PSI - Issue 81

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 81 (2026) 198–204

© 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Abstract The article reviews the results of a study of defects and damage to timber roof structures with various structural schemes using non-destructive testing methods that arise during their long-term operation. The main factors that affect the reduction in the bearing capacity of wood are identified, in particular the influence of temperature and humidity, ventilation, biological damage, mechanical effects and errors in design and installation. During the survey, the most common defects were identified: cracks, warping, rot, fungus and mould, corrosion of metal elements of joint connections. A set of methods was used to assess the technical condition, combining visual observations and instrumental measurements with the use of non-destructive methods. Defects were classified according to the degree of their danger, the impact on the bearing capacity of structures, as well as the frequency of their recurrence on different roofs. The impact of the identified defects and damage on the operational reliability of structures is presented. The results of the study indicate that timely detection of damage allows preventing emergencies, extending the service life of load-bearing timber roof structures and reducing repair costs. Based on the research, recommendations are proposed for extending the service life of timber roofing systems. The conclusions of the article can become the basis for further research in the field of increasing the reliability and safety of load-bearing timber roof structures. 1. Introduction The use of timber as a construction material for load-bearing structural elements in buildings and structures of various functional purposes is widespread in contemporary building practice (Gomon et al. (2023); Fojtik (2019); Aleksiievets et al. (2024); Gong et al. (2019); Pavluk et al. (2025)). The advantages of timber elements and structures include their low weight, ease of assembly, and simple processing and installation (Sinha et al. (2012); Homon et al. (2024); Hua et al. (2025); Ivaniuk et al. (2025); Moya and Bano (2017); Pavluk et al. (2023)). These and other benefits ensure the extensive use of timber components as load-bearing elements of roof structures (Sobczak-Piastka et al. (2023); Homon et al. (2024); Albrektas et al. (2020); Datsiuk et al. (2024); Gomon et al. (2022)). When designing roofs, it is essential to consider the temperature-humidity regime (Roshchuk et al. (2024); Huang et al. (2006); Janiak et al. (2023); Fojtik (2019); Homon et al. (2023)). Given the large number of real-world structures with timber roofs, there is a need for proper design, construction, and VIII International Conference “In - service Damage of Materials: Diagnostics and Prediction“ (DMDP 2025) Research of defects and damage in timber structures of in-service roofs Andrii Pavluk a , Svyatoslav Gomon a , Petro Gomon a , Sviatoslav Homon a , Ruslan V. Pasichnyk b , Serhii Drobyshynets b , Pavlo Sunak b , Ihor Mudryy c, * a National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Soborna 11, 33000 Rivne, Ukraine b Lutsk National Technical University, Lvivska 75, 43018 Lutsk, Ukraine c Lviv Polytechnic National University, S. Bandery 12, 79013, Lviv, Ukraine Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers Keywords: timber, defects, roofing, service life, rafter systems.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +38-096-202-09-07; fax: +0-000-000-0000 . E-mail address: qwert_2024@ukr.net

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.03.034