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Philip Bester van Niekerk


Research interests

  • Wood Durability
  • Service life modelling of timber
  • Performance-based design with timber
  • Hazard mapping
  • Carbon storage quantification

Projects

  • WoodLCC - Enabling robust and precise Life-Cycle-Costing (LCC) based on input from novel models for detailed service life performance specification for wooden components and buildings
  • ClickDesign - Delivering fingertip knowledge to enable service life performance specification of wood

Teaching

Supervision of student papers (for data protection reasons, the papers have been made anonymous)

Master’s theses

    2022

  • Survey of timber structures - Validation studies of a service life prediction tool
  • 2021

  • The potential of detecting wood decay using photoacoustic imaging: a review
  • Impact of micro-environmental temperature on wood decay induced by Basidiomycetes
  • 2020

  • The effect of different crack sizes on the material climate of wooden components

Project theses

    2021

  • Investigation of the splash water exposure of wooden facades
  • 2020

  • Evaluation of different scenarios for the accumulation of splash water on wood cladding and their effect on the material climate
  • Bachelor's theses

      2023

    • Development of wood moisture content in Norway spruce terrace elements - influence of slope, soil accumulation and water traps
    • 2021

    • Analysis of the influence of neighbouring vegetation on the risk of fungal decay in Norway spruce boards
    • Localised moistening of wood and subsequent inoculation of mycelium to determine the local loss of mass due to wood-destroying Basidiomycetes
    • 2020

    • Modelling the relationship between mass loss and elastomechanical properties of fungal decayed wood

