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Laboratory methods for assessing the resistance of wood plastic composites to fungal attack.
2006 - IRG/WP 06-20340
Wood plastic composites (WPC’s) have many attractive material features including dimensional stability and resistance to moisture, but the wood in these materials remains susceptible to fungal attack. Assessing WPC decay resistance in laboratory trials has proven difficult because the slow moisture sorption characteristics of this material do not allow for sufficient fungal attack over the trad...
J J Morrell


Wood plastic composites from modified wood. Part 2 - Durability in laboratory decay tests
2006 - IRG/WP 06-40353
The decay resistance of wood plastic composites, WPCs, was tested according to modified versions of AWPA E10 (soil-block test) and ENV 807 (tests in three un-sterile soils, terrestrial microcosms, TMCs). The WPC materials were conically extruded profiles with 30% polypropylene content. The 70% wood content was untreated Scots pine sapwood, acetylated pine and heat treated Norway spruce, respective...
M Westin, P Larsson Brelid, M L Edlund, G Alfredsen


Wood decay fungi from New Zealand ‘leaky’ buildings: PCR identification and laboratory decay tests of wood preservative-treated Pinus radiata (Part 1)
2007 - IRG/WP 07-10620
Fungi colonising Pinus radiata D. Don framing timber of ‘leaky’ New Zealand buildings were isolated to produce pure cultures. Mycelia from these cultures on agar media were collected to extract DNA. To identify the fungi to the species level, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primer pairs ITS1-F and ITS4 were performed followed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. ...
D Stahlhut, R L Farrell, R Wakeling, M Hedley


Predicting the decay resistance of timber above-ground: 2. When can reliable field data be obtained?
2007 - IRG/WP 07-20368
Application of modern performance-based engineering and design requires building products that are thoroughly characterised in terms of their ability to perform as expected over time. The engineering community is attempting to use this information to provide predicted service-lives for various building elements. Increasingly, this service-life prediction must be based on objective measurement coup...
L P Francis, A J Swain, J J Morrell


Durability of some alternatives to preservative-treated wood. Progress report 2: Results from field tests after 5 years’exposure
2007 - IRG/WP 07-30442
A number of alternatives to preservative-treated wood have been tested according to EN 252 (stake test) and a specially designed ground-proximity field test, the latter in Sweden as well as in Hawaii, USA. Seven untreated wood species and four alternative wood treatments labelled as environmentally friendly (acetylation, linseed oil, heat treatment, vinyl polymer) were included in the study. Four ...
M-L Edlund, J Jermer


Utilizing Cypress to improve the decay and termite resistance of OSB panels
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10658
OSB panels were manufactured with mixture of pine and cypress heartwood and lignin and tannin based resins in order to propose an eco-friendly wood composite. The resistance of OSB panels was tested against Reticulitermes santonensis according to the EN 118 and EN 117 standards and field tests methods. OSB made from cypress showed more resistance against the tested termite, the resistance decrease...
N Amusant, O Arnould, A Depres, R H Mansouris, T Pizzi, C Baudassé


Field Tests of naturally Durable North American Wood Species
2008 - IRG/WP 08-10675
There has been little field test performance data published on North American naturally durable species in general, and no published data on second growth material in particular. Yellow cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis), western red cedar (Thuja plicata), eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), and three wood species reputed to be moderately durable were installed in ground-contact (stakes) an...
P E Laks, P I Morris, G M Larkin, J K Ingram


Evaluation of variables that influence dynamic MOE in wood decay studies
2009 - IRG/WP 09-20409
The effect of wood moisture content (MC) and outdoor exposure of southern pine lap-joint components on dynamic MOE values was investigated. The use of dynamic MOE as a method of measuring progressive biodeterioration of above ground test samples shows promise, but the accuracy of this method for evaluating test samples subjected to fluctuating environmental conditions has not been reported. The re...
D Nicholas, J Shi, T Schultz


