The C24 structural timber used in Smart-Timber™ naturally exchanges moisture with its surroundings. This behaviour is known and predictable and is taken into account in the design of the system rather than being treated as an unpredictable variable.

It is important to distinguish between temporary exposure to rain or normal variations in atmospheric humidity and prolonged moisture entrapment without the ability to dry. These are different conditions. Normal variations in the moisture content of timber can be accommodated within a properly designed system that allows moisture to dissipate through drying. This ability is an important factor in lasting durability.

In Smart-Timber™, this behaviour is considered as part of the overall design of the wall assembly and the protection of the structural frame. Moisture management therefore forms part of the integrated technical approach of the system rather than being treated as an isolated measure.

In Smart-Timber™, the structural frame made from industrially treated C24 structural timber forms part of an integrated multilayer wall assembly and is not left directly exposed to the external environment.

The Smart-Timber™ wall assembly is designed so that structural performance, thermal performance, moisture management and protection of the structural frame are addressed as parts of the same integrated system.

This reflects an important principle of lasting durability: protection is not added afterwards as a response to a potential problem but is considered from the outset as part of the design of the home. International technical literature commonly refers to this approach as durability by design.

The lasting performance of a structural system depends not only on what is specified in the design, but also on how accurately that design is implemented in practice.

In Smart-Timber™, structural components are manufactured in a controlled factory environment. This enables more systematic production control and greater consistency in implementing the design before the home is finally assembled on site.

The factory process also reduces the dependence of critical construction activities on changing site conditions. The result is greater consistency in the implementation of the design and in the construction quality of the Smart-Timber™ system.

One of the most common questions about a home with a timber structural frame concerns insects and fungi. The answer, however, should relate to the specific timber and construction system being used, rather than to timber construction in general.

In the Smart-Timber™ system by ÖKOHAUS GER, C24 structural timber undergoes industrial protective treatment before being incorporated into the construction. It subsequently forms a protected part of the multilayer wall assembly, while the overall system design also takes moisture management into account.

The lasting protection of structural timber is neither taken for granted nor ensured solely by the natural properties of wood. It is based on the way ÖKOHAUS GER selects, treats and integrates C24 structural timber into Smart-Timber™, creating multiple layers of protection within the complete system.

The lasting durability of a home cannot be assessed from a single property of its primary structural material. It results from the combination of design, material selection and treatment, construction quality, moisture management and protection of the structural frame.

This is also the approach followed by Smart-Timber™: individual characteristics are not treated as independent solutions, but as parts of one integrated structural and construction system.

For ÖKOHAUS GER, therefore, “built to last” is not based on a general claim about the durability of timber. It means that the specific C24 structural timber, industrial treatment, factory construction and Smart-Timber™ design work together to support the lasting performance of the home.