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 US 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.

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. 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;

• Enables buildings to resist strong earthquakes with less structural damage.

Pierre Lapointe, President and CEO of FPInnovations said “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.”

The post tensioning technology for timber building systems provides protection to the building against extreme loading events such as earthquakes, high winds, or exceptional gravity loads.  STIC and PTL are leaders in developing timber-based structural systems for application in seismic  zones. STIC and PTL each have strong ties to the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

“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.

“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 Associated