Outstanding participation by the CRMR and Laval University in the GDR Bois!
Congratulations to the Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR) team and Laval University’s Faculty of Forestry, Geography, and Geomatics team for their exceptional participation in the 13th GDR Bois (Groupe de Recherche Bois) scientific days.
In France, GDRs are thematic research groups supported by CNRS-certified researchers. Each year, the GDR Bois brings together experts on cross-disciplinary scientific topics, ranging from wood quality determinisms to biology, engineering, and structure-property relationships. It also promotes coordination of teaching, resource sharing, and collaboration with the international scientific community, while strengthening links with industry professionals. Thanks to this synergy, the GDR actively contributes to the promotion of innovation and the search for technical solutions adapted to contemporary challenges, such as the sustainability of materials, the optimization of natural resources, and the reduction of the wood industry’s ecological footprint. This year’s event was held at the École Supérieure du Bois (ESB) in Nantes, France, a partner of Laval University. Nearly 300 participants attended the three-day event, held from November 20 to 22.
We would like to acknowledge the exceptional commitment of Pierre Blanchet, Bertrand Laratte, Véronic Landry, Assira Keralta, and Luigiano Duarte, who demonstrated remarkable expertise and dedication to this event. Their active participation in discussions, presentations, and technical exchanges was essential in highlighting significant advances in renewable materials and innovation in wood construction, a sustainable solution for the building sector. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, which reflects the excellence of their work, as well as their indispensable support in promoting sustainable practices in this sector.
Professor Pierre Blanchet played a key role in moderating a discussion on the future of wood construction. His intervention was crucial in guiding the debate and stimulating reflection on the sector’s contemporary challenges. The discussion featured Professor Bertrand Laratte (Laval University) and Mr. Pierre-Antoine Cordy (Neys et Partners) as panelists, who explored key issues such as environmental challenges, material circularity, prefabrication, fire safety, and moisture-related issues. It was a great opportunity for the CRMR to raise its profile through the initiatives led by Pierre Blanchet, CIRCERB, and the CRC in sustainable buildings.
Assira Keralta had the opportunity to present her results innovatively, both as a poster and as a lightning presentation. Her work, on the valorization of whey ultrafiltration permeate in wood modification, highlighted the impact of this treatment on improving the dimensional stability and durability of wood. This promising advance opens up new prospects for research into wood materials and their integration into sustainable solutions for industry.
Luigiano Duarte, also with a poster and lightning presentation, shared his preliminary observations on building envelopes as part of the Auvergne living laboratory project, led by Richard Trempe. His results provide a new perspective on the integration of renewable materials into building envelope design, highlighting their potential in the development of sustainable and resilient constructive systems. This work paves the way for better use of renewable resources in the construction sector and highlights innovative solutions for reducing the ecological footprint of buildings.
