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Fouling assemblage development on copper-chromium-arsenic-treated timber submerged in European waters
2002 - IRG/WP 02-50181
The effect of the anti-marine-borer timber preservative CCA on community development of non-target marine fouling animals was investigated. Panels of Scots pine treated to target retentions of 12, 24 and 48 kg CCA per m3 of wood, plus untreated controls were submerged at seven coastal sites (Portsmouth, UK; La Tremblade (2 sites), France; Ria Formosa, Portugal; Sagres, Portugal; Kristineberg, Swed...
C Brown, R J Eaton, S M Cragg, P Goulletquer, A Nicolaidou, M J Bebianno, J Icely, G F Daniel, T Nilsson, A J Pitman, G Sawyer


Evaluation of impact of CCA-treated wood on the marine environment
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50040-15
This paper reviews the literature relating to the potential of CCA-treated wood to affect the marine environment and outlines the compounds required for a model which could be used to predict the environemental impact of maritime construction using such timber. Marine pilings require high loadings of CCA to provide protection from marine borers. Though loadings of 32-48 kg/m³ provide long-term pr...
R M Albuquerque, S M Cragg


Environmental evaluation of products by life cycle analysis [La problématique de lévaluation environnementale des produits à partir de l'analyse de leur cycle de vie et de leur "écobilan"]
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50002
In the last years a significant evolution in terms of industrial environment emerged. It has been realized that regulations on specific pollutants, controls on industrial sites, although indispensable actions, had to be completed with extended approaches based on the assessment of products and integrated substance chain management. To take into account such an approach, methodological researches h...
G C Landrieu


Comparison of thermally modified wood originating from four industrial scale processes – durability
2002 - IRG/WP 02-40229
This study examined the differences in biological wood properties of heat treated wood originating from four different European industrial heat treatment plants. The manufacturers of heat treated material were: PLATO Hout B.V./Netherlands, Thermo Wood/Finland, New Option Wood/France and Menz Holz/Germany where Oil-Heat treated Wood (OHT) is produced. The results of miniblock tests with basidiomyc...
C R Welzbacher, A O Rapp


The effect of heat treatment on the properties of spruce
1994 - IRG/WP 94-40032
The effect of high temperature treatment (above 150°C) on the wood quality is studied at the VTT. Improved dimensional stability, lower equilibrium moisture content and increased durability against biodeterioration is achieved, depending on the environmental factors. The biodeterioration resistance of spruce is improved due to changes in chemical composition and lower equilibrium moisture content...
H Viitanen, S Jämsä, L Paajanen, A J Nurmi, P Viitaniemi


Assessment of the environmental impacts in life cycle analysis
1995 - IRG/WP 95-50040-31
Evaluation of environmental impacts is of crucial importance nowadays but it is a complex problem. Different methodologies have been proposed for the last 20 years such as the "Life Cycle Assessment" (LCA) approach. Life Cycle Assessment is an evalution tool of the impacts on the environment of a system including the whole activities associated with, from the extraction of the raw materials to the...
I Blanc-Sommereux


Information from the COIPM Wood Group
1988 - IRG/WP 4146
Abstract from the COIPM minutes: Wood in marine environment: Mrs Gambetta stated that the main item discussed by the Group was the collaborative work to test the durability of heat shrinkable polyolephin sheating materials for the protection of wood against marine organisms. The work began last year when wood samples were sent out to the participants. Three samples of Pinus sylvestris wrapped in ...
A Gambetta


Biological and chemical investigations for the assessment of the environmental impact of wood preservative components
1999 - IRG/WP 99-50127
This study was carried out in order to investigate the suitability of biological and chemical techniques to evaluate the environmental impact of wood preservatives depleted from impregnated wood. Small specimens (15*25*50 mm3) of Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris) were treated with a CCB salt. After fixation the treated and untreated samples were washed-out according EN 84, and the different le...
E Melcher, H-W Wegen


Dimensational stabilisation of wood
1981 - IRG/WP 3171
A review is given of the studies on the dimensional stabilisation of wood which have been carried out in the laboratory 5.14 "Wood Technology" since 1967. All stabilisation methods known have first been compiled from the available literature. Practical studies were then started. Wood was treated with monomers (styrene, methyl metacrylate, isocyanate), formaldehyde, tannin and sugar. Despite a sati...
A Burmester


Proposal for a method aiming at the quantification of the impact of wood extraction in Life Cycle Assessment
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50113
Life Cycle Assessment has been accepted as an instrument for the assessment of the environmental impact of products. Characterisation factors for impact assessment of emissions from products have been established. To date no characterisation factor exists for the extraction of biotic resources, for example wood. Since the main disadvantage of using wood as a material lies in the extraction of reso...
P Esser, E Van der Voet


Effects of steaming heat treatment of wood on the stimulation of termite feeding
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10212
At the 26th IRG conference, we reported that steamed Japanese larch heartwood samples were suffered a serious attack by subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus both in choice and no-choice feeding tests. This is possibly caused by the yield of termites stimulants in the wood samples resulting from the steaming process. Since the steaming heat treatment has often been applied to other several ...
S Doi, Y Kurimoto, M Takahashi, T Yoshimura


Ecotox Testing of Leachates as an Alternative Approach for Environmental Impact Assessment of Wood Preservatives
2002 - IRG/WP 02-50185
Driven by the implementation of the EU Biocidal Product Directive (BPD) in the environmental assessment of treated wood different methodologies and test strategies are at present under discussion within industry, regulatory authorities and standardizing comittees. Test procedures for the analytical determination of emissions to different environmental compartments according to exposure scenario...
H-W Wegen


