IRG Documents Database and Compendium


Search and Download IRG Documents:



Between and , sort by


Displaying your search results

Your search resulted in 350 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.


Analysis and performance of spruce alternative species and discarded wood for windows production
2024 - IRG/WP 24-50386
Climate change is having a significant impact on European forestry, particularly on the softwood species used for window frames. This study investigates potential replacement tree species for spruce (Picea abies), the predominant material for window frames. We evaluate Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), thermally modified poplar (Populus nigra) and discarded silver...
B Lesar, J Levanič, M Humar, A Treu


Structural health assessment of wood - A comparison of methods for determining the spatial spread of fungal infestation in beams and rafters
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11051
Wood decay in buildings can cause severe economic losses, require comprehensive refurbishment, and removal of decayed wooden elements from the building. The latter aims at restoring the structural integrity of the component or the entire building through replacement, and at preventing the infestation from spreading further. In practice, components are cut out of the structure to such an extent tha...
C Brischke, N Sommerfeld, E Flohr, A K Mayer, S Bollmus


Multifactorial analysis of the reasons behind wood natural durability
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11065
Physical, chemical and biological properties of several wood species were investigated in order to highlight the main factors involved in wood natural durability and wood characteristic using a principal component analysis. Interaction of wood with water were evaluated using contact angle measurements to determinate wood wettability by water and wood impregnability tests with water allowing to cal...
L-F E Nkogo, M S M Mouendou, S Dumarçay, P E Engonga, F Zannini, E Gelhaye, P Gérardin


Durability and molecular analysis of fungal communities in wood exposed above ground
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11068
The objective of the study was to explore the durability of wood exposed above ground, comprising a wide diversity of wood species and treatments and extensive assessment data on wood durability in ongoing long-term testing. Larch species and Scots pine heartwood, two tropical species ntholo and ncurri and a number of treated wood by copper-based formulations and alternatives (silanes, spiroborate...
N Högberg, D Panov, G Daniel, N Terziev


Functional Analysis of Cellobiose Dehydrogenase from the Saprotrophic Basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11076
The plant saprophytic fungi including wood rotting fungi secrete various extracellular hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes to degrade wood cell wall. Among these, cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is known as a flavoheme enzyme composed of a flavin domain with FAD and a b-type heme domain. CDH oxidises the reducing end of cellobiose, and transfers electrons to redox partners such as lytic polysaccharide...
Y Sakka, A Hosaka, M Yoshida


Transmission poles - Analysis of causes of premature failure in Slovenia
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20745
The study focuses on analysing the causes of the premature collapse of wooden transmission poles in Slovenia, where there have been several cases of rapid fungal decomposition of poles despite the planned lifespan of 30 to 50 years. The poles were made of Scots pine wood and impregnated with a copper-ethanolamine wood preservative. The research aimed to assess the condition of standing poles and e...
M Humar, B Lesar, N Kregar, S Drnovšek


The iTrussT project – Advancements in timber bridge design, preservation, and monitoring
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20751
The Norwegian research project iTrussT (2025–2028) aims to advance timber bridge design and unlock wood’s full potential as a sustainable solution for modern infrastructure. It addresses three critical challenges: First, fatigue testing of glued laminated timber lamellae will provide deeper insights into shear failure mechanisms, supporting the development of safer, more efficient structures a...
K-C Mahnert, U Hundhausen


Durability Analysis of Bio-based Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin-Treated Wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20753
The aim of this study is to explore the application of bio-based materials in outdoor construction. Enhancing the durability of wood products effectively extends their carbon storage lifespan, making it essential to investigate their long-term durability. The study used commercial resin (CPF) and laboratory-synthesised petro-based phenolic resin (LPF) as control groups. Japanese cedar specimens we...
T-H Lin, P-Y Kuo


