In recent years, the use of timber in structures has become particularly important, considering that it is the only truly renewable building material and carbon storage. Timber has been used as structural material for centuries and numerous examples demonstrate its durability if properly designed and built and when adequate assessment and monitoring has been applied. The objective of the Action is to increase the acceptance of timber in the design of new structures and in the repair of old buildings by developing and disseminating methods to assess, reinforce and monitor them. The need for assessment, reinforcement and monitoring of timber structures can arise from multiple motivations such as the expiration of the planned lifetime, materials aging, exceptional incidents, and ever more important, a change of use. The Action will benefit from multidisciplinary views of the problems and followed innovative solutions by the involved stakeholders, enable synergies between them and provide an effective way of discussing and disseminating the results from ongoing projects within this research area to the European industry. The Action will increase the confidence of designers, authorities and end-users in the safe, durable and efficient use of timber and consequently increase its use in construction.
