Sammendrag
In the world of cultural heritage, a wide range of artefacts and buildings are made of wood
and, therefore, are subjected to moisture-induced stress and strain cycles, owing to environmental
fluctuations. Simultaneous action of moisture and mechanical loads lead to a mechanosorptive effect
on wood. Therefore, an increase in time-dependent creep, due to mechanical loads, is observed. The
assessment of these complex phenomena entails the use of advance and interdisciplinary approaches.
Consequently, this article reviews experimental and mathematical methods to study these degradation
mechanisms in wooden artefacts and timber elements in heritage buildings. The paper presents the
results of a six-step descriptive literature review, providing an overall picture of the ongoing research.
Experimental techniques need to be improved so that they are in line with the conservation principles.
The combination of experiments and simulations is a reliable predictive approach for better assessing
the potential risk damages due to temperature, humidity cycles, and mechanical loads in complex
structures. Thus, advanced numerical simulations and mathematical modelling include climate
data and experimental measurements. This work also provides an overview of research performed
on different categories of cultural heritage characterised by multi-layer structures. The mechanical
response to wood–moisture relation is affected by the level of complexity of these structures. Finally,
the use of realistic models is limited by knowledge about the material properties and the behaviour
of complex structures over time. In addition, research gaps, limitations, and possible future research
directions are also provided. This review may represent a starting point for future research on the
thermo-hygro-mechanical behaviour of wood heritage.
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