Changes in some important mechanical and physical properties of untreated and treated mining timber after exposure to the conditions of a colliery
1996 - IRG/WP 96-20082
Each of salt treated and untreated mining timber (wedge) pairs with 5x15 cm² cross-section and 155 cm length prepared from Scots pine, Bornmüller's fir and oriental beech was cut in the small standard test specimens to determine changes in some important mechanical and physical properties, 13 month after exposure to the conditions of Kozlu Hard Coal Mines in the depth of 52 m. Thus, the...
A Bobat


Bending strength of heat-treated spruce and pine timber
2002 - IRG/WP 02-40242
Heat-treatment of spruce (Picea abies) and pine (Pinus sylvestris) beams (45 x 145 mm) gave a reduction in bending strength of approximately 50%. The bending stiffness (modulus of elasticity) only decreased by 3.5%. Tests were carried out according to EN 408. Another effect of the heat-treatment was increased variation in bending strength. The 5th percentile value of the bending strength, the so c...
C Bengtsson, J Jermer, F Brem


Influence of water-borne preservatives on water repellency and the impact of addition of water repellent additives
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3704
The primary goal of a desirable wood preservative system is to effectively control decay fungi and other biodeteriogens in service. The water repellent nature of a given system may play an important role in the protection of wood. In this study, the water repellency of several water-borne preservative systems has been evaluated by measurements of tangential swelling during immersion. The systems i...
L Jin, D M Roberts, A F Preston


Treatment groups and remedies for CCA treated hardwood and softwood poles
1999 - IRG/WP 99-40142
Different hardwood and softwood species from Bangladesh and Bhutan was investigated regarding density, green fiber stress, natural durability of heartwood and CCA treated sapwood, CCA treatability grades, sapwood thickness, and kiln-drying properties for long term use as electric poles. These properties along with the past service records for nineteen years, separated ten heardwood and five softwo...
A K Lahiry


Characteristics of thermally modified wood in vacuum
2004 - IRG/WP 04-40287
In commercial thermal wood modification processes nitrogen, steam or oil has been used for the reduction of oxygen content in the reactor atmosphere. In present study no special heating medium, but an initial vacuuming step has been used for this purpose. Mass loss, resistance to fungal decay, dimensional stability, bending strength and modulus of elasticity of heat treated wood were evaluated and...
G Rep, F Pohleven, B Bucar


Impact of leachates from CCA- and copper azole-treated pine decking on soil-dwelling invertebrates
2002 - IRG/WP 02-50183
This study assessed the short-term effects on non-target soil invertebrates of leachates from a naturally durable hardwood and timber treated with two copper-based wood preservatives. Natural rainwater leachates from kwila decking, and radiata pine-decking treated with CCA or copper-azole, were collected and applied on mown lawn soil in Brisbane, Queensland. The soil study consisted of 5 treatment...
N Crumière, A House, M J Kennedy


Durability of some alternatives to preservative treated wood
2004 - IRG/WP 04-30353
The environmental discussion in Sweden has lead to an increasing use of naturally durable domestic wood species and wood treated according to alternative methods for use above ground. A number of these alternatives have been tested according to field- and laboratory tests and compared to wood treated with preservatives for above ground use. Seven untreated wood species, four alternative wood treat...
M-L Edlund


Fluoride and chromium concentrations in soil adjacent to remedially treated distribution poles
1996 - IRG/WP 96-50066
Soils adjacent to Rentex treated 'on-line' distribution poles were analysed for total fluoride and chromium content for comparison with background values of these elements. Soil samples 6 cm and 25 cm downslope of selected poles were recovered at 1 week, 1 month, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Background soil samples were taken 50 m from the poles at sampling times. Fourteen po...
D C R Sinclair, G M Smith, A Bruce, H J Staines, P Durrant


Less pollution due to technical approaches on accelerated steam fixation of chromated wood preservatives
1988 - IRG/WP 3487
Steaming of freshly treated wood at 100°C to 120°C initiates a spontaneous fixation of copper-chromate-containing wood preservatives. For the performance, a suitable anticorrosive equipment is necessary. Good results can be achieved using a separate steaming equipment which allows a rapid heating of the wood. While warming-up, in the wood some preservative solution extends and can be partly extr...
H Willeitner, R-D Peek


A Novel Type of Multiple Cavity Attack in Wood Cell Walls of Heat-treated Timber Exposed in Seawater – Preliminary Observations
2004 - IRG/WP 04-10523
Samples of untreated and heat-treated Norway spruce and Douglas fir were submerged in Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth for 4 years at a depth of ca. 0.3 metres. The heat-treated samples had been prepared using the Plato process. Samples were initially assessed for the severity of marine borer damage and were then examined microscopically for evidence of microbial decay. Longitudinal and transverse wo...
R A Eaton, C Björdal, T Nilsson


Formosan Subterranean Termite Resistance to Heat Treatment of Scots Pine and Norway Spruce
2003 - IRG/WP 03-40264
New challenges to the durability of wood building materials have arisen in the U.S. The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) now infests sizable portions of the U.S. south and their range is extending. Heat treatments offer a unique opportunity for wood-based composites because many of the process techniques already employ various thermal applications and could be easil...
W R Smith, A O Rapp, C R Welzbacher, J E Winandy


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


Minimisation of the Environmental Impacts of Coatings on Exterior Wood by Optimisation of their Life Spans
2003 - IRG/WP 03-50197
The study has shown that the environmental impacts from coatings on exterior wood are dependent criteria on their life spans. A minimisation of the environmental impacts can be performed with the help of the integrated design model, which is tested in this study. The optimal life spans, found as reference service lives from the exposure tests, statistical evaluation and the assessment of experts w...
L Strömberg


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