Congratulations to Luc Lionel Girompaire, Philippe Riel, and Benjamin Turgeon, recipients of the prestigious excellence scholarships from the FRQ!
Congratulations to Luc Lionel Girompaire, Philippe Riel, and Benjamin Turgeon, who have distinguished themselves by receiving excellence scholarships from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ). Their remarkable paths, combining academic rigor and research leadership, deserve to be recognized.
Each of them has stood out through the quality of their work, the relevance of their research, and their active involvement in the scientific community. Their success brings pride to our institution and serves as an inspiration to the next generation of researchers. We warmly congratulate them on this outstanding achievement and wish them continued success in their promising projects. Many thanks to the Fonds de recherche du Québec for its support of research and excellence!
Luc Lionel Girompaire received a doctoral research scholarship worth $91,667, spread over four years, for his thesis project titled « Fire Performance of Modern Mass Timber Construction Joints  ». This project is supervised by Christian Dagenais and Alexander Salenikovich.
Summary: Mass timber construction is recognized in Québec as an effective strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector. This shift has led to the construction of taller buildings, which must meet increased fire resistance requirements—specifically, a minimum of two hours, as prescribed by the National Building Code of Canada. The Canadian standard for timber structures (CSA O86:24) includes a fire design method for massive wood elements, but does not provide clear guidelines for connections. Yet, these connections must offer fire resistance equivalent to the elements they join. The absence of a defined method complicates their design and slows the development of mass timber construction. While the fire performance of traditional joints (such as those using bolts or dowels) is well documented, modern joints—such as self-tapping screws or prefabricated metal connectors—remain understudied. Beam-to-column connections, which are widely used in current construction, are especially lacking in data regarding their fire resistance. This project aims to develop a fire design methodology tailored to these modern joints, with the goal of integrating it into the CSA O86 standard and thereby supporting the safe expansion of mass timber construction. The project is structured around three main research axes:1)Identify the parameters that influence the fire performance of modern mass timber joints;2) Develop advanced numerical models of their structural behavior under load and fire exposure, in accordance with the CAN/ULC S101 standard; 3)Develop a fire design methodology applicable to these joints.
Philippe Riel received a doctoral research scholarship valued at $100,000, spread over four years, for his thesis project titled « Adaptive Capacity of Canada’s Boreal Forests to Climate Change », under the supervision of  Guillaume Moreau andAlexis Achim.
Summary: Boreal forests cover nearly 30% of the world’s forested area and play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. For over 35 years, climate change has been significantly altering the dynamics of the boreal forest. However, the effects of these changes remain insufficiently studied, limiting our understanding of the forest’s adaptive capacity. This PhD project aims to quantify these effects to enhance our understanding of the adaptive potential of boreal ecosystems. The study is structured around three main axes. First, the growth dynamics of subarctic lichen-spruce stands in the taiga of the Canadian Shield will be analyzed using an approach that combines dendrochronology and satellite imagery. The goal is to assess how northern coniferous stands respond to climate change and to develop a predictive model based on satellite, dendrometric, and climate data. Second, the relationship between climate and wood properties will be explored along a latitudinal gradient across the eastern Canadian boreal forest. The effects of temperature, growing season length, and extreme climatic events on wood density, microfibril angle, and the modulus of elasticity will be investigated. Finally, the vulnerability of white spruce seedlings from genetic improvement programs will be assessed in order to identify the families best adapted to climate conditions and late frost events at two study sites. The expected results will help optimize forest management strategies, improve our understanding of how boreal forest trees respond to climate, and better anticipate the impacts of climate change on these ecosystems.
Benjamin Turgeon received a research doctoral scholarship worth $100,000 over a period of four years for his thesis project titled « Prefabricated Composite Bridges in Wood and Eco-UHPC: A Holistic Approach from Design to Life Cycle Analysis »,  under the supervision of Luca Sorelli.
Summary: This research project aims to develop a new generation of composite bridges made of wood and eco-friendly ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), combining strength, durability, and environmental sustainability. By integrating glued-laminated timber and a responsible concrete mix, the objective is to offer a sustainable solution for the reconstruction of road infrastructure in Quebec. Traditional concrete or steel bridges age quickly, generate a high carbon footprint, and are costly to maintain. The project uses glulam, a local and renewable material, combined with eco-UHPC in which part of the cement is replaced by granite residues, a waste product from the stone industry. This process reduces the concrete’s environmental footprint while adding value to a local material. The project is structured around three main pillars:1) Performance and durability – To demonstrate that this new type of composite bridge can match or even surpass traditional structures in terms of strength and longevity; 2) Reduction of environmental impact – To compare the carbon footprint of this wood-concrete composite system with that of conventional steel and concrete bridges, using a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA); 3) Industrialization – To test the feasibility of factory production and the constructability of the bridges under real-world conditions, in collaboration with industrial partners. The project relies on laboratory and factory testing to validate the mechanical properties and to analyze costs and environmental impacts. By emphasizing the use of local and renewable materials, it offers a solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the local economy, while addressing the challenges of modern infrastructure.