Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2025
Abstract
Understanding the service life of wood products used outdoors is essential for end-users to set realistic expectations regarding material performance. Furthermore, reliable service life data is critical for assessing building costs, environmental impact, and carbon storage potential. The report compiles existing knowledge on the service life of wood in outdoor constructions in Norway. The relevant applications included are wood used in ground contact, decking, and external cladding, and the data are derived from field trials conducted in Norway. The primary aim is to update the service life tables from a report published in 2014. Additionally, the report provides a brief introduction to the topic of wood protection. Many factors influence the service life of wood products, with temperature and moisture being the two most significant. The service life of wood in constructions primarily depends on the application, the natural durability of the material, any wood preservatives used, the presence of wood-degrading organisms, architecture, and craftsmanship. Poorly designed construction details can act as moisture traps, leading to early fungal damage. Therefore, it is important to address future climate challenges with well-informed solutions for optimal wood use. Secondarily, service life depends on thorough and repeated maintenance.
Abstract
Wood is a renewable resource, but not an unlimited one. Circular use of wood can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and spare virgin resources. To plan for the circular use of building materials, it is important to study the availability of building materials in the built environment and the materials liberated during renovation. There exist multiple studies on so-called material intensities in buildings (Amini et al., 2024; Arceo et al., 2021; Fishman et al., 2024; Nasiri et al., 2023), but few evaluate the material intensities before and after renovation. In this study, we try to fill the knowledge gap by preforming a case study of a log house from the 19th century, upgraded to a student residence satisfying the building requirements for new Norwegian buildings.
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Authors
Marte Ragnhild Owren Ingvild Byskov Britta Marian Hoem Julien Jabot Hans H. Kolhus Elise Grieg Jakob Sandven Kathrine Loe Bjønness Trude Melby Bothner Mona Irene Andersen Engedal Eirik Knutsen Lene Skyrudsmoen Berit Storbråten Kristina Vikesund Evan Hart Ana Aza Gry Alfredsen Johannes Breidenbach Lise Dalsgaard Rune Eriksen Katharina Hobrak Christian Wilhelm Mohr Christophe Moni Gunnhild SøgaardEditors
Ingeborg RønningAbstract
Norwegian greenhouse gas emission 1990-2023, report to the UN
Abstract
Abstract Reusing and recycling post-consumer wood can help mitigate GHG emissions and reduce the risks of biodiversity loss by saving primary resources. A robust understanding of the post-consumer wood composition and its cascading potential is critical to enable this. However, there is currently limited research on the topic. This study contributes to filling the knowledge gap by sorting 54 tons of post-consumer wood at two industrial recycling stations and one household recycling station in Norway and further developing a classification system with quantified cascading potentials for post-consumer wood. The results showed that 49–64 percent of the wood at the industrial recycling stations and 32 percent at the household recycling station was load-bearing and untreated solid wood. We argue that these categories have a good potential for reuse and recycling. The high percentages indicate an opportunity for increasing the recycling and reuse of post-consumer wood. However, we also discovered some misplaced preservative-treated materials and a percentage of fiberboards that exceed particleboard manufacturer limits, meaning that sorting before recycling is required. Furthermore, we investigated how the wood composition was influenced by the type of customer delivering wood to the recycling stations and found that households generally deliver lower quality post-consumer wood than industrial customers.
Authors
Gry Alfredsen Michael Altgen Mari S. Austigard Johan Mattsson Maria Nunez Lone Ross Sverre Aarseth Tunstad Andreas Treu Igor A. Yakovlev Nanna Bjerregaard PedersenAbstract
Abstract This study uses a novel combination of DNA metabarcoding, light microscopy, decay rating, moisture dynamics, and chemical analysis to investigate wood decay in cultural heritage cable car pylons in Svalbard. Uniform design but varying ages allowed analysis of time-dependent decay. Light microscopy revealed the use of both Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris . Decay progressed more rapidly near ground contact, influencing density, lignin, and holocellulose content, with lignin increasing over time. DNA metabarcoding and microscopy revealed dominant brown and soft rot fungi, with greater fungal diversity near ground level. Several new fungal species were identified for Svalbard and the polar regions. In the context of climate change, this highlights the global importance of monitoring fungal decay in wooden structures. The study emphasises the need for updated species lists and continuous monitoring, as new fungi may affect conservation strategies. The interdisciplinary method offers deeper insight into microbial interactions than single-method approaches.
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