IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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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


Climate change and wood protection, increasing demand of long life wood products and decreasing production of treated wood
2010 - IRG/WP 10-50269
Several new topics related to wood protection sector has appeared in Japan, as the awareness of climate change becomes bigger and bigger. The “Basic act for housing (2006)” and the “Long-life housing promotion act (2009)” were enforced to form a safe and high quality housing stock and to form a long-service-life housing respectively. Despite of the favorable background for wood protection ...
K Yamamoto, H Kato


Effects of global climate change on mould growth - Interactions of concern
2010 - IRG/WP 10-50270
An evident change in climate the last decades has been recorded, and combined effects of increased CO2, elevated temperature and altered precipitation regimes have been observed to represent a change to the fundamental drivers within ecosystems. Growth of moulds, both in nature and on man-made constructions and objects, will most likely increase due to changes in the climate. The survival, the rep...
L Ross Gobakken


Natural durability of wood tested in different environments in Northern Europe
2011 - IRG/WP 11-10747
Moisture is often recognised as a key factor regarding the long time performance of wooden products, and one of the main challenges for timber products is to predict accurate service life in use class 3 (not covered above ground) and use class 4 (in soil or fresh water contact). A range of durability classification studies have been performed both in field and laboratory. But for several wood spec...
P O Flæte, G Alfredsen, F G Evans


Growth conditions for fungal decay in wooden constructions – practical experience versus literature
2011 - IRG/WP 11-10758
Data regarding moisture and temperature requirements of decay fungi found in literature have been compared to experience from observations in a large number of Norwegian buildings. A number of selected situations are discussed, among those exposure to high relative humidity, exposure to free water and decay in the supposedly adverse conditions on Svalbard. The moisture content in wood has to be at...
M Sand Sivertsen, J Mattsson


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


Decay initiation in plywood, OSB and solid wood under marginal moisture conditions
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20469
Hygrothermal models are increasingly used as research tools by building scientists and and design tools by designers to simulate heat, air, vapour, and water movements within and through building envelope and even to predict the consequences in terms of mould/decay growth and metal corrosion. This work was designed to generate data on decay initiation under marginal moisture conditions to support...
Jieying Wang, P Morris


Performances of Douglas fir in real outdoor use conditions
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20472
The European standard EN 350-2 classifies Douglas fir as moderately resistant to fungal decay on the basis of standardized laboratory and field tests. However, the lifespan expectancy of outdoor structures such as cladding, decking and elements of wood construction carpentry may also vary according to environmental conditions (climate, exposure to weathering), maintenance and design. An investigat...
M Kutnik, S Lepetit, S Le Nevé


Above ground testing at tropical test sites, what have we learned?
2011 - IRG/WP 11-20473
Three different above ground test methods have been utilized at a selection of five tropical and sub-tropical test sites with a variety of treated and untreated material. The results show that a multi-site approach to above ground field tests presents the opportunity for exposure to un-predicted biodeterioration hazards, which may be important for developmental products of poorly characterized fu...
A Preston, A Zahora, Y Cabrera, L Jin, C Schauwecker, P Walcheski


Protective Levels of Borates in timber Foundation Piles 5 – 18 Years after In-situ Remedial Treatment in Areas with Wet Clay Ground Conditions. The Jerbor and Eurobor Protocol, Part 1.
2011 - IRG/WP 11-30571
Timber has been used as foundation piles and grillages for decades or even centuries. Since the late 1970s a method for investigate, analyze and treat building timber foundations in soft clay grounds against decay fungus with a biocide have been developed and used by the late professor Allan Jerbo. Settling of buildings in soft clay grounds is continuously monitored and if damages to the building ...
M Theorin, K-M Bandh


Eastern redcedar included sapwood: Resistance to mold and termites under laboratory conditions
2012 - IRG/WP 12-10765
The heartwood of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) frequently contains areas of light-colored wood. This “included sapwood” is considered to be a defect by some manufacturers. In this study, sapwood, included sapwood and heartwood samples from five eastern redcedar trees were exposed to mold fungi or to subterranean termites in a no-choice feeding test. Extractives content was also measu...
C Köse, A M Taylor


Long term durability of the heartwood of seven common softwood species in above ground conditions
2012 - IRG/WP 12-10771
The natural durability for wood in above ground use has been evaluated based on results after 11 years of exposure in a test site situated at the Danish Technological Institute in Taastrup, Denmark. Selected results for seven common softwood species exposed horizontally are reported. The test results cover samples with direct rain exposure (use class 3 of the European standard EN335-1:2006) and sa...
E Tang Engelund, M Klamer, T Mark Venås, B Lindegaard


Mold Control for Treated Lumber in Block-Stack Storage Conditions
2012 - IRG/WP 12-30588
The mold development and control for freshly treated and block-stacked wood have been evaluated using a green house mold testing method. The results for the mold resistance of several commonly used water boron preservative treatment systems, such as ACQ, Copper Azole, and borates with and without inclusion of mold inhibitors are presented. The data suggest that the different preservative treatme...
L Jin, P Walcheski, A Preston


