UC Berkeley lab turns wildfire salvage into mass timber for sustainable construction

As wildfires become more frequent and intense across California, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are exploring ways to turn wood from fire-affected forests into useful building materials rather than letting it go to waste.

At the university’s wood lab, Assistant Professor Paul Mayencourt demonstrated a construction technique known as dowel-laminated timber, or DLT. The process combines smaller pieces of lumber into larger structural panels using wooden dowels.

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“So, it's enabling us to use more diverse sources of lumber. And that includes salvage from forest fires and also salvage from demolition,” Mayencourt said.

Graduate student Adam Gordon showcased a model theater designed for Portland State University that uses fabricated timber panels, sometimes referred to as mass timber. He said the materials can be adapted for both structural and design purposes.

“So beyond, beyond the structural capacities of mass timber products, you could start to do things that would be considered more design-related, including playing with light, playing with sound, or other environmental effects,” Gordon said.

The wood lab, which had been dormant since the mid-2000s before recently restarting, now emphasizes sustainability as a central part of its mission.

Associate Professor Dan Sanchez said construction and building operations are responsible for an estimated 40% of carbon dioxide emissions. He said mass timber has been found to have a lower carbon footprint than cement and structural steel while also supporting forest management efforts by creating uses for smaller trees removed to reduce wildfire risk.

“So, for me, the most rewarding part is, really the connection to California forests. Our forests are beautiful, but they're also really threatened. Wildfire risk is an overwhelming existential problem for the state. And, showing that we can use the byproducts of wildfire risk reduction, like when we thin small trees, and make valuable things out of that rather than just leaving them on the ground,” Sanchez said.

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Some projects at the lab focus on smaller-scale applications, while others have reached industrial production. Mayencourt said Humboldt County-based Mad River Mass Timber has become the first manufacturer of dowel-laminated timber in California, using concepts developed at the Berkeley wood lab.

“That would be something,” Mayencourt said. “Seeing the system used more generally in California would be super amazing because we can definitely use a lot of the trees we have in California and turn into valuable mass timber products in some simple ways.”

The Berkeley wood lab has received support from several sources, including a recent innovation grant from the U.S. Forest Service.