Study on the natural durability of Eucalyptus grandis wood from Argentina

IRG/WP 09-10689

D Lorenzo, M T Troya, J C Piter, M Sánchez, C Baso

In Argentina eucalypts are in second place of importance in planted area, after pines. Due to its high growth rates (from 35 to 55 m3/ha/yr), Eucalyptus grandis is the most important among the eucalypts planted in Argentina. Moreover, E. grandis is one of the species with the greatest potential in the country, because of its diversity of uses for high end and added value solid products. Due to the present interest of using eucalyptus wood for solid products, is of particular importance to know the wood characteristics of E. grandis from local plantations. Natural durability is a very important characteristic to determine wood applications. Nowadays, only some references are made about its durability, where it is usually classified as “low durability” wood but without greater precisions on the tests made. The objective of this project is to determine the durability of this species against wood destroying fungi and wood destroying insects and to classify E. grandis in the European Standard EN 350-2. To achieve this objective, laboratory and field tests against fungi and insect attacks are being carried out. The results of the laboratory tests with white, brown and soft rot indicate that the heartwood is slightly-moderately durable (durability class 4-3), juvenile wood is slightly durable-moderately durable (durability class 4-3) and sapwood is not-slightly durable (durability class 5-4). The results obtained in the laboratory tests with Lyctus brunneus and Anobium punctatum indicate that heartwood is durable (durability class D), juvenile wood is durable (durability class D) and sapwood is susceptible (durability class S). These results, together with the data obtained from the tests carried out up to now, indicate the slightly-moderately resistant of the heartwood of this species against wood destroying fungi, the resistant of heartwood and juvenile wood against dry wood destroying beetles and the low resistant of heartwood, juvenile wood and sapwood against termites.


Keywords: Eucalyptus grandis, natural durability, wood destroying fungi, wood destroying insects, EN 350-1 and EN 350-2

Conference: 09-05-24/28 Beijing, China


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