Assessing the Density of Wood in Heritage Buildings’ Elements Through Expedited Semi-Destructive Techniques

Historically, wood has been among the main materials used in heritage buildings. However, the species and mechanical properties of these elements are often unknown. This uncertainty complicates safety assessment calculations, aggravated by the natural variability of the wood properties. The aim of this work is to assess the density of wooden elements in service using semi-destructive techniques that retain the integrity of structural elements. This research had two phases. First, penetration resistance tests were carried out on laboratory scale on Pinus sylvestris L. wood samples taken from 18th, 19th, and 20th century heritage buildings in Lisbon, Portugal. Later, a field study was carried out on wooden elements from the same buildings, involving needle penetration, core drilling, and moisture content determination tests. The laboratory test results showed a strong correlation between the needle penetration depth and wood density, with an R2 value of 0.76. The results of the field study indicated that the density estimated by the needle penetration test correlated effectively with the measured density of extracted cores after moisture correction, with an R2 of 0.99. In conclusion, the experimental results confirm that penetration resistance and moisture tests are reliable and practical for estimating wood density under in-service conditions.