Your search resulted in 1077 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Modelling the service life of wood in ground contact – Verification of remotely sensed soil data from the reanalysis dataset ERA5-Land using in-situ measurements at a test site of utility poles in Eastern Norway
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41003
This study compared soil moisture and temperature estimates from the 5th European reanalysis (ERA5-Land) dataset with in-situ measurements to assess the accuracy and applicability of ERA5-Land data for modelling the service life of wood in ground contact. The ERA5-Land soil temperature estimates showed a moderate correlation with the in-situ temperature measurements (Spearman’s ρ of 0.73) and a...
U Hundhausen, P B van Niekerk, B Marais
Modelling wood moisture content in outdoor conditions from measured data
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41005
Sustainable use of wood requires an understanding of expected service life, particularly when the material is exposed to outdoor conditions and, thus, fungal decay. Since moisture is the primary vector for fungal decay, accurate moisture prediction is a key component in service life assessment. For this purpose, the present study leverages existing measured data for linear regression of in-field m...
J Niklewski, P B van Niekerk, L Meyer-Veltrup, J Sandak, C Brischke
Changes in decay risk of wood in ground contact over Europe, from analysis of historic climate conditions
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41008
Changing climate conditions will affect global temperature and precipitation patterns, shifting some geographical areas into states that are more suitable for fungal wood decay. Climate normals, which are taken over a 30-year period, capture vast spatial and temporal variations in these conditions and comparing these can show changes over time. Importantly, being able to identify locations that ha...
P B van Niekerk, B N Marais, G Alfredsen, C Brischke
Determining the minimum water vapor permeability of exterior wood coatings by means of hygrothermal and decay models
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20717
The objective of this study was to determine the minimum water vapor permeability of exterior wood coatings for log homes using hygrothermal and decay modeling. The approach is based on a worst-case scenario assumption, namely a moisture trap at a given wood moisture content in a coated wall log. The minimum limit of vapor permeability of the coating system was determined by simulating the time re...
U Hundhausen, S Ullah, D Kraniotis
The durability and mechanical properties of 40 years old Black locust poles
2024 - IRG/WP 24-11042
This study investigates the durability and mechanical properties of 40-year-old black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) poles harvested from a vineyard in Slovenia. Wood from these poles was compared to recently harvested black locust wood to determine possible reuse options. Visual inspection, hyperspectral imaging, and laboratory tests were conducted to assess decay, density, mechanical properties, ...
M Humar, J Malik, J Levanic, D Krzisnik, E Kerzic, B Lesar
Synthetic Oxalate/ß-glucan Fungal Extracellular Matrix Demonstrates Potential Inhibition of Extracellular Enzyme Diffusion into Wood Cell Walls, and Calls into Question the Role of Enzymes in Wood Decay
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11053
ß-glucan is the major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many fungi, including wood degrading fungi. Many of these species also secrete oxalate into the ECM. Our research demonstrates that ß-glucan forms a novel, previously unreported, hydrogel at room temperature with oxalate. This finding better explains the gel-like nature of the fungal ECM. Oxalate, at relatively low levels, was ...
B Goodell, G A Tompsett, G Perez-Gonzalez, K Mastalerz, M Timko
Decay pattern in external wooden structures
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11055
Decay in external wooden structures has historically been a universal problem of great concern. Despite this, the general understanding of where and why wood-decaying fungi are occurring is limited. The consequences of this are that decayed wood might not be detected and that measures to protect the wood against deterioration has limited effect.
Wood decay in different geographical and climatic ...
J Mattsson, M S Austigard, A-C Flyen
Fungal degradation of oak timber bridges
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11058
Wood is increasingly recognised as an eco-friendly building material, but its organic nature makes it vulnerable to degradation, especially in outdoor applications exposed to moisture. This study investigates wood-decaying fungi affecting oak timber bridges in Hanover, Germany. The study aimed to identify the fungal species using culture-independent methods and to examine the impact of poorly exec...
L Schrader, J Trautner, C Brischke
Revealing the degradation process of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) by different decay fungi
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11060
Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is the main bamboo species for engineering; however, it is highly susceptible to various fungi during use. In this study, four prevalent decay fungi, including two brown rot fungi and two white-rot fungi, were used as the test fungi to investigate the changes in structure and chemical composition of Moso bamboo samples at different incubation times in order to be...
J Xue, D Cui, M Zhou, J Cao
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 to wood decay fungi and subterranean termites of Quercus pyrenaica Wild
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11066
The use of wood has added value since it is renewable, biodegradable, and a recyclable material. For this reason, evaluating its natural durability is essential when establishing the level of protection required, depending on the designated end use. Natural durability is defined as the intrinsic resistance of wood against the attack of destructive organisms. There are standardised methods to estim...
S Santos, M T Troya, L Robertson, S Gutierrez, G Caballe, J L Villanueva
Evaluation of decay detection drill data – a semi-quantitative approach
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11067
Decay detection drilling and pick testing are common methods for evaluating decay in structural timber. In this study 63 poles in snow fence trusses at Finse in Norway, where climate change is expected to increase decay hazard, were evaluated by both drilling and pick testing. The aim of this study was to 1: assess a novel method to translate qualitative evaluation of drilling data into quantitati...
