Surveying Outdoor Timber Walkways and Pedestrian Bridges – Case Studies

This paper presents the outdoor use of timber from a protection perspective. Durability based design must consider various aspects, which include: the evaluation of the environmental conditions and impacts, the correct choice of material, implementing constructive solutions, applying the appropriate treatment and suitable coatings. The methodology applied in this study focuses on the visual inspection and non-destructive testing of two case studies located in urban environment in Lisbon, Portugal. The consequences and causes of each type of deterioration and design issues will be analysed and discussed. Afterwards, the effects of extremely wet and/or dry conditions on structures in correlation with modern construction and design techniques can be used to find suitable solutions to increase the service life. Finally, in-situ testing and the potential of visual assessment are highlighted, providing future research to advance in terms of the most advantageous methods of timber construction regarding durability, saving costs during manufacture and extended service life. This work is part of the research activity carried out at Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS) and has been funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) in the framework of project UIDB/04625/2020.