A brief critical review on the behavior of historical timber structures affected by biological agents and other external factors

Abstract

The durability of the historical timber structures is significantly influenced by the quality of the timber used for its construction, by its physical and mechanical properties, but also by the negative action of various biological agents (xylophage insects and fungal rot) as well as that of external factors (climatic or technologically-resulted humidity, air temperature, chemical compounds, radiations, etc.). The paper highlights the effects of the most noteworthy biological agents present in the temperate climate onto historical timber, as well as the effects of moisture (with an emphasis on the provisions of Eurocode 5 and EN 335-1 in regard to the matter), those of high temperature, of aggressive chemical compounds and of various radiations (ultraviolet, infrared, gamma, etc.). As a final point, the paper briefly describes the main courses of action required to counter the effects of the action of biological agents and of other external factors on the historical timber structures.