M S Austigard, J Mattsson, G Alfredsen, L Ross, N Bjerregaard Pedersen
Detecting wood-decay fungi in walls: a non-destructive approach with an electronic nose
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11070
Wood-decay fungi degrade the structural integrity and safety of wooden buildings, leading to potential hazards and reduced durability. Conventional detection methods, such as visual inspection and destructive sampling, are often impractical for concealed spaces, such as those within walls or beneath floors. These methods often require specialised training and costly equipment, making non-destructi...
M Suzuki, T Miyauchi, S Isaji, R Naganawa
Interaction of cellulolytic enzymes with fungal cell wall polysaccharides
2025 - IRG/WP 25-11071
Wood rotting fungi are the primary agents responsible for the decomposition of wood in natural environments. These fungi secrete a variety of enzymes to degrade the chemically and structurally resistant components of the wood cell wall. Some of these enzymes possess a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), which enhances enzymatic efficiency by increasing their affinity to the substrate. Previously, w...
K Fukabori, N Hattori, Y Kojima, R Iizuka, M Yoshida
Mitigating the risk of decay in CLT buildings affected by trapped construction moisture using a diffusible borate preservative
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20735
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) is also known as a mass timber construction material. It is fabricated by gluing together multiple layers of timber lamellae with each layer oriented perpendicular to the one below it. This enhances strength, stability and dimensional rigidity. CLT is seen as an excellent ‘low carbon’ alternative to using steel and concrete and is growing in popularity as a sustain...
J R Williams
A novel anti-fungal wood crack repairing agent based on CQDs/PVA
2025 - IRG/WP 25-20744
Wood is a sustainable material, but its tendency to crack and decay poses a challenge for its applications. In this study, we developed a combination system of nitrogen-doping carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to repair wood cracks. Rather than employing the conventional repairing methods such as filling cracks with sawdust and petroleum based-adhesives, this technique can m...
X Zhao, Z Zhang, Y Peng, W Wang, J Cao
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
Decay resistance of thermally modified Eucalyptus grandis in closed and open systems
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30815
Thermal modification has been successfully used to improve the durability of Eucalyptus wood from fast-growing forests. Although it is the most common type of modification process, there are some fields for studies on thermally modified wood, particularly about the comparison between processes in closed and open systems. This work aimed to analyse the effect of thermal modification in closed and o...
D C Batista, A C Oliveira Rupf, M Wentzel, C Brischke, H Militz
Evaluation of oak bark extracts as bio-based preservative agents in wood protection
2025 - IRG/WP 25-30833
Bark represents a major by-product of the forestry sector and is often referred to low value uses such as combustion for energy, soil mulching or animal bedding. Nevertheless, bark contains a wide array of bioactive constituents, offering considerable potential for transformation into value-added wood protection agents. Developing sustainable wood treatments based on these natural compounds aligns...
R Herrera, A Selmanovic, F Poohphajai, C Peña, A Sandak
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 photodegradation on fungal colonization on wood during initial stage of brown-rot decay
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41024
Photodegradation and decay may happen simultaneously on wood under many exposure conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of photodegradation on fungal colonization during initial stage of brown-rot decay of wood. For this purpose, southern pine (Pinus spp.) wood was exposed to accelerated UV weathering for different durations, and then decayed by a brown rot fungus (Gloeophyllu...
Y Wang, Y Peng, J Cao
mpact of Fence Post Footings on Wood Post Durability
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41025
Residential wood fence posts may be dug directly into the ground, secured to a metal spike that goes into the ground, or secured to a concrete footing with a metal boot. It was hypothesised that by keeping wood posts out of the ground both spikes and boot attachments would increase protection against decay and termites and extend the service life of the post. After 9-years of exposure in Kincardin...
D Wong, R Stirling
Fungal decay in cable car pylons in Svalbard - overview of results
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41026
A total of 212 iconic wooden cable car pylons were constructed for mining operations in Svalbard, significantly contributing to Longyearbyen's historical identity as a mining town. Fieldwork in Svalbard involved collecting wood samples from 22 of these pylons, targeting wood exposed both aboveground and ground proximity. Whilst the timber used in the constructions was assumed to be untreated Norwa...
G Alfredsen, M Altgen, M S Austigard, J Mattsson, M Nunez, L Ross, S Aarseth Tunstad, A Treu, I A Yakovlev, N Bjerregaard Pedersen
Non-destructive methods for field assessment of wood biodeterioration in hardwood trailer decks exposed to tropical environments
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41039
Apitong (Dipterocarpus spp.), an increasingly rare tropical hardwood from the rainforest in Southeast Asia, has long been used as decking materials for open-bed trailers and trucks across North America. As the natural population of Apitong trees steadily declines, there is an urgent need to find sustainable, domestically sourced alternatives for trailer decking. A recent project evaluated the perf...
X Wang, X Xie, G Kirker, C A Senalik
Considerations on how different preservation processing methods of logs would have different effects on wood structures
2025 - IRG/WP 25-41040
Azekura-zukuri style wood structures (hereinafter referred to as azekura-style structures) have been utilized in forest conservation projects in Japan as substitutes for concrete structures. We estimate that making use of thinned and small logs for azekura-style structures has positive impact on circular economy and carbon fixation and contributes to the biodiversity within their areas. In additio...
Y Iijima