Thursday, October 23, 2014

Oregon BEST Funds Timber Technology

Portland-based Oregon BEST, which supports clean technology efforts in Oregon, said today that it has provided a new round of commercialization funding for a team from DR Johnson Lumber Co. and Oregon State University researchers. According to the group, the new funding will go towards producing structural grade, lumber products which can be used in place of concrete and steel. Size of the funding round was not announced. The funds go towards the development of cross laminated timber (CLT), a technique in use in Europe but which has not yet been adopted in the United States. Oregon BEST said that CLT can be used as a cost-effective replacement for steel and concrete, and also has the added advantage of sequestering carbon.