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Nationwide, state departments of transportation, counties, cities, and other bridge owners are facing a rapidly deteriorating inventory of bridges. In response, the focus has turned to developing bridge design and construction alternatives that are sustainable, cost effective, and construction friendly. For decades, timber bridges were the foundation of the bridge inventory on secondary road systems of numerous states, from Vermont, to Iowa and Minnesota, to Oregon. Recent research has found that the performance of those timber bridges, some constructed 50 to 70 years ago, was and still is well above average; yet the number of newly constructed timber bridges built with graded and engineered lumber is only a small percentage of the total of new bridges built each year.
| - FPL's Mission and Strategic Plan - |
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FPL's mission is to identify and conduct innovative wood and fiber utilization research that contributes to conservation and productivity of the forest resource, thereby sustaining forests, the economy, and quality of life. ... ..more » |
| - FPL Research Emphasis Areas - |
Advanced Composites
As an integral part of the FPL mission, we improve the long-term sustainability of our Nation's forests by creating valuable composite products from biobased materials ... ..more » 
Advanced Structures
The FPL has been in the forefront of wood-frame housing research since 1910 and has long been recognized as a world leader in such housing-related areas as engineered wood ... ..more » 
Forest Biorefinery
We all know the compelling reasons that the United States needs to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Historically, the greatest increases in energy demand have been for transportation fuels ... ..more » 
Nanotechnology
A leader in wood products research for over a century, the FPL is positioning itself to become the lead Federal research facility for the application of nanotechnology in forest products ... more » 
Woody Biomass Utilization
Forests in the United States contain a substantial amount of small-diameter, overstocked, and underutilized material.FPL research projects are exploring the potential of the small-diameter ... ..more » |