovation (NIFPI). The project focuses on developing a new generation of Tasmanian appearance hardwood products.
Working alongside a research team at CSAW under the supervision of Dr Louise Wallis, Dr Nathan Kotlarewski, Dr Assaad Taoum and Prof Greg Nolan, Ms Millaniyage studies wood science and material properties aligning with the interests and requirements supporting Tasmanian timber industry.
“My research is focused in developing a novel engineered timber flooring product using Tasmanian plantation Eucalyptus nitens: a value-added application to the plantation forests. My research outcomes developed a number of prototypes using plantation timber in engineered flooring products with the potential for a future commercial reality,” she said.
Ms Millaniyage said that with access to native high-density timbers becoming challenging in Australia and globally, the timber processing industry now requires alternative timber resources to facilitate the increasing market demand and sustainable operations.
“Identifying value added applications for short rotation plantation species can generate more return to plantation owners and provide alternatives to the upcoming native log supply,” she said.
“As part of my doctoral degree, I was able to develop several engineered flooring prototypes which were subjected to testing in laboratories and in-service conditions. I have published three international journal articles based on the findings of my research.”
Further to this achievement, Ms Millaniyage was a recipient of the UTAS Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Award in 2022, for the contribution of research to incorporate Tasmanian solid timber flooring above heated floor slabs in the newly built River’s Edge building at Inveresk, as part of the Transformation and CSAW Project Team.
