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FPInnovations signs licensing agreement with NZ-based firms

September 24, 2015 – FPInnovations has signed an agreement with New Zealand-based Structural Timber Innovation Company Ltd. (STIC) and Prestressed Timber Ltd. (PTL), which will allow FPInnovations to acquire North American rights to their post tensioning technology for timber building systems. Under the agreement, FPInnovations will obtain rights to U.S. and Canada Patents related to development of post tensioning technology and will have complete access to all knowledge, research data, and reports, thereby placing FPInnovations at the forefront of post-tensioned-timber systems in North America.

“We are proud to be a part of this partnership, which exemplifies FPInnovations’ mission of accelerating innovation and promoting cooperative relations at the academic, scientific, technical, and business levels, and to adopt and adapt opportunities from international sources to support innovation in the forest sector,” said Pierre Lapointe, president and CEO of FPInnovations.

Post-tensioning technology has already been introduced to concrete and steel systems. Its introduction to timber buildings is expected to further enhance the appeal of constructing mid-rise and tall buildings using modern mass timber products and systems. The technology relates to a prestressed engineered wood building construction system that enables lightweight low cost buildings, with energy dissipators which may be replaced after extreme loading. 

“All the parties involved are delighted that a formal agreement has been reached, which now allows for the introduction of timber tensioning technology into Canada and the United States to happen,” said Bill Lee, chairman of PTL Ltd.

The advantages of post-tensioning technology include:
•Enables the design of open floor plans (large open spaces) in high seismic regions, a design concept highly sought after in non-residential buildings;
•Provides enhanced resilience by re-centering of the system to its initial position after an earthquake; and
•Enables buildings to resist strong earthquakes with less structural damage.

“It is gratifying that an agreement has been reached between FPInnovations, PTL, and STIC, allowing FPInnovations access to the technology and know-how developed during a five-year research program undertaken by STIC on the use of pre-stressing technology in high-rise timber framed buildings, with this type of construction shortly being made available to North American designers,” said Peter Law, chairman of STIC.

About FPInnovations
FPInnovations is a not-for-profit, world-leading R&D institute that specializes in the creation of scientific solutions in support of the Canadian forest sector’s global competitiveness and responds to the priority needs of its industry members and government partners. It is ideally positioned to perform research, innovate, and deliver state-of-the-art solutions for every area of the sector’s value chain, from forest operations to consumer and industrial products. FPInnovations’ staff numbers more than 525. Its R&D laboratories are located in Québec City, Montréal and Vancouver, and it has technology transfer offices across Canada. For more information about FPInnovations, visit: www.fpinnovations.ca.

About Structural Timber Innovation Company Ltd.
The Structural Timber Innovation Company Ltd. was established in 2008 to create a step change in the use of engineered wood in commercial buildings resulting in new revenue opportunities for the Australian and New Zealand timber industries.  STIC was a consortium of three LVL manufacturers in Australasia, researchers at three Universities in Australasia, the Building Research Association of New Zealand and Forest & Wood Products Australia. For more information, visit: www.stic.co.nz.

About PreStressed Timber Ltd.
PreStressed Timber Limited is team of highly trained timber engineers specializing in the design and construction of buildings and bridges. With 50 years combined experience in applying the latest technologies in an innovative and affordable manner, the PTL timber engineers provide professional consulting services and work in partnership with developers, architects, and construction companies ensuring the highest quality end result with real build-ability. For more information, visit: www.prestressedtimberltd.co.nz.

September 24, 2015  By FPInnovations



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