Aging Methods and Applications of Wood Structural Elements with Destructive and Non-Destructive Tests: A Bibliographic Analysis

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of the scholarly literature on aging methods for wood structural elements and their effects on material performance. Focusing on the concept of "aging," the research examines changes in the structural integrity, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of timber induced by natural and accelerated aging processes. A total of 725 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection were analyzed using VOSviewer software, covering author citation networks, document impact, keyword co-occurrence, and international collaboration patterns. The results indicate a 23% increase in publications over the last three years, reflecting a growing focus on service life prediction and aging mechanisms. The analysis identifies a methodological evolution in the literature, shifting from conventional destructive testing to non-invasive approaches, including Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Ultrasonic Velocity. Within the global collaboration network, characterized by significant contributions from the USA, France, and China, the integration of Turkey into European research consortia is observed. This study synthesizes existing literature gaps and offers insights for advancing hybrid testing protocols in sustainable timber engineering.