ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Taking into consideration the reliability of a construction during their life cycle, it is important to have knowledge regarding the durability and degradation processes of the materials being used. In terms of soil bioengineering works, wooden logs can be considered as important auxiliary building materials. Laboratory and field investigations were undertaken for the purpose of quantifying the degradation processes of a range of 0 to 20-year-old wooden logs, and of analyzing the most relevant impact parameters. The results showed that the changing over a period of time is a less important factor than the constitution of the wood, such as the inclusion of branches and cracks, and the distance of the annual rings. Field investigations showed that the back 5 cm of the logs had the highest decay ratios. The proportion of lower strength and higher decay ratios increased in older age classes.
