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Borate-treated food affects survival, vitamin B12 content, and digestive processes of subterranean termites
1990 - IRG/WP 1448
Toxicity of boron compounds was studied by analyzing survival rates and vitamin B12 contents in Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, that were exposed to dietary treatments for 10 days. The dietary treatments applied in moistened cellulose were (a) 0.05% boric acid equivalent (BAE) of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, (b) 0.05% BAE of anmonium pentaborate plus sodium sul...
L H Williams, S I Sallay, J A Breznak


Microbial tolerance and biodetoxification of organic and organometallic biocides
1990 - IRG/WP 1464
Ten organic and organometallic biocides were assessed for toxicity towards a range of wood decay and spoilage fungi. Minimum inhibitory concentrations indicated selective toxicity of biocides towards particular fungal types. Certain species of fungi demonstrated tolerance to a range of biocides. Further tests using the biocides in soil and wood enrichment cultures resulted in isolation of highly t...
P A Briscoe, G R Williams, D G Anderson, G M Gadd


The biological effectiveness of wood modified with heptadecenylsuccinic anhydride against two brown rot fungi: Coniophora puteana and Gloeophyllum trabeum
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3705
A modified soil block test was carried out using wood samples reacted with heptadecenylsuccinic anhydride (ASA). This modification gave good resistance to decay brought about by the brown rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Gloeophyllum trabeum during the twelve week exposure period. Results indicated that there was a good correlation between increased loading of modifying reagent and an increase in ...
C Codd, W B Banks, J A Cornfield, G R Williams


Water repellency of wood treated with alkylammonium compounds and chromated copper arsenate
2000 - IRG/WP 00-30231
The comparative water sorption properties of southern pine treated with CCA and several alkylammonium compounds was evaluated for freshly treated wood and for wood after exposure in a fungus cellar. It was found that CCA imparts considerable water repellency to wood which is reduced somewhat after exposure to wet soil. With the exception of a long chain (C20 -C22) compound, the alkylammonium compo...
D D Nicholas, A Kabir, A D Williams, A F Preston


Detoxification of methylene bisthiocyanate by bacteria isolated from freshly felled, anti-sapstain treated timber
1993 - IRG/WP 93-10017
The microbial defacement of freshly-felled timber treated with organic biocides continues to be a major problem in stored lumber. As part of a study to investigate the depletion in chemical activity of methylene-bis-thiocyanate (MBT) in green timber, bacteria were isolated from freshly-felled boards of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima Arnold) previously treated with different biocides. The...
R J Wallace, R A Eaton, G R Williams


Implications for comparability of laboratory experiments revealed in studies on the effects of population density on the vigour in groups of Coptotermes lacteus (Frogatt) and Nasutitermes exitiosus(Hill) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae)
1983 - IRG/WP 1194
The vigour - survival. and wood consumption - of groups of Coptotermes lacteus and Nasutitermes exitiosus was measured when termites were kept at different population densities (g termites/mL) by changing group size and/or volume of the holding container. A characteristic pattern emerges for subterranean-like termite species. At low population densities (<0.01 g/mL) performance of termites impr...
M Lenz, R A Barrett, E R Williams


Development of a mini-block test method for the rapid evaluation of preservative performance against Basidiomycte fungi
1991 - IRG/WP 2379
Screening procedures for new biocides used as wood preservatives can be a time consuming process using conventional Basidiomycete assay procedures. This is due mainly to the long exposure periods required to achieve adequate levels of decay (weight loss) in the test blocks. A number of alternative methods have been developed but most utilise artificial substrates such as filter paper or agar in wh...
J Brown, S Caswell, G R Williams


The detection of organic solvent preservatives in wood by thin-layer chromatography
1975 - IRG/WP 357
A simple and rapid method for the detection of common organic solvent wood preservative materials is described. The method uses thin-layer chromatography after leaching of the preservative from sections of timber with chloroform. RF values and the sensitivity of the method are discussed and a routine procedure for identification of the organic and organometallic preservatives is proposed. Methods ...
B G Henshaw, J W W Morgan, N Williams


Borates as wood preserving compounds: The status of research in the United States
1989 - IRG/WP 3542
This paper describes the extensive, on-going cooperative research effort among government and university research laboratories and industry to fully evaluate the potential for borates as wood preservatives in the United States. Research is discussed in terms of laboratory evaluations, field testing and mill trials, pilot plant pressure treatment studies, and remedial treatments. Future research pl...
H M Barnes, T L Amburgey, L H Williams, J J Morrell


A new preservative - A double-edged sword
1990 - IRG/WP 3573
Increasing environmental pressures on the use of pesticides throughout the world will impact more on the use of all wood preservatives. In particular the use of traditional wood preservatives and methods of application are under close scrutiny. The industry is responding to the challenge of developing alternative products and systems but faces great problems due to the excellent performance and sa...
M Connell, J A Cornfield, G R Williams


