Grading of recovered Norway spruce (Picea abies) timber for structural purposes

•Recovered timber from demolition is a reliable structural material.•Visual strength grading standards do not properly grade recovered timber.•Longitudinal vibration accurately estimates mechanical properties.•Non-destructive probing methods allow accurate prediction of recovered timber density. An increasing amount of timber is recovered from demolition and can be value-added through reuse or recycling for structural applications. This study investigates the possibilities of using visual and non-destructive parameters to estimate the mechanical properties of recovered timber so that it can be graded for new applications. A batch of nineteen recovered Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) rafters was studied. The application of two visual grading standards produced a rejection of 95% of the specimens. Estimation of modulus of elasticity was performed using ultrasound and vibration NDT techniques, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.66 and 0.75 respectively. In the case of bending strength estimation, R2 were 0.60 and 0.77 respectively. Visual knottiness parameter was only a statistically significant variable in the estimation model of local modulus of elasticity. Density was estimated using drilling chips extraction and drilling penetration resistance with R2 of 0.66 and 0.58 respectively.