Characterizing the wood construction waste stream in BC and evaluating the mechanical performance of new recycled products

Wood waste from Construction, Renovation and Demolition (CR&D) contributes about 7 % of the total waste sent to Canada’s municipal solid waste (MSW, or landfill) sites, according to a 2013 report from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
This preliminary project aims to consider viable alternatives to utilize waste wood to manufacture engineered wood products for the construction industry that account for variations in dimensions, moisture content, wood species, etc. The objective is to characterize the raw material available suitable for reuse in engineered wood products and assess their mechanical properties.
This project should demonstrate the potential for the recycling of wood waste, thus contributing to mitigate climate change by reducing the pressure on Canadian forests and the need for landfilling wood waste.

Faculty Supervisor:

Julie Cool

Student:

Partner:

Urbanjacks

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Manufacturing and Construction; Clean Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: