Don Bender, along with co-authors David Carradine, Frank Woeste and Joe Loferski, received the 2009 L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award, presented by the Forest Products Society for the article “Development of Design Capacities for Residential Deck Ledgers”. This award represents the top applied research article published in the Forest Products Journal and the Wood & Fiber Science Journal over the past two years. This research has been incorporated into the 2009 International Residential Code.
How solid is concrete's carbon footprint?
Many scientists currently think at least 5 percent of humanity's carbon footprint comes from the concrete industry, both from energy use and the carbon dioxide (CO2) byproduct from the production of cement, one of concrete's principal components. Read more...
Wood and Straw Materials
You can huff and puff and not blow the house made of straw down…if you use straw based boards. Read more...
Congratulations to Patricia Smith, fiscal specialist for the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, who won a Staff Excellence Award at the College of Engineering and Architecture's annual convocation ceremony. Graduate student Melissa King, also received recognition as the Outstanding Teaching Assistant. With an undergraduate degree in architecture, she is working towards a Ph.D. in civil engineering with an emphasis in sustainable design. She expects to complete her degree in May 2011 and hopes to find a position as a faculty member in architecture, civil engineering or architectural engineering.
Building Green
Our gas-guzzling, carbon-spewing automobiles draw a lot of the blame for the build-up of greenhouse gases most scientists say is making the world warmer. That’s led to a worldwide flurry of investment in biofuels research and more fuel-efficient vehicles–even hybrid diesel Kenworth semis, built by Paccar in Kirkland.
But amid all that traffic, a quiet community of builders and designers is starting to speak up, saying that if we want to make real reductions in energy use, we just have to look closer to home–to our houses, offices, and high-rise condos. Read more...
News Archive 2008
WSU's Institute for Sustainable Design takes off
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce: Washington State University recently launched its Institute for Sustainable Design with the help of $500,000 from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation. Read more...
Weyerhaeuser, WSU to Address Sustainability Efforts
Addressing the dramatic need for sustainability in building materials and design, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation has committed $500,000 to launch Washington State University’s Institute for Sustainable Design. Read more....
Isabela Reiniati, MS degree candidate in Chemical Engineering and advised by Marie-Pierre Laborie, received the best poster award at the Ecowood 2008 Conference in Porto, Portugal for her poster entitled "Viscoelastic Properties of Hybrid-Poplars."
Smart Bark Could Mitigate Environmental Bite
Washington Technology Center has awarded $99,778 in research and technology development funding based on a proposal from WSU’s Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory in collaboration with Plant Care Technologies Corporation. Read more....
The Northwest Forest Products Academic Forum, sponsored by the Willamette Valley Chapter, Pacific Northwest and Inland Empire Sections of the Forest Products Society, was held May 16, 2008. This academic forum highlights forest products research by undergraduate and graduate students in the Northwest. The forum was held at the headquarters of the APA Engineered Wood Association in Tacoma, WA. Each student gave a technical presentation followed by a question and answer period from the judging panel and audience. Cash prizes were awarded for the top graduate and undergraduate presentations. Students from WSU were awarded the following:
- 1st Place Graduate Student Presentation: Nels Peterson - Wood-Thermoplastic Composites Manufactured Using Beetle-Killed Spruce from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula (Dr. Vikram Yadama – Advisor)
- 2nd Place tie for Graduate Student Presentation: Zack Rininger - Pultrusion of Wood Strand Composites (Dr. Karl Englund – Advisor)
Luyang Shan received the 2007-2008 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering's John Roberson Thesis/Dissertation Award for her dissertation entitled "Explicit buckling analysis of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite structures." Luyang is a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, China.
News Archive 2007
Thomas M. Maloney, Emeritus Director of the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, received the third annual Bronson J. Lewis Award at the 70th annual meeting of the APA, November 10-12, 2007, Indian Wells, CA. This award is given by the APA to recognize individuals for their leadership and outstanding contribution to the engineered wood products industry. Tom was a chief contributor to development of the process for orienting wood strands, which led to the transition from waferboard to OSB. He is a leading expert on non-destructive test methods for evaluating the strength of wood. He founded and for most of its history was in charge of one of the world’s most prestigious and longest running annual gatherings of wood composite producers, suppliers and research experts—the International Wood Composites Symposium.
Thomas M. Maloney, Emeritus Director of the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, was given the Nondestructive Testing of Wood Outstanding Research and Development Award for leadership in this important developing field in the Forest Products industry. The Plaque reads: 15th International Nondestructive Testing of Wood Symposium Distinguished Service Award; Thomas M. Maloney; Washington State University, September 10, 2007, Duluth, MN.
Pizhong Qiao, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, has received the Outstanding Technical Contribution award from the Aerospace Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Read more....
