Janet Duncan | Composite Materials & Engineering Center

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$1.5M grant supports testing laminated wood in seismic conditions

April 13, 2017 Janet Duncan

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University researchers have received a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant to develop guidelines that will help builders use more sustainable timber in high-rise buildings in earthquake-prone areas.

Daniel Dolan, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University is working in collaboration with the Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, University of Washington, Lehigh University, the University of Nevada at Reno, Forest Products Lab, and American Wood Council, to develop new designs for using cross-laminated timber (CLT) in buildings in seismic areas. The project is led by Shiling Pei at Colorado School of Mines. … » More …

Wolcott named to DOE’s, USDA’s biomass research panel

March 31, 2017 Janet Duncan

PULLMAN, Wash. – Michael Wolcott, Washington State University Regents Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named to the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee, which advises both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more…

Wood Takes Wing

November 15, 2016 Janet Duncan

The most complex chemistry lab on the planet is growing in your neighborhood. There might be a tree in your own backyard, cranking out chemicals as it converts sunlight to food, wards off pests, and circulates water and nutrients through it roots, branches, and leaves. Read more…

Forest-powered biofuel flight heads to Washington, D.C.

November 14, 2016 Janet Duncan

SEATTLE – Washington state-based Alaska Airlines today made history flying the first commercial flight using the world’s first renewable, alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals, the limbs and branches that remain after the harvesting of managed forests.

The alternative jet fuel was produced through the efforts of the Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA). Read more…

PACCAR Environmental Technology Building dedicated

May 6, 2016 Janet Duncan

Building tours, a reception and music from the WSU Cougar Marching Band were part of the dedication of the new PACCAR Environmental Technology Building at Washington State University on Thursday, May 5. WSU Regents, industry supporters, students, faculty and staff attended. Read more…

WSU partnership: A path to healthier buildings, forests

December 9, 2015 Janet Duncan

SEATTLE – Imagine a material that allows us to construct new buildings more quickly. Helps to combat climate change. Supports restoration of our forests while also helping revive our local rural economies. Read more…

WSU’s Paccar building houses 5 R&D labs

December 2, 2015 Janet Duncan

Wood-framed skyscrapers, resistant to fire and earthquakes and made from locally harvested wood, may someday dot the skylines of North American cities. A new building at Washington State University, opening early next year, is already leading the charge. Read more…

Creating Jobs Through Sustainable Building Technologies

September 28, 2015 Janet Duncan

Buildings stand among the nation’s leading producers of greenhouse gases. To blame is the energy used to operate them and the carbon-heavy materials required to construct them. With populations increasingly shifting toward urban centers, construction will only continue. Reducing emissions created by urban growth will require rethinking our built environment. Read more…

WSU partners with new composite recycling center

September 22, 2015 Janet Duncan

PORT ANGELES, Wash. – Washington State University will lend its expertise in materials science and engineering to the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC) that broke ground in Port Angeles today, Sept. 21. Read more…

Alaska Airlines plans biofuel test flight in WSU partnership

August 24, 2015 Janet Duncan

SEATTLE – Washington state’s hometown airline is teaming up with the Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) to advance the production and use of alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals, the tree limbs and branches that remain after a forest harvest. Read more….