Abstract
Performance-based, service-life design of wood has been the focus of much research in recent decades. Previous works have been synthesized in various factorized design frameworks presented in the form of technical reports. Factorization does not consider the non-linear dependency between decay-influencing effects, such as between detail design and climate variables. The CLICKdesign project is a joint European effort targeting digital, performance-based specification for service-life design (SLD) of wood. This study evaluates the feasibility of using a semi-empirical moisture model (SMM) as a basis for a digital SLD framework. The performance of the SMM is assessed by comparison against a finite element model (FEM). In addition, two different wood decay models (a logistic, LM, and simplified logistic model (SLM)) are compared. While discrepancies between the SMM and FEM were detected particularly at high wood moisture content, the overall performance of the SMM was deemed sufficient for the application. The main source of uncertainty instead stems from the choice of wood decay model. Based on the results, a new method based on pre-calculated time series, empirical equations, and interpolation is proposed for predicting the service life of wood. The method is fast and simple yet able to deal with non-linear effects between weather variables and the design of details. As such, it can easily be implemented as part of a digital design guideline to provide decision support for architects and engineers, with less uncertainty than existing factorized guidelines.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The durability of wood depends on factors related to the material, such as species, growth conditions, and quality, as well as factors related to the environment, such as local climatic conditions, protection by design, and detailing [1]
The results from the comparative assessment of different moisture and decay models clearly indicate significant differences between a factor-based approach for service-life planning with wood and the use of numerical and semi-empirical models, respectively
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The durability of wood depends on factors related to the material, such as species, growth conditions, and quality, as well as factors related to the environment, such as local climatic conditions, protection by design, and detailing [1]. The design of wooden commodities has historically relied on adherence to local design traditions which have evolved largely through trial-and-error. Much of the knowledge involved in the design of wooden commodities is fragmented and unavailable to non-wood experts
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