Lam, Frank

My main research interests are in the development of fundamental knowledge on the performance of solid sawn timber, wood-based composites, and engineered wood systems. The aim is to qualify performance and apply the developed basic knowledge to improve the utilization of structural wood products by addressing issues relevant to the forest products industries in the field of timber engineering and wood-based composites mechanics.

Specific interests include:

• Modeling the interacting influence of wood fiber geometry and orientations on the physical and strength properties of wood based composites through the applications of stochastic theory, engineering mechanics, finite element methods, and robot-based forming systems.
• Use of fiber reinforcement to enhance the performance of wood products.
• Modeling and testing of timber components and structures subject to seismic and other loadings.
• Development of random field model to study the within member variation of strength properties in lumber.
• Establishing in-grade based test data to evaluate mechanical properties of wood products.
• Development of advance grading techniques to improve strength predictions of lumber.
• Reliability-based evaluation of performance.

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Projects

Strategic Network on Innovative Wood Products and Building Systems

NSERC

Reliability of Timber Structure Under Seismic Loading

NSERC

Performance of structural composite lumber

Various Companies

Size effect adjustment factor of glulam

NRCAN Value to Wood

Development of Technology for Cross Laminate Timber Building Systems

FII program

Study of production of laminae and performance of laminated  structural products from BC coastal hemlock

FII program

Structural Performance of Japanese Post and Beam Shear Wall Systems

CanadaWood

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Awards

L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award, Forest Products Society – for distinguished contribution to the knowledge of wood as an engineering material and to the enhancement of the efficient utilization of this renewable resource 1999
Japan Science and Technology Agency (STA) Research Fellowship, Government of Japan Science and Technology Agency 2001