Interest in extending the life of existing and historic timber structures has increased steadily in the last
decade, owing to a shift in emphasis forward sustainability and low carbon emission of the construction industry. This
increased interest and the growing number of researchers and institutions active in this field are the motivation for the
setting of COST ACTION FP1101 on assessment, reinforcement and monitoring of timber structures, now nearing
completion of its second year of activity. The paper explains what a COST Action is and presents the aims and objectives of
this European Research network initiative. It discussed the state of the art in these three fields of research activities as
outlined by the work developed jointly by the network. It discusses avenues for further international collaboration beyond
Europe by using some of the implementation instruments available within the COST framework. The paper concludes with
a discussion on the current research gaps identified through the network workshop, and a view as to how the major
outcomes of the network activities can be further disseminated and find institutional outputs through collaboration with
RILEM and European Standardisation Technical Committees.Cost Action FP110
