One key issue in wood construction is durability which is determined by construction details and the resistance of the material against biological deterioration and wetting. The moisture performance of wooden commodities is dominated by occurring moisture loads on the one hand and their capability to withstand moisture on the other hand. Hence, climatic factors have a direct impact on the material climate and thus on service life. Climatic parameters can vary strongly between different locations. The variation in climatic loads may cause exponential fungal degradation of wooden components used in outdoor application. However there is still a lack of knowledge about the relationship between the material climate and local weather conditions.
Within this study wood moisture content and wood temperature were recorded for combined facade-decking elements made from Douglas fir heartwood and Scots pine sapwood exposed at different locations in Europe. The moisture performance was set into context with local weather parameters recorded at the test sites for four different exposure situtations.
The moisture performance differed regarding the orientation of the facades. Also the horizontal exposition experienced higher moisture loads compared to the vertical. Furthermore differences between different test sites were determined and could be explained with different climatic loads impacting on the construction.
Keywords: Moisture monitoring, climatic parameters, outdoor performance
Authors
Bornemann T.
Leibniz University Hannover, Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences, Institute of Vocational Sciences in the Building Trade (IBW), Hannover, Germany
Brischke C.
Leibniz University Hannover, Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences, Institute of Vocational Sciences in the Building Trade (IBW), Hannover, Germany
Alfredsen G.
Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, Ås, Norway
Larsson-Brelid P.
SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Dept of Wood Technology, Borås, Sweden
Humar M.
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Dept. of Wood Science and Technology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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