| Summary: | Many buildings with significant historical value are located in Portuguese old towns. In most cases these types of buildings have timber structures which need specific care to keep, at least, reasonable levels of conservation and safety. Thus, research and development of more efficient inspection and diagnosis methods are essential to verify the needs of rehabilitation. The building studied is a palace named Ribeiro da Cunha located in a major historical área of Lisbon, Portugal. Its construction dates from 1877, thus being an important part of local heritage. The main objective of this study is the application of non-destructive tests in timber structure elements. To achieve this, three different areas of the timber structure were subjected to a thorough inspection plan, which included visual inspection and non-destructive testing. The biological wood degradation was also under analysis, through the identification of beetles, subterranean termites and fungi. The visual inspection proved very useful, supporting testing results for the assessment of timber structures. Nowadays, visual grading of timber structures is subject to regulation in many countries. Thus, the employment of some of these standards, and further explanation of the difficulties and limitations related with their application on-site, is one of the objectives of this study. In addition, Eurocode 5 (EN 1995:2004) is also addressed, in order to verify whether the safety conditions are satisfied, despite the observed damage level. The choice of non-destructive tests have proven useful, not only because it allows for a better mechanical characterization, but also because of its careful approach resulting in no damage, much needed in buildings with such architectural value. Therefore, this study can be useful in an initial inspection and diagnosis phase of the building`s timber structure elements rehabilitation needs.
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