Building with Bark Beetle-Infested Spruce Wood

Spruce forests in Europe face significant challenges from increasing bark beetle attacks, partly attributed to droughts and extreme weather conditions.

As bark beetle infestations escalate, there is a growing focus on understanding their impact on trees and forests, yet research into beetle-affected wood and its potential applications in architecture remains limited. Drawing from field research in Feldbuch, Germany, this research aims to address this gap by identifying key questions surrounding beetle-infested wood and showcasing its potential for valorisation.

While bark beetle damage is mostly superficial, mutual attacks by fungi cause mass loss, decreased durabilitz, and altered appearance- and thus infected wood is currently mostly used for short lifespan applications such as burning for energy or packaging. By studying the pieces in micro scale based on their blue-stain distribution and mechanical and moisture properties, this project aims to propose building regulations and recommendations to revalue the infested spruce wood.