Curing Behaviour of Bio-based Phenol Formaldehyde Resin and the Durability Performance of Treated Wood
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20758
The aim of the study is to investigate the curing behaviours of bio-based PF resins treated Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). Compared to conventional wood preservatives such as metal-based ACQ, bio-based PF resin was more environmentally-friendly and can store more plant-based carbon inside treated wood. However, all these preservatives have the risk of being leached out. This study conducte...
Y-S Lee, P-Y Kuo


The non-energy utilization of low-quality wood from the invasive species Prunus serotina
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30814
Alien invasive species in Europe, such as Prunus serotina, can significantly impact ecosystem structure and function. This species provides low-quality timber, which is most often used for energy purposes in the form of biomass. In the era of policies focused on a circular economy, seeking methods to extend the life cycle of raw materials and wood products is necessary. For this purpose, the wood ...
W Perdoch, P Kołwzan


Enhancing strength, fire and biological resistance of wood through structural and chemical modification
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30831
Wood, a renewable and versatile biopolymer, has been a fundamental material to construct traditional and advanced composites for building construction, furniture, transparent composites, and various other applications. Despite its many advantages, including its aesthetic appeal, workability, and relatively low cost, wood possesses inherent limitations such as susceptibility to biological, flame an...
R Abouzeid, M S Koo, Q Wu


Preservation conditions of wooden roofs of two historical churches in middle-Sweden
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41016
Assessment of biodegradation by the rot of shingles from the roofs of churches of Hammarby and Tångeråsa in mid-Sweden was done by studies with X-ray computer tomography. The study suggests that inner rot could be detected with CT, which was not always easily detected by visual inspection. In some cases, erosion from the weathered side was fairly large, but the inner wood part was found not to b...
O Karlsson, Y Huang, A Postovoitova, C-F Lin, O Myronycheva


Experimental characterizing of liquid water uptake and release – key to understand moisture-induced decay risk analysis
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41020
Wood can absorb water vapour (sorption) or liquid water (capillarity). Moisture from liquid water (rain, spray water) is often a problem for the performance of wood products used in outdoor structures. Wood is prone to biodegradation when is it too moist for too long periods. Experimental studies that allow conclusions to be drawn about the practical use of wood water uptake are limited due to the...
M Nopens, J T Benthien, J Trautner, C Brischke


Effect of biodiesel-containing solvents on the performance of Copper Naphthenate and Pentachlorophenol: 118-month assessment and depletion analysis
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41022
Solvent systems are incredibly important in determining the performance of oilborne wood preservative systems and they can cause early failures in commodities treated with an otherwise effective preservative system. It is important to assess new solvent performance with oilborne preservative systems to ensure these systems continue to function with the changes. One solvent/preservative combination...
J Cappellazzi, M J Konkler, J J Morrell, C S Love, G Presley


A Case Study of Vogvarjeva hiša, a Local Ethnographic Museum
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41027
The Vogvarjeva hiša in Spodnje Duplje, Slovenia, is an example of traditional 18th Century wooden architecture and an important element of the region’s cultural heritage. The building was constructed from local timber on stone foundations and reflects the traditional rural building techniques of the Gorenjska region. Since it was declared a cultural monument in 1985, it has functioned as an eth...
D Kržišnik, L Kopač, D Jones, M Humar


Biocomposites based on fungal mycelium and beech particles impregnated with BPCM (bio-phase change material) for thermal energy storage
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41034
The building sector is a major contributor to Europe's carbon emissions, and transition to a bio-based economy is essential for achieving long-term sustainability goals. The European Union has set ambitious targets for climate-neutral heating and cooling by 2050, which requires the widespread adoption of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. A key element in this transition i...
E Nigrone, F De Francesco, J Conti, M Jebrane, M Nazari, N Terziev, S Palanti


Durability evaluation of outdoor-exposed CLT treated with various wood presevatives using CT scans
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41035
Methods for wood preservation treatment of large materials such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) are limited. It is unclear which wood preservation treatment methods can effectively protect CLT from rot risk. In this study, accelerated rot tests (fungus cellar test) of CLT treated with the solvent-borne wood preservative by non-pressure treatment, named ‘deep penetration treatment’, were conduc...
Y Sakurai, T Shigeyama, Y Sugai