The influence of microclimate on the moisture conditions in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) joint exposed to artificial rain
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20505
Wood structures outdoors are susceptible to decay if they are exposed to high moisture contents during long periods of time. Structures with joints that act as water traps are especially exposed since high moisture contents are reached in such positions. This paper presents a part of a laboratory study that concerns the relationship between the microclimate and the material climate, i.e. the moist...
M Fredriksson, L Wadsö, P Johansson


COST Action FP0904 – Increasing the Understanding of Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Wood Behaviour and Processing
2013 - IRG/WP 13-40646
The polymeric components of wood and its porous structure allow its properties to be modified under the combined effects of temperature, moisture and mechanical action – so-called Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) treatments. Various types of processing techniques, including high temperature steam with or without an applied mechanical force, can be utilised to enhance wood properties, to produce eco...
D Jones, P Navi


Modelling the risk for mould growth on timber stored outdoors protected from rain
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20529
A mould resistance design (MRD) model was used to calculate the maximum duration of storage of timber outdoors under cover (protected from rain) before the onset of mould growth on the surface of wood. The prediction model is based on laboratory tests performed in constant and cyclic climates and were also confirmed against exposure tests in attics and crawl spaces. The prediction model presented ...
E Frühwald Hansson, S Bardage, S Thelandersson


Is there a role for termite alates in colony expansion in Wisconsin?
2014 - IRG/WP 14-10820
Termite colonies in Wisconsin tend to be large and widely spread out geographically, and separated by distances up to 1342km. We recently completed a study to determine the genetic diversity and population substructure of thirteen existing colonies of Reticulitermes flavipes using amplified fragment length polymorphism to determine patterns of termite dispersal in Wisconsin. Measures of inbreedin...
F Green III, R A Arango, G R Esenther, T G Shelton


Evaluation of vessel features on physical and mechanical properties of wood of Common black poplar (Populus nigra L.) grown at different elevations in the region with a continental climate
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40656
This study essentially examined the effect of elevation on the anatomical structure, and the physical and mechanical properties of Common black poplar (Populus nigra L.) wood. The scope of the study was to observe the variability of vessel element features on physical and mechanical properties of Common black poplar (Populus nigra L.) in relation to habitat at different elevations. For this purpos...
I Usta


A guideline for sorting easy to impregnate Scots pine sapwood based on three treatability studies from Northern Europe
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40669
Scots pine sapwood is generally considered an easy to impregnate wood species, though it reportedly faces challenges towards a homogeneous impregnation and large variations in treatability are reported for the material. This study comprises the results of three treatability tests that were performed on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood. The material impregnated was originated from a large ...
K Zimmer, E Larnøy, A Treu


Above ground field testing: results of experiments in Brazil after one year
2015 - IRG/WP 15-30660
After the development of new products they need to be field-tested to assess their efficacy under diverse conditions of climate, comparing them with a preservative with proven efficacy. In some testing sites, decay occurs very slowly. The solution would be to bring these tests to locations that are conducive to biodeterioration, like tropical climates. Tropical sites provide higher temperature and...
M F Natale, J M Vidal


Termite Management and the U.S. Experience: A Case for Wood Treatment & Integrated Control
2015 - IRG/WP 15-30678
A brief overview of termite control is given using specific experiences from the U.S.A. Five major types of termite treatment now prevail: soil applied chemical barriers, in-structure chemical barriers (in-situ applied wood and foundation treatments), physical barriers, treated wood and termite baits. In general, ‘stand-alone’ pretreatments or ‘primary’ treatments are often discussed and ...
J D Lloyd, K van den Meiracker


Foundation piles: analysis of beech wood decay in service life conditions
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10858
Wood piles foundation system was largely used over decades. Thus, numerous buildings over the world are based on this constructive system. In the context of reduction of CO2 emissions in the building field of constructions, substitution of concrete by wood as material for foundation piles seems to be a promising alternative. However, fluctuation of the water table level in soil may promote fungal ...
Q Kleindienst, A Besserer, M-L Antoine, C Perrin, J-F Bocquet, L Bléron


Production of reactive oxygen species in the presence of oxidized iron and oxalate under conditions mimicking brown-rot fungal degradation of wood
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10861
The biochemical role of oxalate in the fungal solubilization of iron is well known, but additional information is needed on the role that oxalate plays in the brown-rot decay of lignocellulose. In this study iron sequestration from iron and iron oxide-hydroxides was assessed with regard to the function of a chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)...
Yuan Zhu, Liangpeng Zhuang, B Goodell, Jinzhen Cao, J Mahaney


Variation in moisture content in field trials according to use class 3.2 conditions
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20580
Different test methods to determine the durability of wood in use class 3 (EN 335:2013) are available. Fungal degradation of wood requires liquid water. Different Standards (EN 335-1:2006; DIN 68 800:2011) specify the risk for decay with moisture content (mc) of above 20%. EN 335 (2013) does not specify moisture content but rather defined limited wetting conditions (use class 3.1) or prolonged wet...
S Bollmus, A Gellerich, H Militz


Modelling the performance of bio-based building materials
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20582
The ‘bio-based economy’ represents a growing area of development globally and covers a wide range of building materials including wood and wood-based products. A ‘bio-based’ material is intentionally made from substances derived from living (or once-living) organisms. In this context it means that the materials and products are made from renewable resources, with the criteria that a renewa...
C Brischke


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