Biodegradable Food Utensils
At the Washington State University Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Jinwen Zhang is working hard to change the negative impact plastic food utensils and other household items have on the environment. Read more....
WSU Extension Featured Program
When some see small diameter timber in the woods, they see a forest fire hazard or logging leftovers. But, Vikram Yadama sees an innovative opportunity to bring together science and nature for the economic benefit of Washington land owners. Read more....
Feng (Amy) Chen has been chosen as a recipient of the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS) Student Travel Award for 2007 for her extended abstract entitled “Utilizing Soy Protein as Plastic for Performance Enhanced Soy Protein-Based Bioplastics”. In the study, Amy blended soy protein with a biodegradable copolyester, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), and investigated the properties of resulting blends. She demonstrated that soy protein can function either as filler or as a plastic in the blends through controlling the moisture level in the soy protein. When soy protein behaves as a plastic, the resulting blends demonstrate significantly higher mechanical properties than when it behaves as filler in the blends. Amy is working on a grant sponsored by the USDA-NRI. She conducts her research at the WMEL under supervision of Dr. Jinwen Zhang. Amy is a PhD student in the Materials Science Program, and is just beginning the 2nd year of her study. This $500 award will be presented to her during the award banquet at the BEPS annual meeting on October 18, in Vancouver, WA.
WSU's wheat going strong
Western Farmer-Stockman: It’s a double wheat payoff for Washington-bred varieties and the residue they leave after harvest. Read more....
Fresh water to 35,000 people: Student engineers head to Kenya for pipeline project
Washington State University engineering students headed to Kenya this month to help design and build a needed water pipeline for residents there. Read more....
WSU researcher finds new market for wheat growers
The four million tons of wheat straw produced annually in the Pacific Northwest may have a new market thanks to a researcher with the International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities & Trade (IMPACT) Center at Washington State University. Read more....
Bacteria break down waste, build bioplastics
The same type of bacteria that help break down paper mill waste could also become an increasingly viable source of environmentally friendly biopolymers that can be used to make bioplastics, glues, and composite building materials. Read more....
Roy Pellerin was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award honoring a lifetime of achievements in wood engineering. The award was presented at the Forest Products Societies 61st International Convention in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Jinwu Wang was awarded Second Place in the 2007 Forest Products Society Wood Award competition for his paper "Kinetic Analysis and Modeling of Mechanical and Chemical Cure Development for Wood-PF Bonds." This award, sponsored by Dynea, was presented at the Forest Products Societies 61st International Convention in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Rattlesnake Creek Pedestrian Bridge wins prestigious design award from American Council of Engineering Companies
The designers of an innovative bridge that uses wood plastic composites developed by a consortium led by Washington State University’s Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory (WMEL), received a prestigious award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Read more....
Student engineers head to Kenya for pipeline project
A group of Washington State University engineering students will head to Kenya this month, where they hope to start work to design and build a needed water pipeline for residents there. Read more....
Grant opens engineering world to undergraduates
Researchers in the College of Engineering and Architecture received a National Science Foundation grant that will they hope will allow more undergraduates than ever to gain research experience at Washington State University – especially freshmen and sophomores. Read more....
Dr. Pizhong Qiao named Fellow by ASCE
Pizhong Qiao, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University was recently elevated to the membership level of “Fellow” within the society. Read more....
J. Daniel Dolan earns 2007 Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service
J. Daniel Dolan, professor of structural engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of codes and standards for the Wood Materials & Engineering Laboratory, earned the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service for leading WSU’s efforts to improve building codes and design standards to make low-rise buildings safer to the public. He helped to write the U.S. residential building code and has been one of nine voting members of the technical update committee for this code since 2000. This code sets the performance standards for all single-family houses, duplexes, and townhouses in the United States. The extensive scope and excellence of his program is enhanced by his active work with Engineers Without Borders, where he advised student teams as they designed replacements for two school buildings destroyed by the tsunami in Sri Lanka, a water supply system in a remote area of the Yakama Nation, and a hospital building in Sudan. Read more....
WSU Emeritus Society bestows first award
Nearly a quarter century after receiving the first Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service, Thomas M. Maloney has been awarded the first ever WSU Emeritus Society Excellence Award. Read more....
Structural Wood Plastic Composites Deployed in Missoula, MT Bridge
A structural wood plastic composite (WPC) developed with funding by the Office of Naval Research (under the direction of Ignacio Perez) was recently deployed in a pedestrian bridge accessing the Rattlesnake Wilderness and National Recreation Area in Missoula, MT. The bridge, designed by Brad Miller from HDR One, features innovative uses of small diameter timber and a 4x12 inch structural WPC section designed for use on marine structures where chemical wood preservatives were not desired. The material and structural section were designed by a research team lead by the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University. The team included researchers from Strandex Corp., McFarland Cascade Corp., Pennsylvania State University, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center.
