Market: China

Canadian lumber steps into furniture market

On August 25th 2017, Canada Wood China (CW China) signed a strategic cooperation MOU with Sichuan Guodong Construction Holding Co., Ltd (Sichuan Guodong) on “jointly promote the applications of Canadian qualified lumber on furniture markets in China” in Chengdu. Eric Wong, managing director of CW China and Mr. Xie Suming, general manager of Sichuan Guodong signed the MOU on behalf of each side.

This MOU signing indicates that Sichuan Guodong will participate in CW China’s promotion on Canadian wood in furniture application with its over 20-year rich experience in furniture and door-sets. Read more

Market: China

Five furniture industrial bases in China, account for 90% of China’s furniture production capacity

There are five furniture industry bases generated in China, after years of development in furniture industry. They are:

1. Pearl River Delta Furniture Industrial Base
2. Yangtze River Delta Furniture Industrial Base
3. Bohai Sea Rim Furniture Industrial Base
4. Northeast China Furniture Industrial Base
5. Southwest China Furniture Industrial Base
The first four bases are mainly consisting of furniture importing and manufacturing companies, which supply domestic and overseas markets. Whereas the fifth one – the West China Furniture Industrial Base targets domestic market. Read more

Market: China

Pilot CLT Plant in China

We visited a CLT plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province on August 31st. This plant is the company’s first pilot plant – Ningbo Sino-Canada Low-Carbon Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. whose CTO used to be a senior scientist at FPInnovations – Dr. Brad J. Wang.

As a professor who has been studying the CLT technology for several years, Dr. Wang has abundant knowledge of it. He was involved in writing CLT Manufacturing Chapter II of CLT Handbook (both Canadian and USA versions) in June 2012 and 2013. Two years later, Dr. Wang led a group back to China

Glue application
and built this first pilot CLT plant and made the first batch of Canadian hemlock CLT. The plant covers an area of 13,500 m2 in Ningbo and was put into use in November 2015. Read more

Market: China

Tapping the fast-growing middle-class consumers, Canada Wood exhibited at China’s largest furniture show to showcase BC softwood in furniture application

Canada Wood China participated in 23rd China International Furniture Expo, the most leading furniture tradeshow in China, from September 12th to 15th. The 4-day tradeshow was held in Shanghai New International Expo Centre, covering furniture industry chains ranging from materials, design to manufacturing.

This is an annual gala show that attracts furniture wholesalers, manufacturers, raw-material trading companies as well as consumers. You can find almost all the established local furniture brands with just one-stop visit.

Children’s bunk bed made from BC Hemlock.
Interior environment has become one of the top concern among Chinese consumers, especially for new renovated homes. To address that, the Chinese government for example is going to put in effect from May 1, 2018 a new regulation on formaldehyde standards toward wood-based panel which is much stringent than previous version. Read more

Market: Japan

Reconstruction Projects Facility Growth of Non-Residential Construction in Tohoku

On September 22nd Canada Wood visited the new Selco Home non-residential demonstration office project in Sendai with Catriona Armstrong of NRCan and Joyce Wagenaar of FII. Selco Home opened The “City Forest” 3 storey demonstration office in August to show prospective clients the beauty and performance of wood in commercial, non-residential uses.

Traditionally a 2×4 single family home builder, Selco’s first non-residential project was the Canada Wood Yuriage Public Market Reconstruction Project in Natori City. The public market project was a catalyst for Selco to establish a new team targeting business development in the non-housing sector. Since then, Selco Home has completed a number of non-residential projects including offices, restaurants, retail outlets, multi-use public facilities, community centres, clinics, kindergartens and elderly care facilities. Read more

Market: Japan

Esprit Kagoshima Arai

Elder care service provider Esprit, continues to expand with 2×4. They are now constructing their fourth 2×4 senior’s facility in Kyushu region of Japan, this time in Arai City in Kagoshima Prefecture, slated for completion later in the year. When finished, the new private nursing home will house 64 seniors as well as one large room, which will be used to provide day-service care for local seniors living nearby. As with its three previous senior’s homes, Esprit chose again to build this one with platform frame construction for several reasons; lower initial building cost, quicker construction time, superior thermal insulation – allowing building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature for occupants, as well as a better depreciation rate for the building (compared to non-wood construction methods). The facility, a combined one and two-storey quasi-fireproof 2×4 building will have a total floor area of 2,425 m² and just about all the structural wood products used for its construction, Douglas Fir dimension lumber and OSB panels, were supplied by Canadian companies. Read more

Market: Korea

National Institute of Forest Science Performs Seismic Test on Midply Shearwall System

The National Institute of Forest Science performed a seismic test on the Midply Shearwall System on July 28. For the test, a Midply Shearwall bearing wall was constructed and vibration was applied at a vertical load of 3.7 tons in order to examine and study the seismic performance of the structure. The outcomes of the studies on this test may help the revision of the seismic design criteria for wood frame construction in the future.

The Midply Shearwall System is a new type of shear wall that was first co-developed by FPInnovations and the University of British Columbia in Canada in the 1990’s. This structure was included in the CSA O86 standards of Canada in 2014, and Canada Wood Japan has already developed the Midply Wall System Manual and commercialized and used the structure. Read more

Market: Korea

Meeting the Ever-Increasing Requirements for Energy Efficiency: Forward-Looking 21 Korean Builders, Designers and Distributors Participate 11 Day Super-E® Training in Canada

The Advanced Technology Construction Training in Canada in its 13rd year was planned and delivered successfully from July 4 and July 14, 2017 in collaboration with the Super-E® Office/Energy Efficient Exporters Alliance (EEEA), the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) and Canada Wood Korea at the UFV’s Chilliwack Campus.

The extensive training program, totally revamped 2 years ago to focus on transfer of technology and expertise needed for design and construction of above code high performance Super-E® House (known as R-2000 home in Canada), consists of lectures and special lectures by guest speakers, hands-on practical training, site visits and testing and demonstrations, which were made possible by combination of best Canadian experts, training facility and construction sites not available in Korea. Read more

Market: Korea

Bukhangang Dongyeonjae, the Largest Wood Frame Housing Complex in Korea, Wins Grand Prize for Small and Low-story Housing

A joint public-private project is bringing in a new wind in the low-story housing market. While it is normal in the rural housing market to only develop the land and sell the land first, where the contractor would then construct the house as they wish after signing a contract for the land, this project made an exception and constructed single family houses first and sold them afterwards. Also, some houses are constructed as energy independent houses based on so-called “semi-passive” technology.

Bukhangang Dongyeonjae’, a country house complex in the Daljeon District of Gapyeong, jointly developed by the public corporation, Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation(GICO), and private corporation, Dreamsite Korea, won the grand prize (Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award) for small and low-story housing at the 21st Good Apartment Design Contest. Read more

Market: Korea

Super-E® Program Gaining Momentum in Korea: MOU for Technical Supports for Construction of 13 Super-E® and Net-Zero Energy Houses Signed between GICO and EEEA

On July 12, 2017, the Energy Efficient Exporters Alliance (EEEA) and Gyeonggi Urban Innovation Corporation (GICO) and Dreamsite Korea (DSK) signed an MOU for technical, training and marketing supports for construction of 13 Super-E® and Net-Zero Energy houses to be built as part of on-going 154 unit wood frame housing complex development in Korea, Bukhangang Dongyeonjae, the Canada Village project.

The MOU, which marks a major step forward in establishing Super-E® program in Korea, was signed by Geuk-Han Yun, Manager of Housing Business, representing GICO, Kwang Hoon Lee, CEO of Dreamsite Korea, and Ken Klassen, representing EEEA. Read more