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Water Absorption of Various Building Materials and Mold Growth
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10657
Mold growth is a major problem for house owners, as it often occurs on the surface of building materials in damp houses. The principal method to control mold growth on building materials is to prevent water penetration into the materials. A study was recently conducted to determine water absorption rates of different wood species and panel materials used as building materials, when water intrusi...
Dian-Qing Yang


Effect of wood polymers degradation during heat treatment on extracellular enzymatic activities involved in beech degradation by Trametes versicolor
2008 - IRG/WP 08-40392
Effect of heat treatment on extracellular enzymes involved in wood degradation by Trametes versicolor was investigated. Heat-treated and untreated beech blocks were exposed to T. versicolor on malt agar medium and extracellular enzymatic activities investigated. A strong ABTS oxidizing activity has been detected during the first stage of colonization in both cases, while cellulase activities are m...
S Lekounougou, G Nguila Inari, M Pétrissans, S Dumarçay, J P Jacquot, E Gelhaye, P Gérardin


Material properties of acetylated beech plywood
2008 - IRG/WP 08-40425
The effect of acetylation process on dimensional stability and mechanical properties of plywood made by Oriental beech layers (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) were studied. The layers cut into sizes of 200×200×2 mm and acetylated in 120°C for 30 and 60 min. Thickness swelling (TS%), water absorption (WA%) and anti-swelling¬ efficiency (ASE%) of specimens were measured. Mechanical properties (MOE, MO...
A Talaei


Evaluation of the natural durability of reed (Phragmites australis) originating in the Fertö region (Hungary) against wood decay organisms as material for use in a sustainable motorway noise barrier
2009 - IRG/WP 09-10685
This work presents the research carried out to determine the natural durability of reed from the Fertö region of Hungary against wood decay organisms. The final objective of this study is to obtain sufficient relevant data in order that the reed may be used as a constituent element in a viable and sustainable motorway noise barrier, which has been developed within the European research project, k...
M T Troya, F Rubio, M J Prieto, D Lorenzo, J L Fernández-Cabo, R Schöftner


Evaluation of exposure conditions for wooden facades and decking
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20408
During their functional life, building components are exposed to moisture and other environment stress conditions in numerous ways. This is a fact that should be taken into account during manufacture, product development, designing and work execution of building components. For wood material, moisture stress and biological factors like mould and decay fungi are often critical in cladding and decki...
H Viitanen, T Toratti, R Peuhkuri, T Ojanen, L Makkonen


Material properties of furfurylated wood for window production
2009 - IRG/WP 09-40480
Wood modification with furfuryl alcohol is an extensively investigated process and already produced commercially. Furfurylated wood is in the focus of a European project on its use for the production of high performance windows. Different wood species were treated with furfuryl alcohol and tested on water uptake, dimensional changes, leaching in water, resistance to fungal degradation, and ecotoxi...
A Treu, A Pilgård, S Puttmann, A Krause


Service life prediction of wooden components – Part 1: Determination of dose-response functions for above ground decay
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20439
Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Douglas fir heartwood (Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco) specimens were exposed in double layer field trials at 24 different European test sites under different exposure conditions (in total 28 test sets). The material climate in terms of wood moisture content (MC) and wood temperature was automatically recorded over a period of up to eight years and compar...
C Brischke, A O Rapp


Service life prediction of wooden components – Part 2: Impact of material, exposure and design details
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20440
Dose-response functions permit to estimate the moisture and temperature induced decay potential for any wooden building component and exposure, and thus the service life to be expected. In part 1 of this series dose-response functions were established as a result of double layer field trials carried out at 24 European test sites over up to eight years. Using them makes it no longer necessary to co...
C Brischke, B Lauenstein, M Bilstein, T Bornemann, A O Rapp


Impact of climate change on wood deterioration - Challenges and solutions for cultural heritage
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20441
Deterioration of wood in cultural assets follows the same physiological mechanisms as in modern structures. Therefore rules and data for prediction of service life derived from old wooden structures can be used to model the service life of recent wooden structures and vice versa. The latter is done in this paper: From experimental test set ups in the field spread over Europe, climatic data, wood t...
C Brischke, A O Rapp, M Hasan, R Despot


Drying Rates and Mold Growth on Various Building Materials under Different Environmental Conditions
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20454
Mold growth on building materials is a major problem for homeowners. The most suitable method to control mold growth on building materials is to utilize design features, construction tools and practices that prevent moisture accumulation, and keep the wood as dry as possible. In order to achieve this, engineers and homebuilders have to know the effects of various temperature and moisture conditi...
Dian-Qing Yang


Development of markers to predict decay durability of heat treated wood
2010 - IRG/WP 10-40496
Effect of heat treatment temperature on elemental composition of Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris) has been investigated in the range of temperatures between 220 and 250°C. Results revealed an important increase of carbon content, while oxygen content significantly decreases. Independently of the heat treatment temperature, elemental composition is strongly correlated with the mass losses due...
Ž Šušteršic, A Mohareb, M Chaouch, M Pétrissans, M Petric, P Gérardin


Wood Protection in Croatia – Situation from the Acquisition of Independence till Today
2010 - IRG/WP 10-40501
In the last eighteen years in Croatian wood-working industry, respectively wood protection industry, many good changes happened. In such a short period of time Croatian industry changed their “product philosophy”. After the fatherland war and acquisition of independence the most logs and sawn wood products have been exported from Croatia. With such “kind of philosophy” Croatian wood-workin...
R Despot, M Hasan


