Evaluation and development of service life prediction models for timber in exposed environments.

The building sector is currently transitioning to a sustainable production and use of materials.

Manufacturers of concrete and steel are working intensively to reduce and offset emissions and energy stemming from manufacturing.

Substituting these materials for wood or other bio-based materials is an efficient and viable method to reduce climate impact. One of the main obstacles is the inherent uncertainty related to long-term performance of wood.

In exposed applications such as cladding, decking and bridges, timber is subject to biotic attack by fungal decay and superficial damage by photodegradation. These effects may, depending on various factors, lead to maintenance or repairs.

Despite the development of several methods over the last two decades, there is today no consensus nor widely established method for predicting service life of wood.The objective of the present project is to validate and develop service life models for wood in exposed environments, subject to damage by fungal decay and superficial photodegradation.

This is done through a combination of experimental and analytical work.

One main objective is to design a long-term experiment (living laboratory) to enable quantitative comparison and evaluation of models.

Another objective is to utilize statistical regression models, based on new and existing data, to develop a general framework for service life prediction. The project will result in reliable and practical methods for service life prediction of wood.