Building monitoring is crucial for understanding the performance of wood-based structures. It can be designed to detect issues early, allowing for the implementation of preventive measures or cost-effective solutions. Additionally, in response to the increasing demand for housing, construction is becoming more industrialized to deliver housing faster. Building monitoring programs are tools to build confidence in these modern methods of construction and to encourage support for housing initiatives from public agencies. This workshop will showcase the advanced monitoring platforms developed in different countries to ensure reliable and easy access to data. Through detailed case studies, the workshop will also demonstrate how monitoring can facilitate insurance discussions on timber construction. A panel discussion will follow the presentations.
Supported by (session development was independent of support)
Participants
Dorian Tung, Manager, FPInnovations
Moderator
14:00 – 14:05
Dorian Tung is currently the Manager of Technology Assessment at FPInnovations. Prior to this, he worked as a structural consultant in Canada and the US. As the Manager at FPInnovations, he has been working with scientists on projects related to structure, seismic, durability, energy, fire, acoustic, and vibration. With the evolving ecosystem, Dorian is active in many working groups to facilitate discussions, remove duplicates, accelerate processes, with the goal to maximize impacts for the forest industry NOW using applied research data. He has been leading the Building Monitoring and Testing program at FPInnovations to collect Big Data for wood-based buildings, and using the information with insurance companies to reduce construction wetting uncertainties.
Cassandra Lafond, Senior Scientist, Building Systems, FPInnovations
Moderator
14:00 – 14:05
Cassandra Lafond is a Senior Scientist and Project Leader in the Building Systems group at FPInnovations. With over a decade of academic and industry experience, she helps drive innovation in wood construction systems to support building decarbonization.
A trained wood engineer with a master’s degree, Cassandra is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in wood and bio-based materials engineering at Université Laval. Her research focuses on the hygrothermal performance of bio-based building envelopes, combining finite element modeling with in-situ sensor monitoring to track moisture in wood structures and reduce durability risks.
Her work bridges innovation and practice, with a focus on optimizing wood products and systems for industrialized construction. She also contributes to the development of national standards as a member of the CSA A170 technical committee on Volumetric Modular Construction. Through close collaboration with academic, industrial, and regulatory partners, Cassandra is shaping the future of sustainable building.
Julien Herbert, Manager of Partnerships and Territorial Initiatives, Agence Qualité Construction
Risk Management and Monitoring: Lessons Learned and Best Practices in Timber Construction
14:05 – 14:30
After joining the public service in 2007 as a territorial engineer, Julien HERBERT worked for several years as a public contracting authority for the construction and renovation of schools. He then joined the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion where he was Deputy Head of Office in the Office of Stakeholders, Products and Innovation in Construction. Since 2019, he has joined the AQC (Agence Qualité Construction) where he has been a project manager to support some project owners such as SOLIDEO in mastering innovation, particularly in the field of bio-based construction. He is now the manager of partnerships and territorial initiatives within AQC.
Laurent Le Magorou, National Expert for Timber Construction, SOCOTEC Construction
On Site Monitoring and Risk Management During Execution and Erection of Timber Buildings
14:30 – 14:55
After a PhD in the field of the structural mechanics and timber engineering, I worked at FCBA as a timber construction engineer for 18 years. My missions included technical support for designers, assessment of timber structural components and fasteners, training courses for timber engineers and European and French standardizations such as Eurocode 5 and 8. Since 2019 I am now the national expert for timber construction at SOCOTEC Construction which is one of the main control body in France and still strongly involved in the European timber construction standardization.
Jason Teetaert, President, Founder, SMT Research Ltd.
Innovative Leak and Moisture Detection: Global Applications of SMT Technologies in Mass Timber Construction Projects
14:55 – 15:20
Jason currently leads SMT with the largest team of technical people in the area of construction leak detection systems in the world. He has contributed to over 11 patents in the area of; hybrid wired/wireless data acquisition systems, leak detection solutions for inverted plaza deck assemblies and for moisture detection in conventional roofi ng and mass timber structures.
SMT has systems installed in the Tomb of Jesus in Israel, historic castles in Slovenia, Manhattan’s convention center – the Javits Center, covered bridges of Iowa, schools in New Zealand and mass timber buildings in Australia. The SMT technology is being used in every state in the USA, and on six of the seven continents.
Locally the SMT team is involved in many of Vancouver’s “Signature Projects” – recent projects include UBC Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver House, The Post, and 9.5 acre green roof on Oakridge Park (mall redevelopment). Beyond buildings, Jason has worked with Tesla on condensation sensors, US Navy for submarine prop transmission leak detection systems, and Atomic Energy Industry in the monitoring of heavy water contamination.
Jason achieves a work/life balance by simply mixing the two – calling it work/life blending. Have fun at work, and work at fun (don’t get him started on this topic!). He supports his family in their careers and in school endeavours, takes on gravity fed west coast sports like skiing, mountain biking, also enjoying the slower side of hiking, paddling and sharing stories around a campfi re with friends.
Aleksandar Tosic, Researcher, Innorenew
Smart Moisture Monitoring for Timber Buildings
15:20 – 15:45
Dr. Aleksandar is a researcher at the InnoRenew CoE and an Assistant Professor at the University of Primorska’s Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies. Holding a Ph.D. in Computer Science, his foundational research interests in optimization, algorithms, distributed computing, and sensor networks now drive his work at InnoRenew CoE. There, he develops sensor-based solutions for structural health monitoring and indoor well-being, with his Woodrise presentation focusing specifically on sensors for moisture content monitoring in wood buildings.
15:45 – 16:15
Break
Atsuo Takino, Associate Professor, Osaka Institute of Technology
Prediction of Damage to Wooden Buildings after Earthquakes Based on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
16:15 – 16:40
Born in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Experienced the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake at the age of 15. Earned a Ph.D. from Osaka University. Served as an assistant professor at Osaka University and an associate professor at Nara Women’s University before joining the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology in April 2021. Specializes in seismic structural design of wooden buildings.
Since Nara has a large number of historically significant wooden buildings, I have also conducted extensive research on cultural properties and other historically significant wooden structures. Recently, I have become interested in experiments on the joints of large-scale wooden structures and earthquake monitoring research.
Petr Skrla, CEO, Senzomatic
From Data to Decisions – key fundamentals of monitoring systems
16:40 – 17:05
Petr Skrla is the co-founder and CEO of Senzomatic, a Czech technology startup developing advanced sensor systems for monitoring and protecting modern wooden buildings. Under his leadership, Senzomatic has pioneered solutions that integrate IoT sensors, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics to safeguard timber structures against moisture damage. Petr brings extensive experience in startups and innovation, bridging engineering insight with business strategy.
Petr has been involved in Private Equity, PropTech, sustainability, and digital transformation in the built environment. He is actively engaged in R&D collaborations and in building international partnerships. Beyond Senzomatic, he is also an active angel investor, a Co-Founder of the Czech Business Angel Association, and a mentor, activities that reflect his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Speakers
Dorian Tung, Manager FPInnovations
Cassandra Lafond, Senior Scientist, Building Systems, FPInnovations
FPInnovations Building Monitoring Program
17:05 – 17:30
Moderators
Dorian Tung, Manager FPInnovations
Cassandra Lafond, Senior Scientist, Building Systems, FPInnovations
Panel Discussion
17:30 – 18:00
MR 114 – 115
Aleksandar Tosic, Atsuo Takino, Cassandra Lafond, Dorian Tung, Jason Teetaert, Julien Herbert, Laurent Le Magorou, Petr Skrla
English (Canada) 
French