IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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Your search resulted in 141 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.


Wood protection, a tool for climate change mitigation?
2008 - IRG/WP 08-50257
In the context of global warming and the search for possible strategies to mitigate climate change, forest and forest products have important advantages. Sustainable management makes forest a carbon sink, wood products have the potential to be a carbon sink as well, and their low carbon intensity is a potential for reducing CO2 emissions by substitution to competing materials. After describing the...
G Deroubaix


Guideline for Environmental Product Declaration for Thermally Modified Timber
2012 - IRG/WP 12-50287
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) intend to enable the comparison of the environmental attributes of products that meet equivalent functional requirements. This guideline describes the proceedings of EPD for thermally modified timber (TMT). The main objective is the general survey on requirements on EPD which are based on European and international standards.Up to now only a few EPDs for na...
L Clauder


The Environmental Impact of Timber Products Compared to other Building Materials - A Survey of Published Environmental Product Declarations
2016 - IRG/WP 16-50314
One of the positive aspects of using wood in construction is the environmental benefits that this can potentially bring. However, manufacturers of all construction products and materials make claims about the ‘environmental friendliness’ of their products, making it exceedingly difficult for the end user to make informed choices about the advisability of using one product over another. This st...
C Hill, J Dibdiakova


Methane emission by termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki
1995 - IRG/WP 95-10099
Association of methanogenic bacteria only with the smallest-sized symbiotic protozoa Spirotrichonympha leidyi Koidzumi was evidenced by epifluorescence microscopic observations. Workers, which were collected from a laboratory colony and placed in a test container with water supply emitted methane at a relatively constant rate with a peak of 0.76 nmol/termite/hr within the first 72 hrs after the in...
K Tsunoda, W Ohmura, M Tokoro, T Yoshimura


The impact of global warming on the UK distribution of house longhorn beetle Hylotrupes bajulus (L)
2001 - IRG/WP 01-10414
This paper reviews the effects of global warming on insect populations and distribution. The affects of global warming on the spread of Hylotrupes is predicted through a review of research related to the influence of temperature on its life-cycle and flight. Records of Hylotrupes distribution were obtained from published surveys, entomologists and museum collections and were plotted for the UK. Th...
P Oevering, A J Pitman


Impact of climate change on wood deterioration - Challenges and solutions for cultural heritage
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20441
Deterioration of wood in cultural assets follows the same physiological mechanisms as in modern structures. Therefore rules and data for prediction of service life derived from old wooden structures can be used to model the service life of recent wooden structures and vice versa. The latter is done in this paper: From experimental test set ups in the field spread over Europe, climatic data, wood t...
C Brischke, A O Rapp, M Hasan, R Despot


Towards designing eco-friendly buildings with in-built termite protection
2010 - IRG/WP 10-50273
The increase in greenhouse gases, leading to global warming, is considered by a consistent scientific worldview not due to natural variation, but due to the growing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and other atmospheric pollutants. Global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and cement production rose from 22.6 billion tons in 1990 to an estimated 31.2 billio...
J R J French, B M Ahmed Shiday, B Maggiolo, D Maggiolo


Building with wood in the Arctic
2018 - IRG/WP 18-50335
During the last five years there has been a significant increase in interest in Canada in the Arctic, with research on the Franklin exploration of the mid19th century searching for the North West Passage, which coupled with the impact of Global warming on the loss of sea ice has rendered the North West Passage now navigable during the summer months. Building with wood in the Arctic has proved extr...
J N R Ruddick


Development of a Standard for Preservative Treated Wood to be used in the Arctic
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20677
There is ongoing interest in the Arctic with political, environmental and recreational developments almost daily. The impact of global warming on loss of permafrost and sea ice is widely reported. In the last three years several cruise ships have traversed the North West Passage. This increased activity has resulted in the recognition of the need for an increased infrastructure. Historically, the ...
J N R Ruddick


Manipulation of the hierarchical wood structure for extended carbon storage in the built environment
2023 - IRG/WP 23-50381
The sustainable processing of trees into construction materials can act as carbon storage. Carbon storage in durable sustainable wooden construction material has cumulative effects and net gain in storage in the built environment that can be offset by net losses in forest carbon by cutting the tree. Carbon storage for an extended period plays an important role in the mitigation of CO2 emissions an...
T Singh, A Arpanaei, D Elustondo, Q Fu


Screening potential preservatives against stain and mould fungi on pine timber in Zimbabwe
1995 - IRG/WP 95-30063
The search for environmentally and toxicologically safer chemicals for use in the timber preservative industry against stain and mould fungi has been intensified during the past few years. Results of field tests with two chemicals previously evaluated in the laboratory are presented. The conventional sodium pentachlorophenate was the more efficacious chemical against stain and mould fungi, providi...
A J Masuka


Recent soft-rot research in softwoods and hardwoods
1980 - IRG/WP 1108
The purpose of this paper is to describe briefly the current status of our research on soft-rot fungi. The work to be discussed is still in progress and any results described must be regarded as provisional....
J A Butcher


Report of field test results for dichloro-n-octyl-isothiazolone: A potential new wood preservative
1988 - IRG/WP 3495
In a previous report (IRG/WP/3306) we presented preliminary laboratory test results on 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolone (RH 287). Laboratory data indicated toxic threshold values for RH 287 ranging from 0.37 to 0.50 kg/m³. In this report we present field test results on an IRG L-joint test and an in-ground stake test for RH 287, pentachlorophenol and biocide free test units. (a) L-joint tes...
D E Greenley, B M Hegarty


