EN 350 (2016) gives guidance on methods for determining and classifying the durability of wood and wood-based material against biological wood destroying agents. “Wood-based materials are those derived from trees and include amongst others: untreated wood, heat treated wood, chemically modified wood, glue laminated wood, wood-based panels, wood polymer composites and wood treated with wood preservatives”. Very few data are yet available for assigning durability classes to preservative treated wood on the basis of results from test methods referred to in EN 350 (2016). In this study results from tests according to EN 113 (1996), ENV 807 (2001), and EN 252 (2014) were evaluated, for assigning durability classes of differently preservative treated wood, using different classification schemes. Specimens made from beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris) were treated with four different retentions of two wood preservative systems. Results show, that different tests lead to durability classification between 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable) for same tested combinations. Most treated wood achieved higher durability classes based on test against basidiomycetes (EN 113) compared to tests against soil inhabiting micro-organisms (ENV 807 and EN 252). In summary, it became evident that durability classification of preservative treated wood strongly depends on both, the applied test method and the evaluation scheme used for assigning durability classes.

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