Durability of timber products – Part 2: Proposal for an IRGWP - Durability Database
2012 - IRG/WP 12-20497
A proposal for a web-based platform for scientific exchange of test data in the field of wood durability and wood protection has been made. The overall aim of the durability data base is to improve the usability of existing test data and to create an added value for durability research and service life prediction. The database allows for test results from standardized and non-standardized laborat...
C Brischke, L Meyer, G Alfredsen, M Humar, L Francis


Quasi-in-situ durability tests on oak timber bridges
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20510
This study aims on developing a method for determination of wood durability on samples taken from real structures in service. Therefore quasi-in-situ durability tests have been conducted exemplarily on timber bridges made from English oak (Quercus robur L.). Drilling cores were found to be a feasible alternative to standard specimens for laboratory durability tests against pure cultures of Basidio...
C Brischke, C J Behnen, M-T Lenz, K Brandt, E Melcher


Durability of alternatives to CCA-treated wood - Results from field tests after 11 years exposure
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30633
The present study was initiated as a consequence of restrictions against the use of CCA-type wood preservatives in Sweden in the 1990s. New copper-based formulations were introduced on the market and to some extent, also alternatives to preservative-treated wood, such as thermally and chemically modified and linseed oil treated wood as well as heartwood of non-tropical naturally durable wood s...
P Larsson Brelid, M-L Edlund


Relevance of natural pre-weathering for laboratory decay tests with native, modified, and preservative-treated wood
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20522
The on-going development of new wood protection systems is hampered by the long term field tests currently in use. New accelerated test methods and novel methods for faster and more accurate evaluation of wood protection methods are requested. For both field decay tests and accelerated laboratory decay tests, limitations are imposed. This study is part of the research program ‘WoodBuild’, whic...
A Pilgård, C Brischke, L Meyer


Microbial Community Analysis of Naturally Durable Wood in an Above Ground Field Test
2014 - IRG/WP 14-10826
This paper presents preliminary results of an above ground field test wherein eight naturally durable wood species were exposed concurrently at two sites in North America. Surface samples were taken at regular intervals from non-durable controls and compared to their more durable counterparts. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism was performed to characterize the microbial (bacteria, ...
G T Kirker, S V Diehl, P K Lebow


In-ground durability of wood-based products – Comparative assessment of graveyard field tests and terrestrial microcosms
2014 - IRG/WP 14-20538
Traditionally wood durability and the effectiveness of wood preservatives are determined in so-called graveyard tests (according to EN 252 or AWPA E7). For laboratory testing, terrestrial microcosms (TMC) can serve as an alternative. Both tests have been applied for different types of wood-based materials, preservative treated, modified and unmodified wood. However, the usability of laboratory res...
A Soetbeer, L Meyer, C Brischke, P Larsson-Brelid, J Jermer


A screening of factors that might influence the result of laboratory decay tests
2014 - IRG/WP 14-20548
Laboratory fungal decay tests provide important tools for performance testing of wood materials. But they are also hampered with some uncertainties regarding reproducibility. In addition to variation between fungal species and strains the test conditions are also believed to have some influence. The aim of this study was to screen the effect of a selection of test parameters that might influence t...
E Larnøy, G Alfredsen, A Treu, S Kolstad


Bundle tests - Simple alternatives to standard above ground field test methods
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20581
Within this study we applied different new above ground test set ups to untreated Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) which are frequently used as reference or control species in wood durability field tests. The overall aim of this study was to find a simple alternative method to the few standardized above ground field test methods, such as the L-joint a...
C Brischke, L Meyer-Veltrup


Monitoring Diversity and Colonization Patterns of Wood-Inhabiting Fungi Using Field Stake Tests
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20614
Advances in molecular identification of microbial communities enabling rapid microorganism determination have allowed ecological data to be increasingly incorporated into standardized wood performance tests. Combining standard field tests with molecular methods to study wood-associated microflora can help to better understand fungal colonization and decay processes of wood in service. The potentia...
P Torres-Andrade, J Cappellazzi, J J Morrell


