Your search resulted in 356 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.
Evaluation of Particulate Materials as a Physical Barrier against Termites under Floor of Experiment House
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10900
In Japan, the damages by the subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus) are more common. Recently the more attention is paid to the less- or non-chemical methods for termite control. As a non-chemical treatment, physical barriers using particles such as gravels were investigated in terms of environmental safety, cost effectiveness, and duration of performance, and t...
Y Yanase, Y Fujiwara, Y Fujii, T Mori, T Yoshimura, S Doi
Case study: “Riesenbühlturm”
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20599
In this case study four 7 m long Douglas fir crossbeams were investigated regarding the remaining metal and moisture content. The crossbeams were replaced from a timber tower after 10 years of service in the Black Forest region (South Germany) due to fungal decay. From each of the crossbeams five stem discs were taken and relevant parameters (density, moisture and remaining metal content) were de...
E Melcher, J Müller
Modelling of moisture content in timber bridge details
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20613
The design of details is an important aspect in durability design of timber bridges. Details are often considered the weakest points in bridges due to their tendency to trap and accumulate moisture and thus facilitate decay. When designing maintenance plans and inspection intervals, it is important to know how design choices will come to influence the service life. Moreover, service life and wood ...
J Niklewski, C Brischke, E Frühwald Hansson, L Meyer-Veltrup
Influence of Weathering on Moisture Performance of Wood
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20619
Water performance of wood is besides the inherent durability the most important factor that influences on the performance of wood in outdoor, above ground applications. Therefore it is of significant importance to optimize the methods that are able to predict the moisture behaviour of wood in outdoor applications. In order to elucidate this questions, samples were prepared of oak (Quercus), sweet ...
M Žlahtič-Zupanc, B Lesar, N Thaler, M Humar
COST FP 1303 Cooperative Performance Test – Results after two years outdoor exposure
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20620
COST Action FP 1303 ‘Performance of Bio-Based Building Materials’ started in October 2013 and an ambitious program was set up for four years. Among this a collaborative field test was planned. The idea of the cooperative performance test was to distribute a fairly simple test set up to as many places in Europe as possible in order to collect performance data reflecting the full range of climat...
B Lesar, M Humar, C Brischke, L Meyer-Veltrup, D Jones, N Thaler, J M Abascal, G Alfredsen, B Brunnhuber, E Grodås, M Irle, J Kers, M Klamer, K-C Mahnert, E Melcher, S Palanti, M Noël, E Suttie, N Pfabigan, M Touza
Moisture performance of wood determined in laboratory and field trials
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20621
It is widely accepted that wood moisture content (MC) is the key factor when it comes to durability of wooden structures exposed to weathering. The moisture performance of wood and wood-based products has been recognized as key element in wood durability and wood protection. Actually, it should be considered as major component of the material-intrinsic resistance of wood, but never found its way i...
D Kržišnik, N Thaler, B Lesar, M Humar
Moisture content as a quality control parameter in thermally modified timber production
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20622
Quality assurance (QA) or factory production control (FPC) is necessary to ensure a proper production process. The requirements of QA/FPC can result from EN and national standards, quality assurance systems, or producer-specific rules.
TMT producers must ensure that the process was correct, and to ensure traceability of products. In addition to the electronic records, the material should be che...
W Scheiding, H Turkulin, S Stein
The use of new, aqueous chemical wood modifications to improve the durability of wood-plastic composites
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40787
The wood flour used in wood-plastic composites (WPCs) can biologically deteriorate and thus the overall mechanical performance of WPCs decrease when exposed to moisture and fungal decay. Protecting the wood flour by chemical modification can improve the durability of the wood in a nontoxic way so it is not harmful to the environment. WPCs were made with modified wood flour and then evaluated for m...
R E Ibach, C M Clemons, G C Chen
Moisture behaviour and biological durability of high performance flax fibre reinforced composites
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40803
For natural fibre composites in structural and load bearing applications long reinforcing fibres are required. Therefore, much research is performed on flax fibre reinforced composites to optimize them for high performance use. In most cases such research focuses on the mechanical properties, yet the assessment of moisture behaviour, dimensional stability and biological durability is an important ...
N Defoirdt, J Van den Bulcke, F Bensadoun, J Ivens, I Verpoest, J Van Acker
Organosilicon-based impregnation hydrophobers for wood
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40808
The SILEX project “Improving sustainability of construction materials using innovative Silicon based treatment” is a Life+ project with reference LIFE+11 ENV/BE/1046 and started in April 2013. This project intends to demonstrate that a new class of compounds can be used for wood treatment for an extended service life combined with enhanced new testing methodology. The project aims at demonstra...
J-P Lecomte, J Van Acker, J Van den Bulcke, M Kutnik, M Montibus, S Salvati, S Derocker
Durability of energy efficient wooden buildings: a building physical point of view
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40812
The drive for more energy efficient and sustainable buildings resulted in an increased popularity of wooden buildings, even in countries with a masonry tradition. Often guidelines and prescriptions then are copied from other countries. Different climatic boundary conditions and tradition of finishing, though, do require different moisture tolerance criteria. This is clearly the case for water vapo...
S Roels, J Langmans
Evaluation of the Virulence of the Termite Species Occurring in the French Tropical Overseas Territories
2018 - IRG/WP 18-10913
The French tropical overseas territories are strongly affected by termites’ activity, which is especially devastating because the species encountered there are among the most virulent in the world. That is why in these regions it is particularly important that producers and users of wood-based products are provided with materials and preservative products whose durability and efficacy has been t...
