On August 22, 2023, UNBC's Wood Innovation Research Laboratory (WIRL) faced a series of extreme events: an earthquake-like shockwave, fire, and flood. Remarkably, the building emerged with only superficial damage.

The incident began when a vacant building next to WIRL exploded, sending a massive shockwave into the lab. Debris pierced the building's metal cladding, and fire quickly engulfed an exterior wall. Firefighting efforts, along with the building's sprinkler system, led to flooding in the lab.

Less than a year later, WIRL is fully operational again, showcasing the resilience of wood design and engineering. Built to house research into mass timber construction, the lab meets the stringent Passive House energy efficiency standard. Discover how the building's design played a crucial role in mitigating damage and enabled a rapid recovery.

Produced by UNBC Communications & Marketing

Presented by David Claus

Featuring:
Maik Gehloff
Dr. Thomas Tannert
Cliff Warner
Dr. Mauricio Dziedic
Adam Gerber
Derrek Travis
Dr. Asif Iqbal

Special thanks to:
James Andal
Scott Anderson
Dave Bast
Jerry Chan
Cheryl Jan
Douglas Keen
Jason McCannon
Aaron Olsen
Amir Einipour Rashti
Sabarinath Sivakumar
Sanya Thakur

Winton Homes & Cottages
ASPECT Structural Engineers
City of Prince George
Prince George Fire Rescue
Stantec
UNBC School of Engineering

Additional footage courtesy of:
6ixsigma Productions
CKPG TV
City of Prince George
John Zukowski
Randi-Marie Adams
Shane Trobacher
PJXM News

All music licensed through PremiumBeat.com

(c) 2024 University of Northern British Columbia

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