IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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Creosote losses due to ageing methods prior to laboratory efficacy testing
2002 - IRG/WP 02-20256
Laboratory efficacy testing of creosote is affected by the impact of volatile components on the fungal growth. European test methods for assessing efficacy against Basidiomycetes and soft rot fungi is based on two standard methods, EN 113 and ENV 807 respectively. Combined with both fungal tests two pre-treatment methods are commonly used, namely EN 84 (leaching) and EN 73 (evaporation). Within th...
J Van Acker, K Ghekiere, M Stevens


Artificial weathering exposure as an alternative for standard ageing according to EN 84 (leaching) and EN 73 (evaporation)
2002 - IRG/WP 02-20254
In order to verify potential weaknesses of wood preservatives fungal tests are carried out after ageing of wood preservative treated test blocks. The European standard EN 599 as a framework for efficacy assessment of wood preservatives includes the use of two ageing methods prior to fungal testing, namely a leaching method (EN 84) and an evaporation method (EN 73). The European research project "F...
J Van Acker, M Grinda, D J Dickinson


The accelerated L-joint test method for determination of the out of ground natural durability
1998 - IRG/WP 98-20146
The accelerated L-joint test incorporates a moistening device and uses a close end water trap in an open joint connection with a laminated tenon member consisting of the perishable reference wood species scots pine sapwood and beech. After one year of exposure it is possible to show a distinct identification of natural durability classes 4 and 5 against the more durable wood species. Both weight ...
J Van Acker, C Brauwers, M Stevens


Standard and accelerated testing of boron-additive wood protection systems
2005 - IRG/WP 05-30381
The main objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of boron-additive protection systems for above ground applications by means of field testing. The two field test procedures used are based on the L-joint test described in the European standard EN 330. For the first set up the boron treated timber was coated in accordance with the standard EN 330 system. The second set up is ba...
A Mohareb, J Van Acker, M Stevens


A new concept for the evaluation of wood durability for out of ground contact using accelerated L-joint testing
1997 - IRG/WP 97-20123
Since the wood preservation sector is developing in favour of defining exactly the utilization of wood products and preservation techniques as a function of the envisaged hazard class, more in particular the hazard classes 3 and 4 (EN 350) there is obviously a need for a test method evaluating natural durability for out of ground contact applications. Based on the L-joint test as described in the ...
J Van Acker, M Stevens


Increased biological durability differs for traditional wood preservation and new non-biocidal systems (NBS)
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20212
Wood preservation is a way to increase the biological durability of wood by the addition of chemical components with a biocidal effect. The effect of such treatment is clearly concentration dependent. At distinct levels of fungicide concentration fungi are killed or inhibited in their enzymatic functioning to provide nutrients. The toxic limits allow decision-makers to provide treating prescriptio...
J Van Acker, M Stevens


The development of blue stain in service in sapwood of European softwood species
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10236
The utilisation of softwood species for window joinery applications is gaining importance in countries frequently using tropical hardwood species up to now. Since wood preservation is not always part of the total concept of window frames manufactured from sapwood containing wood elements it is essential to know the impact of durability on the performance. Moisture content control is a major tool i...
J Van Acker, R Klaassen, H Militz, M Stevens


Evaluation of a laboratory soft rot test on basis of weight loss and residual strength
1989 - IRG/WP 2336
Based on the principles of different previously reported experimental procedures dealing with laboratory soft rot testing, a study was conducted on treated poplar and beech. Preservatives used were CCA, CCF, AAC, Azaconazole and TCMTB. Treated samples were exposed for three months in a vermiculite substrate to Chaetomium globosum. Evaluation was based on absolute mass loss, percentage weight loss ...
W Verbeke, J Van Acker, M Stevens


Screening of the technical performance and aquatic toxicity of N-methylolacrylamide treated wood
2000 - IRG/WP 00-40166
In the course of the last decades chemical modification of wood species, with a limited natural durability, has been subjected to intensive research. As a possible alternative and supplementary treatment of non-durable wood in a range of applications it remains one of the major topics in the wood preservation world. Different modification systems have been scaled-up and are now in an industrialisi...
V Rijckaert, S De Geyter, J Van Acker, M Stevens


Comparative study of blue stain resistance of various types of wood stains after artificial and natural weathering
1992 - IRG/WP 92-2411
For the determination of the protective effectiveness of a preservative treatment against blue stain in service, artificial weathering has been proposed as an alternative for the natural weathering period of 6 months in the European standard EN 152. Research on a range of products and on complete finishing systems for external joinery was conducted during 1986-1990. It revealed that the decisions ...
J Van Acker, M Stevens, M Nys


A field study on the suitability of the European lap-joint test
2001 - IRG/WP 01-20239
Within the framework of the European SM&T Research Project "Co-normative research on field tests for wood preservatives out of ground contact in conjunction with methods for preconditioning test specimens prior to test" (FACT) one aim was to establish the suitability of the European lap-joint test (as it is described in ENV 12037:1996) to assess wood preservatives in the field in EHC 3. Scots ...
M Grinda, Ö Bergman, H-V Borck, D Dickinson, P Esser, R Gründlinger, H Leithoff, S Molnar, L Paajanen, N Pfabigan, E D Suttie, F Thomassin, T Nilsson, J Van Acker, M Van Der Zee, A Voss


Test methods for modifies wood: The EU-Thematic network approach
2002 - IRG/WP 02-20255
The last decade wood modification systems have become new wood treatment methods in Europe. Alongside several industrial initiatives for heat treatments also scaling up and pilot plant projects for chemical wood modification have recently been carried out. In 2000 an initiative to create a network related to these new developments was supported by the European Commission. Within the work proposed ...
J Van Acker, D Jones


