About us

Welcome to the website of the Wood Mechanics Research Lab at UMass, Amherst.

Investigating failure of a wood-concrete T-beam || photo credit Jim Gipe Pivot Media

We are a group of passionate researchers  focused on advancing the structural use of materials that derive from agricultural and forestry feed stocks such as wood, grass and straw. These bio-based materials have been shown to have the ability to mitigate climate change: they sequester carbon, are low in embodied energy, are least polluting in production and are naturally renewable. Moreover, these materials have been proof tested for decades to be structurally and economically successful in large-scale residential and non-residential building applications.

Another 3 ply CLT panel hot off the press!

Our research focuses on efficient and innovative design of wood and bio-based composites as well as hybrid structures. We employ experimental and computational methods to understand and predict the mechanical behavior of these materials with an eye towards new products and applications.

For more information, contact:

Director
Dr. Peggi L. Clouston, PEng, MASc, PhD.
Professor, Wood Mechanics and Timber Engineering
Department of Environmental Conservation
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
clouston@umass.edu