July 22, 1999
Contact Nick Houtman, 207-581-3777
MARRIAGE OF FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMERS AND ENGINEERED WOOD BOOSTS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
Editors: For follow-up, see contacts at each organization listed at the end of this news release. See photos at http://www.umaine.edu/mainesci/Dagher-MOU.htm
ORONO, Maine - Four leading engineering, technology and marketing organizations have signed an agreement to jointly support research and commercialize the results in a new generation of advanced FRP/engineered wood composite materials that combine wood and fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites.
The agreement was signed in Bar Harbor, Maine at the First International Wood Composites Conference on July 6 by representatives of the University of Maine Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center (AEWC), the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, APA-The Engineered Wood Association and the Market Development Alliance (MDA) of the FRP Composites Industry. Key objectives in the agreement include coordinated research and development as well as evaluation of materials that meet the needs of the wood industry for new products.
"This agreement signifies a true commitment from both the FRP composites and wood industry for joint development activities," says Habib Dagher, director of the AEWC. "Our research has already demonstrated the potential for this technology to lower costs, increase efficiency and improve the performance of structures. Our goal is to demonstrate the reliability of new applications and move as quickly as possible to the market place."
"The new FRP/engineered wood composites technology is expected to create a 'family' of products that will permit the wood industry to make more effective use of increasingly scarce high-grade wood resources," says Ted Humphrey, chairman of the MDA. "FRP and our technologies will also allow wood producers to employ lower strength grades of wood that are not presently allowed by contributing increased tensile strength to their products. For example, researchers at the University of Maine have shown that adding only 1% by volume of FRP composite to selected areas of engineered wood structures can increase product strength by up to 46%."
Provisions of the agreement address issues such as disclosure of proprietary information, exchanges of personnel and review of technologies proposed for evaluation. The four organizations also agree to maintain an information database of FRP-wood technologies and applications.
Engineered wood products include panels such as plywood and oriented strand board as well as glued laminated wood beams, laminated veneer lumber and I-joists. Some of these products have been used as structural materials for over 100 years. Research leading to the reinforcement of some of these products can be traced back to 1917 when the USDA Forest Products Laboratory first proposed designs for reinforced wood products. Since then, researchers have sought new ways to blend the resilience and strength of wood with the benefits of glass and carbon fibers.
Since 1992, the production of plywood and oriented strand board has increased over 25% and is expected to reach 38.75 billion square feet in 1999. Wood I-joist production is expected to increase 15% and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) 17% this year.
Signing the two-page agreement were James Ward of UMaine, Ted Humphrey of the MDA, David Rogoway of APA-The Engineered Wood Association and Thomas Hamilton of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory.
The agreement does not mention specific research projects or financial commitments by the organizations. Those arrangements will be covered by separate agreements among the consortium partners.
Speakers at the wood composites conference in Bar Harbor pointed to a variety of practical applications including commercial building construction, pallets, bins and containers, furniture, concrete forms, bridges, utility poles and truck and rail car liners where FRP/engineered wood composites may have market opportunities.
Since 1988, the number of engineered wood manufacturing plants in North America has more than doubled with many of these located in the Southeast and Northwest United States and across Canada.
Among the goals of wood and FRP composites researchers are:
o stronger products made with low grade wood species;
o standardized testing protocols to evaluate new products;
o more efficient use of wood fiber;
o new structural systems that maximize the properties of FRP/engineered wood composites;
o knowledge of how wood, adhesives and FRPs perform over a range of environmental conditions and stresses.
The Consortium Partners
The Advanced Engineered Wood Composites (AEWC) Center at the University of Maine conducts research on new applications and structural properties of wood composite systems. The AEWC has 20 faculty and staff and has earned more than $8 million in public and private sector funding. Contact Habib Dagher, University of Maine, 207-581-2138; [email protected]; or see their website at www.umaine.edu/aewc/.
APA/The Engineered Wood Association is a nonprofit trade association representing plywood, oriented strand board, glued laminated timber, wood I-joists, laminated veneer lumber, and other engineered wood composites manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and abroad. Its primary functions are quality auditing and testing, research and development, and market support and development. It is projected that approximately 38 billion square feet of plywood and OSB will be produced in 1999 and glulam, I-joists and LVL (laminated veneer lumber) are all expected to achieve significant production gains over the next 4 years. Contact Tom Williamson, APA-The Engineered Wood Association, 253-565-6600, [email protected], or see their website at www.apawood.org.
The Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is a national federal laboratory which conducts wood, paper, and composites research. It is a part of the USDA Forest Service research organization. Research focuses on conservation of wood fiber including use of low value material, efficiency in processing and use, durability, and recycling, and technologies to reduce environmental impacts in wood processing and use. Contact Michael Ritter, 608-231-9200, [email protected]. The FPL website can be reached at http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/.
The Market Development Alliance (MDA) of the FRP Composites Industry is a nonprofit trade association comprising material suppliers, fabricators and consultants in the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites industry. The MDA is the leading force for business growth in the composites industry. The mission of the MDA is to develop new opportunities for the composites industry by partnering with government, academia, and end-user industries to grow the markets for FRP composites. The FRP composites industry in the U.S. produces approximately 3.7 billion pounds of materials per year in diverse markets including transportation, marine, corrosion-resistant equipment, consumer products and aerospace/defense. Since 1993, the MDA has been focused on developing structural applications for FRP composites in civil engineering. For additional information about the MDA contact John P. Busel, 914-381-3572, fax 914-381-1253, email: [email protected], website at www.mdacomposites.org.
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