An Investigation of Digital Infrastructure’s Role in Repair and Reuse of Timber-Based Components in Taller Timber Buildings: An Interdisciplinary Case study of Digital Product Passport

Abstract

This report represents an extended abstract of a multidisciplinary study (Rodionova and Eeva, Wood Sci Eng, 2025) exploring the role of digital infrastructure in the assessment, repair, and reuse of timber-based components in multistory timber buildings. Sustainability in the built environment is closely tied to the service life of material-intensive assets. In multi-story timber buildings, this is challenged by evolving design guidance, inconsistent product declarations, and incomplete documentation of engineering decisions. This study focuses on digital infrastructure to support the assessment, repair, and reuse of structural components in light timber frame (LTF) buildings. Drawing on Finnish guidance RIL 277-2024, it presents a framework that integrates Digital Product Passports (DPPs) DPPs [2], Digital Building Logbooks (DBLs) [3, 4]. Additionally, the DBL facilitates access to information on operational safety, removability, and the monetary value of individual components [5], and Architectural Decision Records (ADRs) [6, 7] for traceable and context-aware documentation. The framework is evaluated through four subcases based on a representative three-story Finnish LTF building completed in 2016. Reverse-engineered and comparative structural calculations reveal how changes in engineering guidance and product data from 2007 to 2024 affect performance assessments. These subcases, structured as decision points in asset data management, demonstrate the impact of information gaps and variability on structural reliability and reuse potential. The study establishes a foundation for applying the Value of Information (VoI) methodology to digital infrastructure, with ADRs proposed as a cost-effective enhancement to existing DPP workflows.