Bethoguard; A new wood protecting fungicide for use in metal free ground contact wood preservatives
2002 - IRG/WP 02-30301
Research has identified the limitations in both the spectrum of activity and permanence of organic biocides placed in wood in high hazard environments, particularly in the absence of heavy metals such as copper. More specifically, the control of soft rot decay in wood in soil contact has proven to be most problematic. The new organic biocide, Bethoguard; an oxathiazine, has demonstrated excellen...
S C Forster, G R Williams, M Van Der Flaas, M Bacon, J Gors


The effect of stack height on the performance of preservatives used for the prevention of sapstain on seasoning wood
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10192
The performance of three anti-sapstain preservatives was investigated under field conditions in south east England. The preservatives under test were: copper-8-quinolinolate (Mitrol PQ8) trimethylalkylammoniumchloride and sodium hexanoate (Sinesto B) and chlorothalonil (Tuff Brite). The preservatives were tested on Corsican Pine grown in south east England. The field trial was set up to investigat...
J R Williams, D J Dickinson, J F Webber


A questionnaire survey to establish the perceptions of UK specifiers concerning the key material attributes of timer for use in marine and fresh water engineering
2004 - IRG/WP 04-10519
Engineers have a key role in making informed decisions on the type of materials to be used in the schemes they design and construct. Currently, in England and Wales, it is believed that some £500m per year is invested in flood and coastal defence engineering. There is a lack of centralised data in the UK holding information on timber for usage in fluvial and, particularly coastal engineering. A...
J R Williams, G S Sawyer, S M Cragg, J Simm


Implications for comparability of laboratory experiments revealed in studies on the effects of population density on the vigour in groups of Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) and Nasutitermes exitiosus(Hill) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae)
1983 - IRG/WP 1197
(Summary of paper 1194) The vigour - survival and wood consumption - of groups of Coptotermes lacteus and Nasutitermes exitiosus was measured when termites were kept at different population densities (g termites/ mL) by changing group size and/or volume of the holding container. A characteristic pattern emerged. At low population densities (< 0,01 g/mL) performance of termites improved with an increase in group size; at higher population densities it tended to decline. The impact of altering group size and container volume on termite vigour was most pronounced at low densities; at higher population densities, performance tended to be more stable but declined markedly when termites became overcrowded. In most jar-type experiments on termites, especially those conducted in Europe and the U.S.A., small groups of termites are housed in disproportionately large jars, resulting in very low, sub-optimal population densities. Suggestions are made for improvements in experimental design that would lead to an enhancement of the comparability of results from different laboratories.
M Lenz, R A Barrett, E R Williams


Marine exposure assessment in southern Portugal of the natural resistance of a number of lesser known species of tropical hardwoods to teredinid and limnoriid borers
2007 - IRG/WP 07-10614
Naturally durable species of timber are used as an alternative to preservative treated timber for marine structures, but many species have not been evaluated for their potential for use in this environment. EN 275 specifies a 5-year test period - too long a period for screening tests to be economically viable. In this study, candidate timber species were selected for testing in the sea on the basi...
J R Williams, S M Cragg, L M S Borges, J D Icely, G S Sawyer


Assessment of the marine borer resistance and abrasion resistance of lesser known hardwood timber species for use in marine construction
2010 - IRG/WP 10-10711
Naturally durable species of timber are used as an alternative to preservative treated timber for marine structures, but many species have not been evaluated for their potential for use in this environment. EN 275 specifies a 5-year test period - too long a period for screening tests to be economically viable. In this study, candidate timber species were selected for testing both in the laboratory...
J R Williams, G S Sawyer, G Malyon, S M Cragg, J D Icely, J Simm, M Meaden


Visual assessment of longitudinal wheel timbers and assessing the feasibility of extending wheel timber service life in the UK railway network
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20651
Timber has been a versatile building material for centuries and during the start of the Railway Age in the nineteenth century it was in considerable demand for use in the railway network, particularly bridge building. Timber is still in service and widely used throughout the UK railway network. The resilience and favourable strength to weight ratio and its relative ease of fabrication make it an...
J R Williams


Assessing the risk of marine borer attack of the timber trestles and decay of timber above the intertidal zone of the Barmouth Viaduct
2021 - IRG/WP 21-10974
The Barmouth Viaduct is a Grade II* listed structure which carries the single track of the Dovey Junction to Pwllheli line and footway over the Mawddach estuary. It is in a marine environment where timber below the high tide mark is at most risk in Use Class 5 and all timber above in Use Class 3.2, permanently exposed to the risk of wetting. The structure consists of a timber trestle viaduct of ...
J R Williams


Make do and mend: Re-using timber in Smithfield Market
2022 - IRG/WP 22-50371
Historic buildings are part of our built environment. They are a record of how construction and use of materials have evolved and provide excellent opportunities for regeneration of urban areas. Moreover, re-using these buildings and as much of the material within, contributes to the Green Revolution. Currently, there is tremendous growth in green construction and as Bob Dylan once said, “the t...
J R Williams


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