Impregnation of timber and regulations applied to preservation practice in Greece

IRG/WP 98-50101-04

S Adamopoulos, E Voulgaridis

The practice of wood preservation in Greece was started about 80 years ago and refer to creosote-treated timber used in ground contact (i.e. railway sleepers, poles). At present, three creosote impregnation plants and thirteen CCA or CCB units exist in Greece treating about 90.000 m3 of wood per year. Most of the research on wood preservation has been carried out in the last 15-20 years and refer to the application of creosote and water soluble preservatives (CCA, CCB) to native wood species. However, research on a number of specific topics of wood impregnation is lacking. Impregnation of wood is of great importance for Greece, a country with great wood deficit, and, for this reason, the elongation of wood durability is strongly desirable. On the other hand, the environmentally safe impregnation of timber and the use of preservatives in a non-hazardous manner to humans or animals are gaining an increasing importance. There are some national and EU regulations applied to the use of preservatives, while the Greek Organization of Standardization (ELOT) is responsible for approving European standards. The organizations of Greek Telecommunication, Electricity and Railway apply their own standards.


Keywords: WOOD PRODUCTION; PRESERVATION; STATISTICS

Conference: 98-02-02/03 Cannes-Mandelieu, France


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