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Field test design for service life prediction of wooden components
2005 - IRG/WP 05-20308
Wood is predominantly degraded by organisms. Thus, compared to other building materials, service life of wooden material is influenced by many more factors, which are divided into direct and indirect factors. Climate, geographical position, and construction criteria count to the indirect decay factors. Besides material inherent properties (natural durability, wood preservatives), wood temperature...
A O Rapp, C Brischke


Effect of kerfing on performance of Douglas-fir utility poles in the Pacific Northwest
1990 - IRG/WP 3604
Preservative treatment produces an external layer of protection in Douglas-fir poles, but the development of deep checks as the wood dries after treatment can permit entry by fungi and insects. A variety of remedial treatments can arrest this decay; however, it is far more efficient to prevent checking. Kerfing represents one potential method for limiting the development of deep checks. In previou...
J J Morrell


The dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans) in nature and its history of introduction into buildings
1999 - IRG/WP 99-10300
For many years the True dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans (Wulf.: Fr.)Schroet.) has exclusively been found in buildings. That is why it is called the True dry rot fungus. The origin of the fungus has always been a mystery, but a wild ancestor must have occured. In the literature there is some information about finds of Serpula lacrymans in nature, however it is difficult to distinguish it from the...
J Bech-Andersen, S A Elborne


Wharf-borer a threat to stored archaeological timbers
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1560
Increased interest in marine archaeology has occured in recent years. Stored waterlogged archaeological timbers have been shown to be degraded by physical and microbial agents. In recent years a new threat has been highlighted, namely the wharf-borer Nacerdes melanura (L.). The objective of this paper is to outline studies of the morphology, biology, life-history and carbohydrate digestion by this...
A J Pitman, E B G Jones, A M Jones, M Rule


A methodology for the life-cycle assessment of treated timber products
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50001-01
Using case studies of CCA-treated motorway fenceposts and creosote-treated electricity transmission poles, the paper suggests an approach to evaluation of the overall environmental impact of treated timber products, utilising the emerging systems analysis method of life-cycle assessment (LCA). The development and application of LCA methodologies to date is reviewed and the key features identified....
S R Smith, R J Murphy, D J Dickinson


Über Hausbock Hylotrupes bajulus (L.), (Col., Cerambycidae), in Laubholz: Versuche mit Laubholzarten, Prüfung der Wirkung von Ligninstoffen und von Ginkgo biloba, Beobachtungen an Hesperophanes. [On House-longhorn Beetle Hylotrupes bajulus (L.), (Col., Cerambycidae) in hardwood: Investigations with several hardwood-species, tests on activity of lignin components and Ginkgo biloba, observations on Hesperophanes]
1982 - IRG/WP 1144
Hylotrupes bajulus-larvae feed and develop in softwoods, hardwood acts as a feeding poison. The reason for this is still little known. According to literature some observations contradict this established opinion and the question was raised, whether the colour-strain scutifer (= lividus) is able to live in hardwood. Testing ten European and tropical hardwood-species (following the DIN-EN test proc...
S Cymorek


Service life of outdoor wooden constructions. Expectations of private house owners in Sweden
2001 - IRG/WP 01-10401
Wood is traditionally used in indoor as well as outdoor applications. However, if not kept dry, wood is easily attacked by wood degrading micro-organisms. Thus the service life is heavily affected by construction design, choice of wood and wood treatment. For most constructions there is an expected service life. The expectations concerning wooden constructions and what kind of wood is chosen to fu...
M-L Edlund, J Jermer


Quality assured wooden sidings - Criteria, performance evaluations and current status
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20216
Quality assured wooden sidings were brought to the Swedish market in 1998. The system was worked out during a six year period in a close cooperation between the sawmill industry and several research institutes. Centuries of use have given a wealth of experience of spruce boards as a siding material, showing that it works well in most cases but also that its longevity is highly variable, depending ...
F Englund, I Johansson, J Ekstedt, R Nussbaum


A rearing procedure for the house longhorn beetle Hylotrupes bajulus L
1973 - IRG/WP 228
The technique practised at the Princes Risborough Laboratory for culturing Hylotrupes bajulus is described. It is modified from methods previously suggested by German workers. A protein and vitamin enriched wood diet to accelerate larval growth is employed and larvae are subsequently given a period of cool storage to induce pupation. Adults are confined in groups with prepared surfaces for egg lay...
R W Berry


Preservative treatment of rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis) to increase its service life
2005 - IRG/WP 05-40320
Rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis) possess excellent properties for interior designing, wood working and furniture making. But it is very much susceptible to sap stain and mould fungi which decreases the service life. For profitable uses , it is necessary to increase the service life of rubber wood. To protect the rubber wood from wood degrading agents, the sawn timber were treated with Borax – b...
K Akhter


Dutch national environmental policy strategy (NMP): Implications throughout the life cycle of treated timber and for the Dutch preservation industry
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50001-31
All overview of relevant environmental legislation and instruments for control is given for each stage of the life cycle of treated timber. Recent policy in the Netherlands has been focused around the "National Environmental Policy Strategy", in which a general policy with regard to reduction of pollution to the air, soil and water is described. The principle is one of an "Integrated Chain of Cont...
P Esser, D A Lewis, A J Pendlebury


Deterioration of wood viewed from iron nail
1991 - IRG/WP 2368
Deterioration of nail was graded by a five - rank numerical - rating. The rating of nail moisture content and decay of wood were inspected in a mortal-wall of 34-year-old house. The wood was mostly in decay, when the rating of the nail was above about 4, and the moisture content was above about 20%. Nailed wood specimens kept in several humidity room of 20°C for 4 years showed that the rating of ...
H Imamura


