I-Corps: Translation Potential of High-performance Wood for Cost-effective Civil Infrastructure

Award ID: 2534275

This I-Corps project investigates the commercial potential of high-performance wood (HPW) for sustainable civil infrastructure development. The construction industry increasingly demands sustainable and cost-effective building materials. HPW has been developed to address this need by providing strength and stiffness comparable to traditional construction materials. As the market for new materials continues to grow, construction companies are seeking alternatives that effectively balance high mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness with environmental sustainability. While current renewable options such as untreated timber may be insufficient for heavy-load applications, HPW has shown superior mechanical properties. HPW may meet the increasing need for various applications, including deep foundations, housing, and structural supports. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of high-performance wood (HPW), which is produced through a process of partial delignification followed by hot-pressing, resulting in a material that offers excellent strength and stiffness, but with a more sustainable production process as compared to steel and concrete. Traditional delignification methods face challenges when applied to larger wood samples due to limited chemical diffusion. To overcome this, a pressurized delignification technique was developed, ensuring deeper and more uniform chemical penetration throughout wood. This innovation enables the production of HPW at larger scales, suitable for demanding civil infrastructure applications. This technology offers users a sustainable, high-strength alternative to steel and concrete, with superior mechanical performance and reduced environmental impact. The pressurized delignification process enables scalable, uniform treatment of large wood elements, making it a candidate for building resilient civil infrastructures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman