Teijin (Tokyo / Japan; www.teijin.com) has launched a project to develop advanced fibre-reinforced wood (AFRW) materials for use in medium- and low-rise wooden buildings. The company said AFRW is a more advanced material than carbon fibre-reinforced wood (CFRW), which is used as structural beams. The development of AFRW, which comprises layers of dimensioned timber and high-performance fibres bonded together with structural adhesives, is expected to extend applications to medium-rise buildings.

Teijin has launched the project in response to growing demand for large-space buildings and medium- to low-rise buildings made with wood. It plans to develop the AFRW technology, in collaboration with Kochi University in Japan, by incorporating high-toughness aramid fibres and highly stiff carbon fibre, plus hybrid materials incorporating these fibres.

The initiative is recognised as an official project under a local government industrial development and forestry revitalisation programme in Shikoku / Japan to develop "next generation materials". “Recent seismic disasters in Japan have raised the demand for the construction of safer architectural structures,” Teijin said. “Lightweight, highly earthquake-proof wooden structures are one possible solution.”