Testing of decay resistance of sapwood and heartwood of thermally modified Scots pine and Norway spruce
2010 - IRG/WP 10-40523
Thermal modification at elevated temperatures changes the chemical, biological and physical properties of wood. One of the main targets of thermal modification is to increase the biological durability and decay resistance of wood. Although the effects of thermal modification on wood have been widely studied, the significance of sapwood and heartwood on the resistance of thermally modified wood has...
H Viitanen, S Metsä-Kortelainen


Decay hazard mapping for Europe
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20463
In this study, two different dose-response models for above-ground decay as well as a model transferring macro climate data to wood climate data are presented. The models base on data from field trials, which had been conducted at 28 European test sites, and were used to calculate the relative risk for decay caused by climate variability in Europe. The two dose-response models give coherent result...
C Brischke, E Frühwald Hansson, D Kavurmaci, S Thelandersson


Slice - Cut and Analyze Laser Microdissection (LMD): A method to produce sample material from modified wood for chemical quality analysis
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20478
Wood modification with its various systems is an established way to enhance a wood products’ service life in outdoor applications. Per definition, selected material properties are enhanced by means of modification without producing toxic substances or residues during service life and combustion afterwards. The systems of impregnation modification include a physical and often chemical alteration ...
K Zimmer, E Larnøy, A Treu, M Fongen


ISPM No. 15 and the Incidence of Wood Pests: Recent Findings, Policy Changes, and Current Knowledge Gaps
2011 - IRG/WP 11-30568
Largely as a result of international trade, hundreds of species of bark- and wood-infesting insects have become established in countries outside their native range. Many of these exotic insects have caused severe economic and environmental impact to urban and forest trees in the receiving countries. Most bark- and wood-infesting insects have been transported to new countries by means of the wood...
R A Haack, E G Brockerhoff


The overview of ISPM 15 implementation in Croatian wood-working companies
2011 - IRG/WP 11-30576
Croatia is a small European county, but in the same time a great country according to it’s tradition in the forestry and wood working industry. However, around 48% of it’s territory is afforested. As the export is one of the main directions in the Croatian development conception, the production and distribution of wood package intended for the international trade, is one of the most important ...
R Despot, V Jambrekovic, M Hasan


Effects of microclimate, wood temperature and surface colour on fungal disfigurement on wooden claddings
2012 - IRG/WP 12-20490
Wooden claddings are common in façades in Norway, and Norway spruce (Picea abies) is the most frequently used species. The cladding is a major part of the facade, and it has visual requirements that may define the aesthetic service life. The visual changes that occur during weathering can be colour changes, abrasion or wear, blistering, flaking, and even cracks in the wood or coating, but more of...
L Ross Gobakken, G I Vestøl


WOOD: its importance in our life
2012 - IRG/WP 12-40583
As it is described by Hoadley (1980) and Tsoumis (1991), wood is an organic material yielded by trees which increase in diameter by the formation of new woody layers which envelop the entire stem. Wood has served man since he appeared on Earth (as a fuel and/or as a construction material for making houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, paper, and artworks). It is important to appreciate th...
I Usta


Field-testing of Norway Spruce Claddings with Monitoring of Moisture Content, Material Temperature and Microclimate
2012 - IRG/WP 12-20502
The physical function of a cladding is to protect the interior construction. Under normal circumstances the performance requirements can be met for a very long time, meaning that the technical service life of a wooden cladding can be very long. Since the cladding is a major part of the facade, it also has visual requirements that may define the aesthetic service life, and often it is much shorter ...
G I Vestøl, L Ross Gobakken


Microwave Treatment of Frozen Wood Packaging Material
2012 - IRG/WP 12-40609
As part of the wood packaging material (WPM) regulation in international trade, the dielectric heating (DH) is soon to be included in ISPM15 (IPPC 2009) as an approved phytosanitary treatment. It has been considered that when using dielectric radiation (i.e. microwaves or radio-frequencies), reaching 60°C or more throughout the entire profile of the wood during at least 60s (i.e. 60°C/60s) ensur...
J-M Henin, A Bauduin, V Leemans, M Leyman, B Jourez, J Hébert


Wood-leather panels – A biological, fire retardant building material
2012 - IRG/WP 12-40615
The poor flame retardant properties of wood-based products are among the severest obstacles, hindering its use in the commercial building sector. Recently, some attempts to improve the fire properties, relying on inflammable salts or reactive halogen compounds, have been presented, although they either cause problems with machining or embody harmful compounds (halogen derivates). In this paper, ...
S Wieland, U Stöckl, T Grünewald, S Ostrowski, A Petutschnigg


Statistical analysis of durability tests - Part 1: Principles of distribution fitting and application on laboratory tests
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20504
Service life prediction is an important topic in wood research, especially with regard to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Both laboratory tests as well as in-service performance testing are therefore essential in combination with proper monitoring and analysis tools. A crucial concept is variability in testing and analysis, especially for a biological material such as wood. The larger ...
I De Windt, J Van den Bulcke, C Brischke, C R Welzbacher, A Gellerich, S Bollmus, M Humar,


Method for determining the critical moisture level for mould growth on building materials
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20530
The natural conditions of relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) in different parts of a building is rarely constant over time. Instead, RH and T often vary cyclically and may pose a risk of mould growth as these conditions are the two key environmental parameters that controls mould growth. Consideration to both humidity and temperature conditions and the susceptibility to mould in a material...
A Ekstrand-Tobin, P Johansson, G Bok


Performance standards for wood in construction – delivering customer service life requirements
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20537
There is increasing need for consideration of performance classification for wood products in construction, as evidenced by the CPR, warranty providers and end user demands for information. This means we need to radically consider how the tests we conduct on wood for durability (especially biological durability) can inform on service life and how they might if possible be translated into a perform...
E Suttie, C Brischke, F Englund, E Heisel, J Jermer, D Lorenzo, M Polášek, S Thelandersson, J Van Acker


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