Find here the testimonies of our experts, consultants... Each month you can discover a new portrait.
Nathalie Passedat Expert in wood anatomy
Within the Tests & Simulations team of FCBA Bordeaux, one of my missions, for the past 20 years, has been to identify the species on various wood products. In the current environmental context, there is more and more interest in wood and it is important to know the species used to ensure the quality of the product put on the market and also to fight against illegal wood.
My expertise work is aimed at a wide audience (traders, experts, companies in the wood industry, private individuals, etc.) and aims to authenticate/verify the species of wood used, purchased or involved in a dispute over a work. This work can also consist of assisting companies in the choice of species to be used.
I joined FCBA two years ago, after more than three years at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Having fully participated in the elaboration of the French government’s economic policies and economic forecasts, the effective implementation of these policies, with regard to the climate issue, motivated me to join FCBA. Indeed, working in the Industrial Technical Centre of the sector which is at the heart of the national strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change motivates me in my daily missions.
Within the BioForBois team of the Pôle IB&C of FCBA Bordeaux, I contribute to research in the field of wood preservation and wood-based materials. Currently in this field, the regulations in place mean that the classic active molecules used to protect wood will see their use decrease. R&D therefore has an important role to play in finding alternative solutions to protect wood.
I am a Construction Engineer and Fire Expert in the Engineering unit of the Wood & Construction Industries cluster in Bordeaux. All my missions are based on one essential subject: fire safety in wooden buildings. In the form of technical, experimental or numerical approaches, I support the wood industry according to the issues addressed.
For example, with the emergence of wood in multi-storey buildings, I support the sector in setting up and monitoring collective projects that will make it possible to have optimised solutions in the future so that wooden buildings can meet fire safety requirements.
Passionate about psychology and ergonomics, I have been lucky enough to exercise my passion as an ergonomics consultant for FCBA for almost a year. The missions I carry out are for me, most fascinating, I explain… The improvement of working conditions is becoming an increasingly important issue and is part of the regulatory framework that companies must respect. But it is not so simple to improve working conditions…
Within the FCBA test laboratories, I supervise the activity related to finishing work applicable to products for the development of living spaces.
Our work is very broad and covers teststo assess the fitness for use of finishes, expert appraisals in the event of disputes, research work to test or validate new production solutions, and participation in standardisation work at European or international level.
Within the Innovation team of the FCBA AME cluster, I have been a consultant in Design, Materials and Innovation since 2014. My day-to-day work consists of supporting companies in the living space design sectors in the development of their products and services, using various innovation methodologies. What I particularly like about the projects I work on is to have a global view on the design process and the working approaches used.
Thomas Catterou Design and Research Engineer in the Tests & Simulations team
In the Testing & Simulation laboratory of FCBA Bordeaux, I contribute to research on the vibration aspects of floors or structures related to wind loads, human loads (walking, washing machine) and interactions with the comfort felt by users.
The wooden floor structure is sensitive to vibrations. However, the comfort of people in the face of mechanical vibrations and acoustic radiation is a major factor in defining the quality of a building.