This project proposed to develop the next generation of net carbon negative, low embodied energy wood composite structural elements. The interest in mass timber construction is what brought a resource librarian and two project designers together to work on this project. During the first phase, the project team created composite fibers composed of a bio-based thermosetting plastic and fiber additives (carbon, aramid, and two types of wood fiber), and evaluated their sustainability and began the process of tensile strength testing at the University of Southern California’s Material Testing Lab. Unable to complete the second phase of the project due to the lack of access to a robotic arm, the project team instead used the time to further develop the method and model of the composite structural element.
