CO2-BINDER

CO2-BINDER is an interdisciplinary research and transfer project to substitute fossil-based building materials with innovative wood-based products. The University of Göttingen (Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products) serves as the scientific lead. We identify novel wood products based on previously underutilized wood species (especially hardwoods) and grades, develop hybrid timber products (e.g., combinations of hardwood and softwood) and circular, high-performance joints, assess bio-based adhesives and metal-free wood-wood connections, and optimize the product designs. In our laboratories, prototypes are created whose strength, moisture, and durability performance are systematically validated—forming the basis for the property profiles of the developed wood products that will be provided after project completion.

Together with OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Department of Production and Engineering, Smart Wood Center, Lemgo), near-series, material- and energy-efficient manufacturing processes, CNC and automation solutions, and suitable tools are developed to enable scalable production and subsequent application of the products. The HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Department of Architecture, Faculty of Building and Conservation, Hildesheim) integrates the products into architectural planning processes, designs demonstrators, reviews use requirements, and tests applications in realistic scenarios.

The focus is on development, production, application, and transfer: from the laboratory via prototypes and demonstrators to production layouts and product data sheets for the developed wood products. Through detachable, bio-based joints, resource-efficient hybrid solutions, and the use of regional wood assortments, we enhance circularity and carbon storage and substitute energy-intensive building materials. CO2-BINDER brings research results purposefully into practice—in close exchange with industry, planners, and the trades—thus making a measurable contribution to climate-friendly construction, conserving scarce resources, and addressing societal challenges such as climate change and housing demand.