Timber moisture measurement

The test is based on an estimation of the moisture content of a wooden element using a resistance method and appropriate calibration curves. The moisture content (or water content) of wood is defined as the ratio between the weight of water contained in a wood sample taken from a timber element in service and the weight of the same sample dried in an oven at 103°C. The measurement, which provides an estimate of the water content by empirical correlation, is carried out using a resistance hygrometer, the electrodes of which are inserted into the material at the selected depth by manual tapping. In addition to estimating the water content, this test method can be used to quantitatively assess the susceptibility of a wooden element to possible deterioration due to fungal attack.

Reference standard: UNI EN 13183-2: 2003