M Kutnik, I Paulmier, J Vuillemin
Thermodynamic properties of furfurylated wood during moisture adsorption process
2018 - IRG/WP 18-40828
Furfurylation of wood seems a promising wood modification method considering the wide raw material source of furfuryl alcohol (FA) and overall performance of FA modified wood. However, the modification mechanism of furfurylation is still not clear and needs further investigation. In this study, poplar (Populus cathayana Rehd.) samples with the size of 1(R) mm × Ф4 mm, were impregnated with ...
J Wang, J Cao, T Yang, E Ma, W Wang
Preventivephysical barriers against subterranean termites species for building protection: How to implement innovative materials to reach efficacy requirements
2018 - IRG/WP 18-40845
As the European regulation dealing with the use of biocides (BPR) for preventive protection of buildings against subterranean termites is leading to more and more pressure on physico-chemical barriers currently used (PT18), some existing developments are focusing attention on physical biocides-free barriers. The main target is then to avoid the use of active ingredients, to stay out of the BPR sco...
N Delourme-Fonseca, P Poveda, F Simon
Environmental protection and long term in-service sustainability of preserved wooden poles is secured by non-toxic barrier protection system – History and case studies in South Africa
2018 - IRG/WP 18-50340
Non-toxic flexible sheeting systems have been developed to encapsulate the ground contact regions of preserved wooden poles and prevent their premature failure in South Africa since 1992 but the technology also has a long history of resistance by individuals with vested interests in the built-in redundancies of such poles. The concept has, however, been simultaneously validated by many independent...
A A W Baecker
Performance of wood decking after 5 years of exposure: verification of the combined effect of wetting ability and durability
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20647
Wood is one of the most important construction materials and its use in building applications has further expanded in recent decades. In order to enable even more extensive and reliable use of wood, factors affecting wood’s service life need to be understood. More recently, a new concept to characterize the durability of wood-based materials and to predict the service lives of wood was proposed,...
M Humar, D Krzisnik, B Lesar, C Brischke
Quantifying the effect of microclimatic parameters on the moisture-induced decay risk of wooden structures
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20649
Wood exposed outdoors is prone to fungal degradation. Besides its material-inherent resistance, numerous factors are impacting on its service life with both, climate and design having a major effect. In addition, topography, shading, wind barriers, and other local parameters have an effect on the microclimatic conditions at site and therefore need to be quantified for service life prediction of wo...
L Emmerich, C Brischke
Impact of water holding capacity and moisture content of soil substrates on the moisture content of wood in terrestrial microcosms
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20662
Terrestrial microcosms (TMC) are frequently used for testing the durability of wood and wood-based materials as well as the protective effectiveness of wood preservatives. In contrary to experiments in soil ecology sciences, the experimental set-up is usually rather simple. However, for service life prediction of wood exposed in ground, it is of immanent interest to better understand the different...
C Brischke, F L Wegener
Exploring the use of X-ray micro CT as a tool for the monitoring of moisture production and mass loss during lab-based fungal degradation testing
2019 - IRG/WP 19-20654
Bio-based building materials, such as wood and wood-engineered products, are susceptible to degradation by decay fungi. In-depth knowledge on the intricate material-fungus relationship as well as performance data for many bio-based building materials are still lacking, and especially knowledge on how a material’s structure and moisture properties affect the degradation process is missing. Althou...
L De Ligne, J Van den Bulcke, A De Muynck, J M Baetens, B De Baets, L Van Hoorebeke, J Van Acker
Using X-ray scattering to elucidate the mechanisms behind the moisture and fungal decay resistance of epoxybutene modified wood
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40854
Chemical modification of the hydroxyl groups of wood can improve the properties of wood by providing moisture and biological resistance, as well as dimensional stability. Southern pine solid wood was chemically modified to various weight percentage gains (WPG) with epoxybutene (EpB, 8%-38% WPG). After modification, specimens were extracted with a toluene: ethanol (2:1) solution for 2 hours or wate...
R E Ibach, N Plaza
Monitoring of the building made of CLT in Ljubljana
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40860
Wood is one of the most important construction materials and its use in building applications has further expanded in recent decades, predominately due to development of the modern composites, like cross-laminated timber. In order to enable even more extensive and reliable use of wood in outdoor applications, factors affecting wood’s service life need to be understood. It is well known that fung...
M Humar, D Krzisnik, B Lesar, N Thaler, B Dujic
Durability testing of mass timber building elements: a call for a collaborative trial
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40875
Mass timber buildings have captured the imagination of architects and engineers seeking more environmentally friendly building materials. The mass timber movement has tremendous potential to markedly increase timber use in mid-rise to high rise buildings. With great promise, however, comes great risk. Most mass timber structures that have been built or are being planned use no protective treatm...
J J Morrell
The impact of additional interior layers to the moisture dry-out and mould growth risk of CLT walls
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40876
The objective of this study was intended to determine the maximum allowable initial moisture content for CLT walls having both exterior and interior thermal insulation. A laboratory test was conducted, for which four test walls with two different insulation solutions and two different initial moisture contents were built. Based on the test results a simulation model was configured and simulations ...
V Kukk, J Kers, T Kalamees
Fungal damages in Norwegian massive timber elements – causes and measures
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40879
Massive wood elements are relatively new in Norway but the use is growing quickly, primarily the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT). Moisture performance of massive timber elements has been examined by some researchers, but more knowledge is needed. There is uncertainty regarding the need for vapour barriers or retarders in roof assemblies, and for practical reasons buildings are rarely assembled...
M S Austigard, J Mattsson
Durability and climate change - implications for wood building structures
2019 - IRG/WP 19-50361
Sustainable building practices are rooted in the need for reliable information on the long-term performance of building materials; specifically, the expected service-life of building materials, components, and assemblies. This need is ever more evident given the anticipated effects of climate change on the built environment and the many governmental initiatives world-wide focused on ensuring that ...
M Lacasse