This thesis presents the findings of the research, which involved developing an alternate visual grading methodology, appropriate to the inherent ‘in service’ damage sustained by timber, and quantifying the mechanical properties of reclaimed timber joists and comparing these with small clear tests. The visual grade accounted for the lack of species data available, by becoming independent of timber species. The research analysis considered density, specimen age and tree ring frequency as the variables in generating the model expression. In the final instance the analysis rejected the age of the specimen as a variable; this was found to be an anomalous and inaccurate figure, which could only be estimated and added very little to the accuracy of the model expression. The model expression uses tree ring frequency and specimen density to estimate the modulus of elasticity of the specimen and thus its strength grade.

The contribution to knowledge in this research is through the introduction of an alternate, novel method of investigation and an expression to estimate the modulus of elasticity; the method is aimed specifically towards operatives at the demolition site using simple measuring equipment.