Research and application of non-destructive testing technology for timber structures: A review

Abstract

Non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies have emerged as vital tools for assessing and ensuring the integrity, durability, and safety of timber structures while minimizing potential damage to the material itself. Great endeavor has been dedicated to developing diverse NDT methods for structural health monitoring of timber structures. However, inspired by rapid technology upgrading and innovative introduction of multi-discipline techniques, NDT-based approaches on timber health monitoring have demonstrated a trend of wider specificity, higher versatility, and enhanced complexity with nontrivial significance awareness and stringent applicability requirement. This work conducts a comprehensive literature review on research and application of NDT technology on timber structures, aiming at synthesizing existing research and knowledge and thus contributing to a deeper understanding both theoretically and practically.