Project funding:
National Institute of Food and Agriculture C-REEMS Grant Proposal Number: 2022-08935
USDA Agricultural Research Services USDA ARS 58-0204-4-002 & USDA ARS 58-0204-2-143
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
About the project:
Recently, several technical and regulatory barriers have been eliminated through research and innovation to establish wood products as a viable building material for structures beyond low-rise residential structures. However, the consensus among stakeholders (producers, regulators, material specifiers, designers, builders, and insurers) is that some major technical challenges remain Specifically, in the structural performance of wood during all phases of a fire, emissions from buildings using combustible construction, and inadequate quantification of environmental impacts of wood construction. The multi-scale and multi-disciplinary research program proposed herein is designed to address the challenges in a holistic and systematic manner. This project will address the current technical barriers thereby increasing the use of wood products in construction in the United States and leading to socio-economic benefits that help quantify, and ultimately reduce, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the construction sector.
Our research project is designed to achieve the following objectives:
Objective #1: To fill critical knowledge gaps with respect to structural and fire design of mass timber buildings throughout all phases of a structure fire with a focus on the decay phase.
Objective #2: To generate technical data that will inform a shift in the design philosophy by incorporating competing environmental impacts.
Objective #3: To develop techniques for measuring emissions from structure fires that advance future test standards and protocols.
Objective #4: To evaluate the strengths and limitations of scaled approaches regarding fire performance and emissions.
Objective #5: To develop best practices in overcoming barriers of mass timber building construction.
How to contact us:
If you are interested in learning more about this project, please email Erica Fischer: erica.fischer@oregonstate.edu
Collaborators
Many companies and agencies are making this project possible beyond the funding agencies. We thank the following companies for their support:
Timberlab
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)
Simpson Strong Tie
SmartLam
TallWood Design Institute