    Publications
    generated by bibbase.org
      2023 (9)
    Simulations of microclimates for wood-decaying fungi in the built environment using environmental analysis. van Niekerk, P. B.; Niklewski, J.; Hosseini, S. H.; Nicholas, B.; Frimannslund, I.; Thiis, T. K.; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, pages 17, Cairns, Australia, June 2023.
    doi   link   bibtex   abstract  
    Utilising novel service life prediction methods for robust and precise Life-Cycle-Costing (LCC). van Niekerk, P. B.; Alfredsen, G.; Kalamees, T.; Modaresi, R.; Sandak, A.; Niklewski, J.; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, pages 6, Cairns, Australia, June 2023.
    doi   link   bibtex   abstract  
    Einfluss von Leckagen auf die Gebrauchsdauer von Dachkonstruktionen bei einem FlachdachWarmdach. Odinius, T. Technical Report Wood Biology and Wood Products, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany, September 2023. Prüfer: Dr. S. Bollmus, P. van Niekerk
    link   bibtex  
    The effect of weathering on the surface moisture conditions of Norway spruce under outdoor exposure. Niklewski, J.; Van Niekerk, P. B.; and Marais, B. N. Wood Material Science & Engineering, 18(4): 1394–1404. July 2023.
    The effect of weathering on the surface moisture conditions of Norway spruce under outdoor exposure [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex  
    Time-dependent moisture thresholds for fungal growth and decay of Trametes versicolor. Brischke, C.; and van Niekerk, P. B. In Proceedings of the 19th Meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE), pages 184–186, Ås, Norway, October 2023.
    link   bibtex  
    Modelling in-ground wood decay using time-series retrievals from the 5 th European climate reanalysis (ERA5-Land). Marais, B. N.; Schönauer, M.; Van Niekerk, P. B.; Niklewski, J.; and Brischke, C. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 56(1): 2264473. December 2023.
    Modelling in-ground wood decay using time-series retrievals from the 5 $^{\textrm{th}}$ European climate reanalysis (ERA5-Land) [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex  
    Moisture prediction of timber for durability applications using data-driven modelling. Hosseini, S. H.; Niklewski, J.; and Van Niekerk, P. B. In World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023), pages 3808–3815, Oslo, Norway, 2023. World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023)
    Moisture prediction of timber for durability applications using data-driven modelling [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex  
    Simplified environmental analysis of the long-term performance of wood cladding and decking. Niklewski, J.; Sandak, J.; Van Niekerk, P. B.; Brischke, C.; Acquah, R.; and Sandak, A. In World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023), pages 549–557, Oslo, Norway, 2023. World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023)
    Simplified environmental analysis of the long-term performance of wood cladding and decking [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex  
    Modelling in-ground wood decay using time-series retrievals from the 5th European climate reanalysis (ERA5-Land). Marais, B. N.; Schönauer, M.; van Niekerk, P. B.; Niklewski, J.; and Brischke, C. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 56(1): 2264473. December 2023. Publisher: Taylor & Francis _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/22797254.2023.2264473
    Modelling in-ground wood decay using time-series retrievals from the 5th European climate reanalysis (ERA5-Land) [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract  
      2022 (6)
    Mapping the biotic degradation hazard of wood in Europe – biophysical background, engineering applications, and climate change-induced prospects. van Niekerk, P. B.; Marais, B. N.; Brischke, C.; Borges, L. M.; Kutnik, M.; Niklewski, J.; Ansard, D.; Humar, M.; Cragg, S. M.; and Militz, H. Holzforschung, 76(2): 188–210. February 2022.
    Mapping the biotic degradation hazard of wood in Europe – biophysical background, engineering applications, and climate change-induced prospects [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract  
    Survey of timber structures - Validation studies of a service life prediction tool. Rabke, J.; Brischke, C.; Alfredsen, G.; and Van Niekerk, P. In Proceedings of the 18th meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE 2022), pages 102–104, Göttingen, Germany, September 2022.
    link   bibtex  
    The effect of weathering on the surface moisture conditions of Norway spruce under outdoor exposure. Niklewski, J.; van Niekerk, P. B.; and Marais, B. N. Wood Material Science & Engineering, 0(0): 1–11. December 2022. Publisher: Taylor & Francis _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/17480272.2022.2144444
    The effect of weathering on the surface moisture conditions of Norway spruce under outdoor exposure [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract  
    Robust and precise LCC of wooden buildings using novel service life prediction tools. Alfredsen, G.; Brischke, C.; Acquah, R.; Akkurt, T.; Flæte, P.; Frühwald Hansson, E.; Gustavsen, G.; Hosseini, H.; Kalamees, T.; Kers, J.; Kukk, V.; Modaresi, R.; Niklewski, J.; Sandak, A.; Sandak, J.; and Van Niekerk, P. In Proceedings of the 18th meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE 2022), pages 199–201, Göttingen, Germany, September 2022.
    link   bibtex  
    Using satellite-retrieved soil moisture data to model the decay risk of in-ground timber. Van Niekerk, P.; Schönauer, M.; Marais, B. N.; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, Bled, Slovenia, May 2022.
    doi   link   bibtex  
    Simulations of microclimates for wood-decaying fungi in the built environment using environmental analysis. Van Niekerk, P.; Niklewski, J.; Hosseini, S. H.; Marais, B. N.; Frimannslund, I.; Kringlebotn Thiis, T; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, Bled, Slovenia, May 2022.
    doi   link   bibtex  
      2021 (6)
    Evaluation of Splash Water Contact Scenarios on Wooden Cladding and its Influence on the Moisture Induced Risk of Decay. van Niekerk, P. B.; Brischke, C.; Rabke, J. J.; Simmering, C.; and Tausendfreund, J. M. In Proceedings of the 17th annual meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE 2021), pages 49–51, Kaunas, Lithuania, October 2021.
    link   bibtex  
    Estimating the Service Life of Timber Structures Concerning Risk and Influence of Fungal Decay—A Review of Existing Theory and Modelling Approaches. van Niekerk, P. B.; Brischke, C.; and Niklewski, J. Forests, 12(5): 588. May 2021. Number: 5 Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
    Estimating the Service Life of Timber Structures Concerning Risk and Influence of Fungal Decay—A Review of Existing Theory and Modelling Approaches [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract   1 download  
    Mapping the biotic degradation hazard of wood in Europe – biophysical background, engineering applications, and climate change-induced prospects. van Niekerk, P. B.; Marais, B. N.; Brischke, C.; Borges, L. M.; Kutnik, M.; Niklewski, J.; Ansard, D.; Humar, M.; Cragg, S. M.; and Militz, H. Holzforschung, 0(0). December 2021.
    Mapping the biotic degradation hazard of wood in Europe – biophysical background, engineering applications, and climate change-induced prospects [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract   1 download  
    Evaluation of Moisture and Decay Models for a New Design Framework for Decay Prediction of Wood. Niklewski, J.; van Niekerk, P. B.; Brischke, C.; and Hansson, E. F. Forests, 0(0): 17. 2021.
    link   bibtex   abstract  
    Mapping the Present and Future Fungal Decay Hazard of Aboveground Wood in Europe. Marais, B. N.; Van Niekerk, P. B.; Niklewski, J.; Brischke, C.; and Militz, H. In Proceedings of the 17th annual meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE 2021), pages 60–62, Kaunas, Lithuania, October 2021.
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    Studies into Fungal Decay of Wood in Ground Contact—Part 2: Development of a Dose–Response Model to Predict Decay Rate. Marais, B. N.; van Niekerk, P. B.; and Brischke, C. Forests, 12(6): 698. May 2021.
    Studies into Fungal Decay of Wood in Ground Contact—Part 2: Development of a Dose–Response Model to Predict Decay Rate [link]Paper   doi   link   bibtex   abstract   2 downloads  
      2020 (2)
    Modelling decay rates of timber exposed above ground on four different continents. Francis, L. P; Morrell, J. J; Brischke, C.; Niekerk, P. B V.; and Norton, J. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, pages 15, online, webinar, June 2020.
    doi   link   bibtex   abstract   2 downloads  
    Impact of fungal decay on the bending properties of wood. Bollmus, S.; van Niekerk, P. B.; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings IRG Annual Meeting, pages 15, online, webinar, June 2020.
    doi   link   bibtex   abstract   2 downloads  
      2019 (1)
    Digital transformation of biological processes and building design theory - an approach to facilitation of software design for service-life planning of timber elements. Van Niekerk, P.; and Brischke, C. In Proceedings of the 15th Annual Meeting of the Northern European Network on Wood Science and Engineering (WSE), pages 31–33, Lund, Sweden, October 2019.
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