Assessment of Load-Bearing Timber Elements for the Design for Disassembly

Abstract

This literature review examined the functionality of the connection or connections and disassembly as a general strategy. The prerequisites that arose for disassembly were, among other things, damage tolerance, reduction of emissions compared to raw materials, costs, and guaranteeing safety. The set of criteria for disassembly was defined from the structural engineers’ perspective through the literature review. The criteria focus on joints, which are key to the success of disassembly. Five different criteria were used to evaluate joints in this study. The criteria were ease of access to components, ease of disassembly, independence, simplicity, and standardization. The evaluation was executed for different widely used connections in timber constructions. The criteria were evaluated subjectively from one to four. As a conclusion, the load-bearing timber elements have a promising future in design for disassembly. Design for disassembly aims to promote reuse and other features to increase the life cycle of structural elements. It has the potential to reduce the usage of raw materials and significantly decrease the emissions of construction.