Alternative methodology for the environmental impact assessment of treated wood: the wood emissions ecotoxicology
2000 - IRG/WP 00-50161
Preservative products and technologies are important for optimising the use of wood and wood products in our society. The regulations of their use under the european Biocidal Products Directive 98/8/EC will require an evaluation of the environmental impact of treated wood. The methodology currently used for this determination is the PEC/PNEC ratio. It consists of calculating PEC values (Predictive...
P Marchal, H W Wegen, J Van Acker, E Melcher, R-D Peek, W J Homan, D Aston, D Rudolph, E F Baines


Variation in field test performance of untreated and CCA-treated lesser-known Surinamese wood species
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20213
In Suriname three different field test sites have been used to verify the biological durability of CCA-treated wood and a range of wood species including lesser-known and lesser-used wood species. In total 37 tropical wood species were tested untreated and for 17 of the less durable species CCA-treatments were included as well. Although the three sites are located in the tropical region they diffe...
J Van Acker, M Stevens, L Comvalius


L-joint based testing for service life prediction of exterior plywood in out of ground contact conditions
2006 - IRG/WP 06-20342
Good biological performance of several plywood types in exterior conditions is most probably related to altered wood moisture behaviour compared to solid wood. Therefore a test set up was developed, using EN 330 L-joint testing methodology, to facilitate differentiation of plywood for exterior applications. The proposed test set up is an adaptation of an accelerated L-joint method introduced by V...
J De Smet, I De Windt, J Van Acker


Testing biological durability of wood-plastic composites
2006 - IRG/WP 06-20347
Testing biological durability is inherently different for wood-plastic composites (WPC) compared to solid timber. However there is clearly a need for more information on the durability of WPC’s, on the effect of decay on the material properties of WPC’s and on methods for assessing decay of WPC’s. For the emerging European WPC market there has been some discussions on how to work on these to...
J Van Acker


Service life prediction of plywood
2007 - IRG/WP 07-20367
Plywood is the wood based panel showing the best physical and mechanical properties for application under moist construction conditions. Appropriate physico-mechanical durability for exterior applications in transportation or construction systems can be guaranteed by assessment of the glue bond quality and mechanical characteristics. However, due to the fact that mainly non-durable wood species ar...
J Van Acker, J De Smet


Service life prediction of wood: scale-dependent tools within a bio-engineering framework
2008 - IRG/WP 08-20387
Service life prediction (SLP) is a complex yet essential method for the building industry. Accurate and precise assessment of the components is crucial for a strong position of wood on the market. As it is a biological material, wood has an inherent variability and is susceptible to fungal attack. Therefore a profound knowledge of these characteristics is the corner stone of SLP for wood products....
J Van den Bulcke, J Van Acker, M Stevens


COST Action E37. Sustainability Through New Technologies For Enhanced Wood Durability -
2008 - IRG/WP 08-40417
The main overall objective of the Action was to concentrate on the contribution of wood durability to sustainability through the development of systems for quality assurance and performance classification of modified wood and wood products as alternatives to wood treated with traditional preservatives. By this means it seeked to improve and consequently to increase the cost-effective use of compon...
R-D Peek, J Van Acker


Continuous moisture measurement (CMM) to detect failure of moisture resistance
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20422
A wood coating system will fail to perform properly after a certain time of weathering. From that moment, the substrate is especially prone to fungal attack. Moisture plays a key role on weathering performance, wood protection efficacy and decay susceptibility of wood. Therefore, knowledge of the moisture dynamics of the applied wood protection is of significant importance in the prediction of the...
I De Windt, J Van den Bulcke, J Van Acker


The biological durability approach for wood product performance and service life prediction
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20457
The performance of wood-based products under conditions that enable biodegradation are of concern to all who envisage sustainable use of forest based products. This concern is also the basis of classification of wood species on the basis of their biological durability. Engineers are looking for options to transfer such classification into practical service life values for constructions and related...
J Van Acker, J Van den Bulcke, L De Boever


Improved analysis of field test data related to service life prediction of tropical wood species
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20458
Long field trials of wood in ground contact give valuable data on the natural durability of the material. The European Standard EN 350 gives guidance on how to perform these durability classification, but is limited to the use of averages of in-service life of a set of specimens compared to a reference set. Starting from a database of visual assessment of field stake testing, it is possible to obt...
J Van den Bulcke, A Wong, Ling Wang Choon, Yoon Soo Kim, J Van Acker


Accelerated L-joint performance testing of organosilicon treated wood
2010 - IRG/WP 10-30551
In this research Scots pine sapwood L-joints were treated with organosilicons and organosilicons in combination with biocides. These L-joints were prepared and exposed according to the accelerated L-joint method. They were inspected each season for fungal discolouration and removed from the rack after three years outdoor exposure. Subsequently the moisture content, mass loss and decaline uptake we...
L De Vetter, J Van Acker


Impact of wood species on the performance of exterior wood coatings
2010 - IRG/WP 10-40519
To prolong the service life of a wooden construction the protective function of a coating is of utmost importance. The chemical composition as well as the wood-coating interface affects the performance of this protective layer and obviously wood species have an impact too. This paper discusses the influence of wood species on the overall coating performance. Therefore, a range of opaque waterborne...
I De Windt, J Van den Bulcke, J Van Acker


Moisture dynamics of WPC as basis for biological durability
2010 - IRG/WP 10-40520
The largest market for wood-polymer composites (WPCs) is currently decking. Although many products are commercially available, a proper standard for the assessment of the biological durability of WPC does not exist. Recommended standards for testing resistance against basidiomycetes should be completed with a method to bring the specimens in a worst case situation, obtaining a moisture level high ...
N Defoirdt, J Van Acker, J Van den Bulcke


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