Validation of a measurement method for cyproconazole retention in pressure-treated wood through an interlaboratory study
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41037
The Japanese Agricultural standard (JAS) defines national regulations for preserved wood and wooden materials, in Japan. Traditionally the JAS focused on quality of product, however, the revision of the JAS Act in 2017 enabled standardisation of test or measurement method for the quality evaluation. The Japan Wood Protection Association (JWPA) has been working toward standardisation of methods for...
T Miyauchi, Y Itou, M Samejima


Towards Sustainable Wood Protection: PF resins-impregnated Paper Honeycombs and the role of Processing Parameters analysis by Response Surface Methodology
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41045
Honeycomb paperboard is an important wood-derived product and also an emerging new material to combine with wood panels. It is commonly applied as cushioning materials with excellent mechanical performance, and high demands in packaging market. The aims of this study were to enhance the durability of honeycomb paperboard using PF resins of various molecular weights (Mw 200, Mw 500, Mw 700), partic...
Y-C Wu, P-Y Kuo


Recycling wood treated with copper-based preservatives to produce hard carbon materials for energy storage applications
2025 - IRG/WP 25-50401
In this study, we explored the possibility of recycling wood treated with copper-based preservatives to produce hard carbon materials for use in energy storage devices. We pyrolsed both untreated and copper-treated wood into hard carbon, conducted microstructural and physicochemical characterisation, prepared electrode materials, and evaluated their electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batter...
D Huo, J-P Bonnet, A Jamali


WoodStock: Empowering climate-smart, circular, and zero-waste use of underutilized wood from the forest and building stock in the construction sector to support the New European Bauhaus
2025 - IRG/WP 25-50405
There is a clear need for enhanced contribution of the forest-based sector to decarbonisation strategies for buildings, both in terms of operational emissions, embodied emissions, and carbon removals. WoodStock is a multifaceted project dedicated to advancing climate-smart wood construction practices in alignment with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. A primary focus is the quantification...
L De Ligne, J Van Acker, J Van den Bulcke


Hyperspectral imaging in qualitative and quantitative assessment of biocide treated timber
2025 - IRG/WP 25-50407
A hyperspectral camera operating in the shortwave infrared light range between 1000 – 2500 nm was used to collect spectral profiles of timber treated with different biocides and varying concentrations of a copper-ethanolamine based wood preservative. The spectra were analysed using statistical methods like principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and partial least squares to a...
J Levanič, E Keržič, B Lesar, M Humar


Physical and chemical characterization of post-consumer wood chips for recycling
2025 - IRG/WP 25-50414
Post-consumer wood (PCW) is a valuable resource that can partially substitute virgin wood in material applications. This communication paper presents key findings from a study that analysed PCW collected from three recycling facilities in southeastern Norway over eight months. A total of 20 mixed and 4 pre-sorted PCW samples were evaluated regarding their material composition, particle geometry, a...
M Altgen, K Bringdal Gedde, L Ross, E Larnøy


Probing nanoscale protection mechanisms with x-rays and neutrons
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11083
While it is known that exposing wood to high levels of moisture, fire, or decay agents such as fungi can be detrimental for its performance, what is often missing in literature is a holistic understanding of how wood nanostructure changes due to these exposures. This is of particular interest since treatments that are meant to impart resistance can alter these length scales and/or modify their hyg...
N Z Plaza, K M Ohno, J E Jakes, J B O’Sullivan, L Yang


Analysis of A Wooden Structure Damaged in a Fire – The Wooden Granary at Zaprice, Kamnik
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41049
Zaprice Open-Air Museum in Kamnik, Slovenia, features several granaries dating to the early 19th century, forming part of the national Cultural Heritage Register (EID: 1-09881). One of the two-chamber wooden granaries, constructed in 1828, suffered significant fire damage in December 2024. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent of the damage, assess the structural integrity, and id...
M Humar, B Lesar, L Kopač, A Žagar


Previous Page