On-site Radioscopic Qualitative Assessment of Historic Timber Structures: Identification and Mapping of Biological Deterioration of Wood

Use of X-Rays and Qgis® Software to Evaluate Deteriorated Wood in Marine Environments

“…In this sense, the method complements the standard EN 275 (1992), with refinement in the radiography treatment, facilitating the identification of infestation degree by loss of surface area, which is calculated systematically and is replicable by different observers. Although radiographs do not provide enough data to accurately quantify the damaged area, they are an important resource for nondestructive assessment of wood (Wedvik et al, 2016). The combination of these images with other tools, as proposed for QGIS®, provides an alternative nondestructive method that can be used to evaluate the action of other xylophages, such as fungi and insects, since this method does not have a limitation, and can also be applied in the terrestrial environment.…”

“…Nondestructive assessment techniques are always required when it is not possible to remove specimens for further analysis (Anthony, 2010). According to Wedvik et al (2016), nondestructive methods are of great interest, for example, to evaluate historic architectural structures, since the wood cannot be damaged. Therefore, the method using QGIS® can be of interest to these professionals, since it would be possible to carry out the evaluation of this material without causing damage to the structure.…”

“…The use of portable equipment allows in situ examination of the structure, providing potential benefits to the engineering field (Wedvik et al, 2016). Moreover, QGIS® image processing provides results quickly, facilitating decision-making for repair or replacement of affected structures.…”

“…One of the techniques used to identify wood biodeterioration is X-ray analysis, which detects damage caused by animals such as termites (Himmi et al, 2016;Wedvik et al, 2016). This analysis detects insect nests and wood-rotting fungi, as well as measures the contaminated or lost area (Alfieri & Correa, 2017).…”

Review of the current state of application of wood defect recognition technology

“…As the application of CT scanning technology expands from the medical field to other fields, it is considered a reliable solution when performing more accurate localization of wood defects (Beaulieu and Dutilleul 2019). The capability of CT scanning technology to detect defects has been proven in the inspection of historic wooden buildings and in the inspection of wooden furniture (Hansson et al 2015;Wedvik et al 2016;Wang et al 2020).…”