In search of excellence - A necessary challenge
1990 - IRG/WP 3567
Consumerism and environmentalism are gaining much influence. At national and E.C.-level the policy conducted is based on prevention of pollution through "sound" wood preservatives. Supposing that "environmental friendly" products do not exist it is understood that "sound" products have least effect on the environment during their whole life cycle. In the past only the effectiveness was paramount, ...
G Rustenburg


Environmental consequences of various materials in utility poles - A life cycle analysis
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3726
A model for environmental life cycle analysis, LCA, has been created to compare environmental impact from transmission poles, made alternatively of concrete, steel, aluminium and pine wood treated with CCA type B or creosote. The main pollution sources and energy use are included in the LCA. One pole size, 12 meters long, is presented in the study, a so called "45 kV" pole. Poles of different mate...
M Erlandsson, K Ödeen, M-L Edlund


Decay resistance of Siberian larch wood against brown rot fungus. - Part 3. The variation between plus trees and their grafted clones
2000 - IRG/WP 00-10350
The aim of the study was to estimate the variation in the decay resistance of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) wood using mature plus trees and their grafted clones. Samples were collected with an increment core borer from 11 original plus trees and their 25-year-old grafted seed orchard clones. A typical brown rot fungus, Coniophora puteana (Schum. ex Fr.) Karst. (BAM Ebw. 15), was used as ...
H Viitanen, L Paajanen, M Venäläinen, A Harju, P Velling


Service Life Prediction of Wood Claddings by in-situ Measurement of Wood Moisture Content
2004 - IRG/WP 04-20304
The Danish Technological Institute is in co-operation with industry partners running a project aiming at predicting the service life of different wood protecting systems. The project focuses on examining the moisture reducing effect of different wood claddings and the ability to maintain the appearance of the surfaces, when the wood is used in service class 3. A façade construction is exposed t...
B Lindegaard, N Morsing


Environmental evaluation of products by life cycle analysis [La problématique de lévaluation environnementale des produits à partir de l'analyse de leur cycle de vie et de leur "écobilan"]
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50002
In the last years a significant evolution in terms of industrial environment emerged. It has been realized that regulations on specific pollutants, controls on industrial sites, although indispensable actions, had to be completed with extended approaches based on the assessment of products and integrated substance chain management. To take into account such an approach, methodological researches h...
G C Landrieu


Wood preservation in Iran
1984 - IRG/WP 3270
The report sketches the history of the use of wood in Iran to the establishment of the country's national forest service and gives some figures for Iran's timber needs by the year 2000. Progress in wood preservation has been slow, although items such as railway sleepers and poles have been pressure treated since the first pressure impregnation plant was erected in 1932. Today the...
P Niloufari, R Cockcroft


Comparison of the anti-fungal efficacy of Cobra with drill perforation on oscillating pressure treated spruce transmission poles -Laboratory test
1988 - IRG/WP 3469
A laboratory method for measuring the depth of penetration of the fungicidal concentrations effective against basidiomycetes (brown rot) was developed. The tests on CCB oscillating pressure treated spruce transmission poles have shown that the depth of salt penetration can be increased by about 10 mm by a drill perforation before the impregnation. An even better penetration is reached, however, if...
E Graf, B Zgraggen


Assessment of the environmental impacts in life cycle analysis
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50040-31
Evaluation of environmental impacts is of crucial importance nowadays but it is a complex problem. Different methodologies have been proposed for the last 20 years such as the "Life Cycle Assessment" (LCA) approach. Life Cycle Assessment is an evalution tool of the impacts on the environment of a system including the whole activities associated with, from the extraction of the raw materials to the...
I Blanc-Sommereux


Genetic Engineering in tree breeding
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10294
The genetic improvement of forest trees by classical breeding is a slow process in comparison with that of annual crops. Tree breeding however is of great importance and has led to trees with better growth characteristics and better disease resistance. An important wood characteristic which has been neglected in breeding programs is wood durability. The durability of the wood will determine for wh...
J Van Doorsselaere, H Beeckman, M Van Montagu, W Boerjan


The natural history of teredinid molluscs and other marine wood borers in Papua New Guinea
1975 - IRG/WP 410
The teredinids, commonly known as teredos or shipworms, are bivalve molluscs adapted to boring into wood. They are most closely related to the Family Pholadidae, or piddocks, which bore into mud, stone and coral. The teredinids have a relatively small, hemi-spherically shaped shell, the elongated body extending beyond the posterior end of the shell valves. The soft body, protected by the wood and ...
S M Rayner


Some fundamental thoughts on the prediction of field performance from lab-testing based on comparison of lab and field test results of some copper-free materials
2003 - IRG/WP 03-20269
In the paper results from lab testing (ENV 807 and EN 113) are compared with field results (EN 252) of differently treated wood. Depending on the type of the organic biocide containing material and depending on type of soil and type of decay differences were found in suitability of the lab methods to predict field performance. The attempt is made to interpret the found differences. Furthermore it ...
A O Rapp, U Augusta


Proposal for a method aiming at the quantification of the impact of wood extraction in Life Cycle Assessment
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50113
Life Cycle Assessment has been accepted as an instrument for the assessment of the environmental impact of products. Characterisation factors for impact assessment of emissions from products have been established. To date no characterisation factor exists for the extraction of biotic resources, for example wood. Since the main disadvantage of using wood as a material lies in the extraction of reso...
P Esser, E Van der Voet


Accelerated anti-termite laboratory tests, simulation of field conditions and assessment of results for service life
1994 - IRG/WP 94-20034
Termites are one of the most serious biodegrading agents in the tropics. Though some species of termites occur in the warmer temperate regions, only a few species can withstand the rigours of colder regions. Testing of termite resistance of material is done either by field tests or by accelerated laboratory tests. Field tests, though realistic to assess service life, are elaborate, take a long tim...
P K Sen-Sarma


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