Polymer pallets support Washington exports
In a research laboratory, a little like a giant kitchen, Jinwen Zhang is cooking up a recipe aimed at supporting Washington's economy ... literally. Read more...
News Archive 2006
Getting engaged? Sharing expertise enriches all involved
Vikram Yadama is an engineering hybrid. At the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Yadama’s time is split between research on new composite materials and outreach to the wood products industry. An assistant research professor and extension specialist, Yadama views his job as bridging fundamental research and the needs of industry. Read more...
Making Decks Safer
Most of us don’t lie awake at night worrying about our decks. But we should. The deck is the most dangerous part of the house, says Don Bender, director of the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University. Read more....
Dr. J. Daniel Dolan was awarded the Distinguished Service Learning Award for 2005-2006. It was presented by the WSU Community Service Learning Center for “recognition of your commitment to learning through campus-community engagement.” This is the first time the student nominated award has been awarded within the College of Engineering and Architecture. Both Dolan, faculty advisor for Engineers without Boarders and Matt Taylor, Assistant Professor of Construction Management and faculty advisor for Builders without Boarders, were recipients for their efforts. Both student chapters were started this past year.
CEA Outstanding Researcher Award Recipient
Professor Michael P. Wolcott is the first recipient of the College of Engineering and Architecture's Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award. Dr. Wolcott has been on the WSU faculty since 1996 and is an international leader in the area of wood-based composite research, where his work has led to the development of advanced materials to better withstand aging processes, reduce manufacturing costs and pollution, and provide better performance. Read more...
Improving building construction - Researchers work to combat natural disaster
One hundred years ago, on April 18, 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake wreaked havoc in the San Francisco Bay area. The earthquake and resulting fire are thought to have caused thousands of deaths. A hundred years later, researchers at WSU continue to strive to improve construction techniques so that buildings and other structures hold up under future seismic events. Read more...
Better Living...Through SOLAR.
For more than two years, a group of Washington State University students in architecture, construction management, interior design, and engineering designed and built a solar house, including all of its systems, from the ground up. In September 2005, they transported the house to Washington, D.C., to take part in the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition on the National Mall. WSU was one of only 18 schools from around the world—and the only school from the Northwest—to participate. Sponsored by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab, the competition required students to plan and build a 650-square-foot home and provide it with all the modern conveniences, including heating and air conditioning, refrigeration, hot water, lighting, appliances, and communications—powered entirely by the sun. As students did laundry, fixed dinners, and washed dishes in them, the houses were judged on their energy production, efficiency, and design. Read more...
New technologies pay off - Faculty receive grants from Washington Technology Center
The Washington Technology Center recently awarded grants to eight Washington research groups teamed with local companies to commercialize new technologies. Four of these grants went to Washington State University faculty. The 2006 RTD awards winners from WSU are: Diter von Wettstein, Crop & Soil Sciences; Jinwen Zhang, Wood Materials & Engineering; Carter Clary, Biological Systems Engineering; Vikram Yadama, Karl Englund, and Robert Tichy, Wood Materials and Engineering. Read more...
WMEL Safety Award Recipient
Sudip Chowdhury, Graduate Research Assistant in Civil and Environmental Engineering, received WMEL’s annual Safety Award for his outstanding contributions to lab safety and security in 2005. Thank you, Sudip!
A mediating force - WSU professor featured in PBS disaster impact show
Dan Dolan, a Washington State University professor of civil and environmental engineering, is featured in a Public Broadcasting Service one-hour documentary entitled “Disaster-Resistant Housing’’ that has begun airing on television stations in the U.S. Read more... The broadcast schedule for the program is determined by individual PBS stations. The two 30-minute segments of the complete program can be viewed online, however, at www.itvisus.com/programs/homes/watch.asp.
News Archive 2005
- Dr. Marie G. Laborie, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, was keynote speaker for the COST (European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research) Action E35: “Fracture mechanics and micromechanics of wood and wood composites with regard to wood machining”. Her talk was entitled: “Cooperativity of segmental relaxation: application to wood and wood-based composites” . The meeting took place in Rosenheim Germany, Sept 29-30, 2005.
- PBS returns to wood lab - Wood lab simulates natural disaster on 32-foot-long wall
- It's PBS for WSU - Documentary filmmakers visit WSU wood materials lab
- Kristin DuChateau, Graduate Research Assistant, was featured in the 2005 March-April Newsletter for the Society of Wood Science and Technology. Adding this to her recent piano solo win at the 2005 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, really puts her on a roll!