Activity of Two Strobilurin Fungicides Against Three Species of Decay Fungi in Agar Plate Tests
2017 - IRG/WP 17-30704
The objective of this study was to examine the toxicity of strobilurin fungicides against wood decay fungi in order to assess their potential to act as a co-biocide for copper-based wood protection. Two strobilurin fungicides, Heritage (50% azoxystrobin active ingredient) and Insignia (20% pyraclostrobin active ingredients), and copper sulfate pentahydrate were tested against one white rot fungus...
J D Tang, T Ciaramitaro, M Tomaso-Peterson, S V Diehl


Hybrid green composites manufactured with glass fiber and jute fabric skin by VARTM process: Fungal, mold, and termite resistance tests
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40780
Hybrid green composites are increasingly used in building applications due to the development of new production approaches. Biological performance of such composites is needed when they are employed in extreme conditions. Hybrid composite panels were manufactured by wood furnish, glass fiber, and jute fabric skin by the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). Petri dish test method was fol...
S N Kartal, E Terzi, M Muin, A H Hassanin, T Hamuoda, A Kilic, Z Candan


Performance of untreated timbers in above ground decking tests: Preliminary results from an international collaborative trial
2019 - IRG/WP 19-10940
The ability to accurately predict wood decay risks under varying environmental conditions has long been of interest to timber users. Accurate predictions are difficult owing to the myriad of variables associated with the decay process including wood species, wood inhabiting organisms, timber building element design and environmental conditions. Despite these difficulties, decay predictions have be...
L P Francis, J Norton, E Melcher, A H H Wong, J Kok Lai, M Klamer, M J Konkler, J J. Morrell


Establishing the minimum effective penetration of wood preservatives in the refractory heartwood of E. nitens
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30780
Conventional pressure treatment of many Australian hardwoods results in little to no penetration of heartwood and a non-uniform envelope treatment of <5 mm surrounding a mostly untreated core. This is a major issue for many of the low durability plantation hardwood timbers that are grown in Tasmania, which contain high percentages of heartwood. Long term studies on softwoods such as spruce decking...
J R Vargas, J J Morrell, L Yermán, K C Wood


Potential of heartwood extracts as wood preservatives combined with linseed oil in 8-year above-ground and in-ground field trials
2024 - IRG/WP 24-20719
The current study assessed the efficacy of heartwood extracts from Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, and Pinus roxburghii, combined with linseed oil, as protectants for two non-durable wood species against termites and decay fungi. Stakes measuring 45.7 × 1.9 × 1.9 cm and blocks measuring 12.5 × 3.75 × 2.5 cm of the sapwood of southern pine (Pinus sp.) and cottonwood (Populus ...
M E Mankowski, G T Kirker, B Hassan


Evaluation of the water exclusion ability and inherent bioactivity of heartwood against decay in Japanese and European wood species via above-ground exposure and water absorption tests
2024 - IRG/WP 24-40998
The natural durability of wood has been thought to mainly depend on bioactive extractives and the water exclusion ability. To clarify the contribution of each factor to wood durability, above-ground exposure tests were conducted on Japanese and European wood species. A double-layer test was carried out using heartwood specimens of four wood species, i.e., Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, Scots pi...
T Osawa, R Noda, K Yamamoto


Proposal for further work on accelerated ageing
1988 - IRG/WP 2314
M-L Edlund


Confocal laser scanning microscopy of a novel decay in preservative treated radiata pine in wet acidic soils
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10215
Light microscopy of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) field test stakes (20x20x500mm3) exposed in wet acidic (pH 3-4) soil for 12 - 24 months showed predominance of an unusual type of decay characte-rised by tunnelling attack of wood cell walls. After two years decay was moderate to severe in wood treated to ground contact CCA specifications and also equivalent retentions of creosote, and a numb...
R N Wakeling, Ying Xiao, A P Singh


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