Timber structures designed for disassembly: A cornerstone for sustainability in 21st century construction

The need to reduce the construction industry's waste and greenhouse gas emissions has led the sector to advance towards the circular economy by adopting the Design for Disassembly (DfD) system, a philosophy that aims to produce easily recoverable products, parts and materials from dismantled, renovated or transformed structures. Applying the DfD philosophy to timber structures has garnered significant research attention thanks to its inherent modularity and renewability in a system perfectly aligned with DfD principles. In this context, this paper reviews the existing literature on timber structures designed according to DfD standards, identifies its main research themes and highlights some of the current research gaps and challenges. The results of the study provide valuable guidance for researchers, practitioners and regulatory bodies involved in the design, construction and assessment of DfD timber structures and are expected to boost the system's implementation.