The potential of 2-deoxy-D-glucose as an active ingredient in wood preservation
1999 - IRG/WP 99-30205
2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DOG) is a potential active ingredient against wood decaying fungi. When dissolved in water, it can be used in pressure treatment of wood. Thereby the wood is protected from attack by wood decaying fungi. A concentration of 1.5% (mean retention 9.7 kg/cubic meter sap-wood) is adequate for brown rot fungi, and 3% (mean retention 19.5 kg/cubic meter sapwood) will also provide protection against white rot fungi. 2-DOG is easily soluble in water, and is therefore easily leached from the wood upon completion of the preservation process. Different types of fixa-tion methods have been tried and evaluated. It is possible to produce 2-DOG by the hydrolysis of chitin, a constituent of the exterior skeleton of shellfish and insects. There is a potential for exploita-tion of this waste product provided by the crab and shrimp industry. The yield of 1 kg of fresh shrimp is 75 g of 2-DOG.
O V Frederiksen, A P Koch


Framework document for an international code of good practices for wood preservation and wood protection (anti-sapstain) facilities
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3683
At the Kyoto meeting, the Health & Safety committee agreed to form a task force to prepare a global plan for writing a code of good practices (Code) for wood protection and preservation facilities (Doc. No. IRG/WP/3681). The Canadian document had been presented to the IRG group earlier (Doc. No. IRG/WP/3447) and similar documents were solicited from other countries for preparing a framework do...
V N P Mathur, G Das


Screening potential termiticides: Some thoughts and suggestions on methodology
1988 - IRG/WP 1363
While laboratory bioassays on the efficacy of potential termiticides against subterranean termites continues both to dominate and influence research efforts, suggestions are presented for the need to develop laboratory bioassays that more closely simulate "natural conditions". Not only is this considered desirable, but it will offer more confidence in laboratory and field evaluations and their ana...
J R J French


Potential toxicants for controlling soft rot in preservative treated hardwoods. Part 4: Evaluation of combined diffusion and toxicity
1979 - IRG/WP 2129
A large number of inorganic and organic preservatives were evaluated as potential soft rot control chemicals, by their degree of inhibition of fungal growth after allowing them to diffuse through a 6 mm thick wood slab. The tests were inoculated with wood powder from soft-rotted CCA treated poles. Pentachlorophenol was unable to diffuse quickly through the wood slab, although formulations with hex...
E W B Da Costa, O Collett


Leaching of inorganic wood preservatives – Investigating the relationship between leachability, dissociation characteristics and long-term leaching potential
2003 - IRG/WP 03-50199
Estimation of the leaching properties of preservative components is greatly affected by the leaching test method applied since not all methods equally consider the physical components responsible for leaching. These include: wetting of the wood and penetration of water (affected by dimensions, amount of end grain, permeability, duration and nature of water exposure); solution of preservative comp...
L Waldron, Y T Ung, P A Cooper


A case for adopting a standardised protocol of field and laboratory bioassays to evaluate a potential soil termiticide
2003 - IRG/WP 03-20275
The rationale for adopting a new approach to the field testing of potential soil termiticides is advocated on the grounds that current testing methods are limited to termite bioassays and do not address quantitatively the persistence and bioavailability of soil termiticides to foraging subterranean termites over time and in different soil types. Furthermore, the present testing regimes assume fiel...
J R J French, B M Ahmed


Investigation of the fixation in wood of chromated zinc chloride and copperised chromated zinc chloride preservatives
1976 - IRG/WP 372
A biological method of evaluating the extent to which CZC and CCZC preparations are retained in wood in terms of the potential protection which they afford against destruction by Merulius lacrymans (dry rot) is given. CCZC is recommended for protection of wood under moderate leaching conditions, while the use of CZC under such conditions is not recommended....
V N Sozonova, D A Belenkov


The potential for accelerated ageing to determine the persistence of active ingredients in timber
2006 - IRG/WP 06-20323
Fast screening methods for evaluating the persistence of active ingredients in timber are proposed. This is an outline proposal which is intended to provoke discussion and further development of the methods. Reliable and accurate analytical methods are key to these tests....
L D A Saunders, M R Powell


Wood preservation in Turkey
1982 - IRG/WP 3216
The report reviews the forestry potential of Turkey and also the historical background of wood preservation in the country. The wood preservation industry in Turkey is mainly concentrated on the treatment of poles and railway sleepers. There is no official body responsible for wood preservation activities, and therefore its promotion depends mainly on the voluntary research efforts carried out by ...
R Ilhan, R Cockcroft


N-tritylmorpholine as a potential marine wood protectant against teredinids and pholads - A preliminary evaluation
1983 - IRG/WP 497
The molluscicide, N-tritylmorpholine, is effective in eradicating certain fresh water snails, the intermediate hosts in the transmission of schistosomiasis in man. This preliminary study shows that N-tritylmorpholine is also active against wood-boring marine mollusks. Fine sapwood impregnated with this morpholino compound was not damaged by teredinids or pholads while exposed at two marine sites i...
J D Bultman, K K Parrish


Evaluating the potential of modified wood for use in marine environments using a short-term laboratory bioassay
2004 - IRG/WP 04-10525
Chemically modified wood may be an alternative to preservative treated timber for marine structures. In this study a screening laboratory test using the wood-boring isopod crustacean Limnoria quadripunctata was used to assess the durability of chemically modified Pinus sylvestris, Pinus radiata and Picea sp. Most of the treatments used a combination of one of two of types of the resin dimethyloldi...
L M S Borges, S M Cragg, M van der Zee


A potential anti-sapstain chemical for sawmills
1984 - IRG/WP 3300
Several biocidal formulations were tested under laboratory conditions in order to discover an alternative antisapstain chemical to chlorophenoxides. The formulations tested were experimental water solutions containing a quaternary ammonium chloride, a commercial fungicide and/or a sodium salt of some carboxylic acids. The effect of sodium carbonate and borax decahydrate in mixture with a quaternar...
I A Linderborg


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