Due to its inherent characteristics, such as a light weight and ease of workability, timber is ideal for prefabricated and modular construction. However, since the research in this field covers a wide range of niches such as structural engineering, building physics, design for assembly and disassembly, and life cycle analysis, among others, and since there has been considerable development of the field in past years—boosted by new mass timber products and tall timber construction—it is difficult to critically analyze the current state of the art, current trends, and research challenges. Therefore, this research aimed to cover a systematic review of 409 articles to assess the field of prefabricated and modular timber construction critically. The methodology comprised a co-word network approach using the Science Mapping Analysis Software Tool (SciMAT, Version 3) to illustrate their evolution from 1990 to 2023. The findings show that the circular economy and digital technologies significantly impact the development of these technologies, which can potentially provide practical solutions for designing buildings with a circular approach and improving productivity and efficiency in the construction process. However, it is essential to acknowledge a notable deficiency in the research and understanding of these subjects. Therefore, various sectors must take the lead in conducting a thorough reassessment to enhance research and development in the field. Finally, the findings from this research can significantly contribute to existing knowledge and serve as a comprehensive platform for the further exploration of prefabricated and modular timber construction.

This article presents the latest developments of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Europe and Latin America towards the development of sustainable timber construction. As most regions related to these countries have not traditionally employed timber as primary construction material, bringing the development of sustainable timber construction into fruition requires a wide range of actions, such as the elaboration of new educational programs, construction of demonstrative buildings, dissemination activities, settlement of public policies, elaboration of new construction codes, and the creation of new certification bodies. This article presents an overview of the state of the development of the different countries of Ibero-America, showing a very uneven development in the region. In addition to national analyses, a perception survey of 233 professionals from different countries was conducted, allowing for the identification of good practices, present gaps, and opportunities, as well as barriers for developing sustainable timber construction. It is concluded that in order to promote the development of the timber construction industry in the region, it is necessary to progress on regulatory, cultural, and material availability issues, where international experience, demonstrative buildings, and the implementation of public policies are crucial.

Autogenous self-healing of cement-based materials is a topic of current interest. This research evaluates autogenous self-healing in four types of mortars based on Portland Cement, one containing CEM II and the other 3 formulated with CEM I and different additions: fly-ashes; nanosilica and hydraulic lime. The evolution of longitudinal cracks caused by a point load has been evaluated measuring the water absorption by capillarity and studying the evolution of the crack by optical microscopy. Besides the mortar composition, it has been evaluated the effect of the environmental conditions on the crack repair. The different specimens were exposed to three different environments: water immersion, curing chamber at 20 ± 2°C and 95 ± 5% of relative humidity (RH) and the laboratory at 25 ±5°C and 65% ± 5% RH. The results obtained allow us to establish that constant hydration is an essential factor for the development of self-healing mechanism. If the samples are kept in water immersion self-healing occurs no matter the additions of the mortar formulation. Size of the crack is also an important factor to allow self-healing. The product formed during selfhealing to fill the crack is mainly calcium carbonate.

La provincia de Chanchamayo destaca por su importante potencial forestal, sin embargo, la construcción de viviendas de madera solo corresponde al 2% del 9,1% de hogares construidos con paredes de madera aserrada en todo el Perú. Además, el déficit habitacional del país se ve agravado por un modelo de vivienda social inadecuado para su diversidad geográfica y sociocultural. En consecuencia, el objetivo de esta investigación es realizar un diagnóstico constructivo de las viviendas de madera existentes en el Sector el Mirador, empleando fichas de observación que abarcaron los niveles arquitectónico, estructural y ambiental. Los resultados revelaron que las metodologías de construcción de las viviendas examinadas no garantizan la integridad estructural, la durabilidad del material y la resiliencia climática. Estos hallazgos sentaron las bases para el desarrollo de un prototipo de vivienda social de madera, que aspira a ofrecer una solución sostenible, económica y práctica para la comunidad local.