LIMBHA (laboratory for innovation, wood materials, housing and learning) is ESB’s laboratory whose research revolves around two themes: the circular economy and the comfort of the built environment. The team of around 15 teachers-researchers and PhD students produces knowledge and provides inspiration and input for companies as well as training programmes.

LIMBHA (laboratory for innovation, wood materials, housing and learning)

LIMBHA, ESB’s laboratory, is made up of around 15 teachers-researchers and PhD students who undertake roughly a dozen research projects per year.

The team develops projects whose results are meant to be applied in companies to meet challenges involving innovation and competitiveness.

LIMBHA carries out its activities in partnership with other laboratories and companies including INRA-BIA, GeM (Nantes University and École Centrale), I2M (Bordeaux University), ONIRIS, and more.

Wood and biosourced materials at the heart of our research

The research activity developed by ESB focuses on two areas of expertise: the circular economy and the comfort of the built environment.

Circular economy research

Research work dealing with the circular economy focuses on the efficient use of wood and more particularly on the cascading use of wood products: optimisation, reuse, processing, recycling, etc.

The goal is also to work on new materials derived from renewable resources, capable of replacing materials derived from fossil resources and meeting industrial performance requirements.

Construction and building research

The main use of wood is for construction. However, its development is curbed by several factors: society’s acceptance of harvesting, technical performance and cost constraints, etc.

Research projects undertaken on the topic of the comfort of the built environment focus on improving the use of wood products in construction: enhancing wood’s natural performance, characterising new properties (reactions to bacteria, fire behaviour, acoustic properties, sensory appeal, etc.) or developing innovative construction principles.