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Microscopical analysis of formaldehyde-acid modified wood
1981 - IRG/WP 3182
Cross-linking of wood with gaseous formaldehyde improves its hygroscopic and dimensional behaviour, and its resistance against micro-organisms. However, formaldehyde cross-linking reactions take place only in the presence of an acid catalyst, which results in losses in mechanical By optimization of a formaldehyde-sulfur dioxide vapour phase process the reaction conditions were established to limit...
M Stevens, N Parameswaran


Some experiences with attack of microorganisms on wooden constructions supporting foundations of houses and bridges
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10232
Reconstructions of bridges and public buildings or damage of houses during the construction of subway lines in Berlin have led to a number of inspections of wooden foundations, mostly pine or spruce piles, representing service lives of between ca. 70 and 140 years. In all cases bacterial attack was found both in wood submerged in ground water and in surface water. The extent of deterioration diffe...
M Grinda


The effect of hemicellulose degradation on the mechanical properties of wood during brown rot decay
2001 - IRG/WP 01-20219
Incipient decay of wood by brown rot fungi causes measurable strength losses in wood before measurable weight loss occurs. Previous studies have shown that the high levels of strength loss that occur during incipient brown rot decay may be related to loss in hemicellulose. This paper investigates the effect of decay on hemicellulose composition and the relationship to the mechanical properties of ...
S F Curling, C A Clausen, J E Winandy


Field stake test assessment with the Pilodyn
1980 - IRG/WP 2136
The Pilodyn, which was originally developed to estimate the degree of soft rot in wooden poles, was thought to have potential for giving a quantitative measure of the extent or depth of decay in field test stakes. In the present work a 2-joule Pilodyn with 2.0-mm diameter pin was used in an attempt to limit depth of pin penetration (to 10-15 mm) without reducing scale sensitivity. The results show...
M E Hedley, R W Naish


CCA treatability of 100 timbers of Bangladesh
1996 - IRG/WP 96-40069
CCA treatabilities of 100 timber species grown in Bangladesh have been compared with the treatability of Pole pine (Pinus caribaea) grown in Bangladesh which revealed new five treatability grades. Sapwood of 48% species and heartwood of 9% species was found to be treatable with CCA under grade (++++) having 100% penetration. Like softwood where CCA penetrates completely in cell lumens and cell wal...
A K Lahiry


Paper for discussion - Incising of spruce to improve preservative penetration
1973 - IRG/WP 318
Large quantities of whitewood or Norway spruce (Picea abies) are regularly imported into the United Kingdom from continental Europe. In addition, increasing amounts of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) are likely to become available over the next decade from the Forestry Commission. In many ways spruce is a good structural timber, eg it is relatively cheap and easily available, it has adequate stren...
W B Banks


Acetylated solid wood. Laboratory durability test (part 2) and field trials
1995 - IRG/WP 95-40048
Degradation of acetylated beech, pine and poplar by soft rot fungi was related to strength loss in a laboratory test. No strength loss was noticed for poplar acetylated to a weight percent gain (WPG) of more than 11.2% and beech with a WPG of 12.8%. Several field trials were set up to determine the durability of acetylated products in practice. They included a field test to determine the durabilit...
E P J Beckers, H Militz, M Stevens


The degradation of wood surfaces by water
1984 - IRG/WP 3289
Thin radial/longitudinal sections (~100 µ) of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and lime (Tilia vulgaris), were exposed to deionised water over the temperature range 25-65°C. Losses in wet tensile strength and toughness occurred rapidly at temperatures from about 50°C upwards. After about 2 months' exposure pine lost some 10-30% of its tensile strength and 20-60% of its toughness. For lime...
W B Banks, P D Evans


Effect of Scytalidium lignicola on decay resistance and strength of wood
1994 - IRG/WP 94-10061
We reported previously that in laboratory tests, pretreatment of Douglas-fir and Southern Pine blocks with Scytalidium lignicola prevented decay. In the present work, we determined 1) the ability of Scytalidium lignicola to colonize and survive in wood exposed in the field, 2) the decay resistance of blocks removed from previously treated Scytalidium lignicola wood and 3) the effect of Scytalidium...
T L Highley


Strength properties of preservative treated pine and spruce wood after super-heated steaming
1984 - IRG/WP 3313
Possible changes of strength properties of CCF pressure impregnated pine and spruce with subsequent steaming at 110°C respective 120°C for 30 min were examined. For spruce analysis of variance indicated that none of the processes had a significant effect on bending strength, compression strength and the corresponding modulus of elasticity as well as on impact bending strength and shear strength ...
R-D Peek


The effect of extent and location of decay on strength loss in constructional timber
1994 - IRG/WP 94-30039
Radiata pine heartwood billets, 50 x 100 x 1000 mm³ were end-sealed and treated with copper-chrome-arsenate preservative (NZ Type I) to a range of retentions and penetration patterns. Cross-sections, 10 mm thick, were cut from the centre of each billet and used for determination of preservative distribution, for preservative analysis and for decay tests. The decay test consisted of laying samples...
M E Hedley, H Bier


Effects of alkali treatment on some mechanical and chemical properties of creosote treated oaks
1991 - IRG/WP 2366
To date, there is a lack of information on the effects of chemical treatment on the performance of creosote preservative treated oak sleepers. This factorial experiment was designed to analyze three main effects: species (Quercus alba and Quercus rubra) creosote treatment (treated and untreated), and alkali (NaOH) soaking (0, 1, and 10 percent). The modulus of elasticity (MOE) and fiber stress at ...
P Chow, A J Reinschmidt, E J Barenberg, L C Chang


