Hazard Conditions and Protection - Introduction

Timber is a permanent structural material given proper design, construction, use and maintenance. Protected from weathering, moisture, insects and strongly corrosive chemicals, timber has performed satisfactorily for centuries. Nevertheless, certain conditions and factors do affect durability and in turn, maintenance costs. The natural hazards that timber may have to contend with do require consideration and include:

• weathering
• insect attack
• fungal attack
• chemical degradation
• marine organisms
• fire
• mechanical degradation

Reference: Timber Datafile P4 – Timber – Design for Durability of the NAFI Timber Manual.

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Timber Research Unit
Department of Architecture
University of Tasmania