The federal government is investing nearly $800,000 to pay for new equipment at the University of Northern British Columbia’s Wood Innovation Research Laboratory (WIRL) in downtown Prince George.
The funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) will allow researchers, including Canada Research Chair in Hybrid Wood Structures Engineering Dr. Thomas Tannert, to discover novel new ways to use wood in the design and construction of buildings around the world.
“Researchers in the Master of Engineering program are discovering innovative, creative and high-tech solutions for using wood in the construction of new buildings and soon they will be able to test their ideas in the state-of-the-art new lab,” says UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks.
Tannert, an expert in hybrid design, is studying how wood can be combined with other construction materials to create composite designs that allow for more wood to be used. The pieces of equipment purchased through the CFI funding will give Tannert, and other UNBC researchers, access to state-of-the-art technology as they seek to discover stronger and greener building materials.
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Image via University of Northern British Columbia.