Journal article
The effects of fungal decay on timber connections: a systematic review
European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol.84(5), 119
2026
Abstract
Connections are critical for the integrity of timber structures, yet they are highly susceptible to reduced capacity due to moisture intrusion and subsequent fungal decay. While the effects of decay on clear wood are well documented, the impacts on the mechanical performance of connections remain comparatively underexplored, particularly during early decay stages (< 10% wood mass loss), when substantial reductions in wood strength can occur. This literature review consolidated the current state of the art, identified methodological inconsistencies, and defined key knowledge gaps in the study of fungal decay on timber connections. A systematic search of academic databases identified laboratory studies investigating the effects of fungal decay on timber connections. The review revealed substantial variability in experimental methodologies, including wood species, fastener types, sterilisation methods, and decay quantification techniques, which complicates direct comparisons between studies. The review showed a critical need for standardised protocols to isolate the effects of decay from confounding variables like moisture content and sterilisation pre-treatments. Based on these identified gaps, it is recommended to improve future testing approaches and enable more reliable evaluation of decay effects on connection performance. These insights support the development of durability-focused research, design guidance and predictive models for the long-term performance of timber connections.
Details
- Title
- The effects of fungal decay on timber connections: a systematic review
- Authors
- Camilo Montoya - The University of QueenslandJeffrey J Morrell - The University of AdelaideL. M Ottenhaus - The University of QueenslandTripti Singh - University of the Sunshine CoastLuis Yermán - The University of Queensland
- Publication details
- European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol.84(5), 119
- Publisher
- Springer
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00107-026-02460-y
- ISSN
- 1436-736X
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
- Grant note
- This research was supported by the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, a collaborative research programme funded by Forest and Wood Products Australia and based at the University of the Sunshine Coast, The University of Queensland, and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
- Organisation Unit
- National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991254367902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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