The need for an unified and harmonised system for performance classification and specification of wood and wood-based products in Europe emanates from requirements of users and the European Construction Products Directive, CPD. A road to a feasible specification system is outlined. Exposure-related performance prediction was worked out as a key task on the way to product specification. Therefore suitable tools, field test methods as well as short-term/laboratory test methods, are sought to allow the determination of reference service lives for different exposure categories. On one hand, performance factors, which derive from service lives in field tests, allow the specification of wood products. On the other hand, the calculation of inter-site factors may allow the modelling of service lives and the drawing of hazard mappings.

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