The natural durability story
1997 - IRG/WP 97-20119
Wood species with superior natural durability were in use since the beginning of timber utilisation. Their importance decreased with increasing industrial timber impregnation. In recent time, however, they gained worldwide new interest due to environmental problems involved with treated timber. In Europe a special Standard (EN 350) has been published and a multinational research project on testing...
H Willeitner, R-D Peek


Statistical evaluation of 'micro-bending' samples for classification of wood attacking fungi
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1544
Micro-specimens from both hardwood and softwood were exposed to selected species of field isolated fungi. The strength reduction and weight loss caused by these fungi were determined. A statistical procedure was then developed to classify the fungi into brown-, white-rot, or non-decay fungal categories based on these data. The procedure reveals the extent of hazard a fungus poses to wood members. ...
B Goodell, Jing Liu, A Homola, J Jellison, J Shottafer


A laboratory technique to measure the performance of preservative treated hardwoods in ground contact
1982 - IRG/WP 2172
A laboratory technique to measure the performance of preservative treated timber in ground contact is described. It uses partially sealed blocks of timber which are treated, leached and sawn into small stakelets for soil exposure in a fungal cellar. Performance is monitored by the loss of static bending strength with time, and a simple apparatus for measuring the deflection of a stakelet under a l...
E F Baines


Application of a novel strength evaluation technique during screening of wood preservatives
1986 - IRG/WP 2262
The effectiveness of CCA and ACA in treated aspen mini stakes tested using a novel bag procedure, with unsterile soil fortified with Chaetomium globosum and Ceratocystis albida, is reported. Good agreement between toxic limits determined using the standard weight loss procedure, and those determined by the strength technique were found, with some indication that the strength loss method is more se...
J N R Ruddick


The effect of primary blue-staining fungi on the strength properties of Scots pine sapwood
2004 - IRG/WP 04-10515
The fungi action may have influence on wood properties especially Basidiomycotina fungi causing wood decay. The investigation of influence of fungi causing mainly wood discoloration and disfigurement on wood properties is still in development process. There were determined the differences between the bending strength, the compression along the grains and impact strength of control and blue stained...
A Fojutowski


In-ground field test of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood and heartwood
2004 - IRG/WP 04-30336
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood and heartwood stakes treated with CCA-C and creosote were tested for one- year in a field plot in Bartın region in Turkey. Scots pine heartwood stakes had lower preservative retention than sapwood stakes. Bending strength of the stakes was decreased after impregnation and one-year field test. While the bending strength of untreated sapwood was 93....
H Sivrikaya, H Hafizoglu


The use of spruce for transmission poles
1973 - IRG/WP 326
A series of preservative treatments with creosote using Lowry and Rueping schedules was undertaken. From these treatments the most suitable impregnation conditions for water stored Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) transmission poles were determined. Preservative distribution and permeability values for poles of both species were used to decide the optimum season and ...
J A Dunleavy, D J Balfe, J P Prendergast


Effect of vapour boron treatment on mechanical properties of wood based board materials
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3727
The mechanical properties of Medium density fibre board, Chipboard and Oriented strand board were investigated after treatment to two retention levels of boric acid applied as a vapour phase system. A range of mechanical properties were investigated. The vapour boron treatment does not have any significant effect on most of the mechanical properties of the boards. The exception is a reduction in i...
R Hashim, D J Dickinson, R J Murphy, J Dinwoodie


Rapid loss of lignin at wood surfaces during natural weathering
1992 - IRG/WP 92-2390
Thin veneers of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) were exposed to natural weathering over a period of 30 days. Incident UV radiation was monitored at the test site. FTIR internal reflectance spectroscopy was used to study the chemical changes taking place at the veneer surface during weathering. Spectra obtained show that after only 3 days exposure there was substantial delignification at veneer...
P D Evans, K J Schmalzl, A J Michell


Is laboratory testing of decay resistance questionable as a single criterion for natural durability?
1996 - IRG/WP 96-20096
In a laboratory test set up over 20 hardwood species were evaluated according to the European Standard EN 350-1 including Basidiomycete and soft rot testing. Half of the species used were of a known natural durability. The Basidiomycete testing was carried out using Coriolus versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Coniophora puteana in a malt agar test similar to EN 113. From this test it was not pos...
J Van Acker, M Stevens, T Van Cauwenberghe, T Seynaeve


Evaluation of a utility pole inspection procedure
1996 - IRG/WP 96-20084
Methods were developed and are currently being utilized to appraise residual strength of utility poles based on visual assessment of increment cores. Strength tests, mycological descriptions and anatomical analyses were performed on eight utility poles taken out of service and one new (never in service) pole. Samples were obtained from increment cores removed from 6 levels in the pole: 2 feet, gro...
S E Anagnost, C J K Wang


Laboratory tests on the natural durability of timber methods and problems
1984 - IRG/WP 2217
In literature a large variety of test methods is mentioned to examine the natural resistance of timber against fungal attack. This concerns the kind of sampling as well as the test procedure, the test fungi, the duration of test, and the classification of the resistance according to the test results. These variations, however, are of great influence on the test result. Long term exposure will lead...
H Willeitner


Supercritical fluid treatment: Effects on bending strength of white spruce heartwood
1993 - IRG/WP 93-20008
The effects of supercritical carbon dioxide on wood strength were evaluated using white spruce heartwood, a species known to be especially susceptible to collapse during exposure to higher pressures. The effects of pressures of 2000 or 3600 psig and temperatures of 40 or 80°C were evaluated using 30 or 60 minute exposure periods. No significant differences were noted in modulus of rupture or modu...
S M Smith, J J Morrell, E Sahle-Demessie, K L Levien


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