IRG Documents Database and Compendium


Search and Download IRG Documents:



Between and , sort by


Displaying your search results

Your search resulted in 204 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.


The natural durability assessment of secondary hardwood species - laboratory tests
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10295
Laboratory tests have been undertaken to assess the natural durability of 16 species of lesser known hardwoods, or hardwoods from non-traditional sources, including teak from three different plantations. Resistance to decay by both basidiomycetes and soil-inhabiting micro-fungi has been established. ´The data indicated that published information on the durability of these timbers should be treat...
J K Carey, S J Hendry


Assessment of the toxicity of some copper-, zinc- and boron-based wood preservatives to the cellar fungus Coniophora cerebella Schröet
1974 - IRG/WP 242
This article reports the use of a method based on the determination of the probability of the protection of timber against destruction by fungi. By converting the probability values to probit values and plotting them as a function of the amount of preservative retained in the timber, curves of the toxic effect are obtained, enabling any timber protection probability to be assessed....
V N Sozonova, D A Belenkov


Comparative life cycle assessment of Swiss railroad sleepers
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50117
The results of an environmental LCA carried out on railway sleepers made of prestressed concrete, sectional steel and creosote impregnated beech as used on main lines of Switzerland's railways are presented. All extractions from and insertions into the environment which were connected with the manufacture, use and disposal of the different types of sleeper were inventoried and assessed, i...
T Künniger, K Richter


Field stake test assessment with the Pilodyn
1980 - IRG/WP 2136
The Pilodyn, which was originally developed to estimate the degree of soft rot in wooden poles, was thought to have potential for giving a quantitative measure of the extent or depth of decay in field test stakes. In the present work a 2-joule Pilodyn with 2.0-mm diameter pin was used in an attempt to limit depth of pin penetration (to 10-15 mm) without reducing scale sensitivity. The results show...
M E Hedley, R W Naish


Natural exposure weathering tests: Their role in the assessment of wood preservative efficacy
1993 - IRG/WP 93-20006
Previous work has demonstrated the potential and usefulness of natural ageing procedures in e evaluation of wood preservative efficacy. This results from the combination of physico-chemical influences and microbiological interactions with both substrate and wood preservative. In this paper, results are presented for a range of biocide types. Discussions are centred on the value of natural exposure...
G R Williams, J Brown


Biological detoxification processes - A check list for assessments
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50120
The number of scientific publications on the biological purification of preservative treated wood implies that the biological treatment of wood wastes becomes more and more important. But an information about a successful industrial application is almost missing in all cases. Therefore the applicability of the proposed purification processes is often uncertain. The feasability of such a biological...
H Leithoff, R-D Peek


Marine exposure assessment of the natural resistance of a number of lesser known species of tropical hardwoods to teredinid and limnoriid borers
2004 - IRG/WP 04-10520
Naturally durable species of timber are used as an alternative to preservative treated timber for marine structures, but many species have not been evaluated for their potential for use in this environment. EN 275 specifies a 5-year test period - too long a period for screening tests to be economically viable. In this study, candidate timber species were selected for testing in the sea on the basi...
J R Williams, S M Cragg, L M S Borges, J D Icely


A preliminary assessment of the penetration into wood achieved by bodied mayonnaise emulsion wood preservatives
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3725
Five different commercial formulations of bodied mayonnaise emulsions were applied to samples of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood as recommended by the manufacturers. Penetration and loading characteristics were determined by measuring the distribution profiles of the active ingredients after various intervals of time. The changes in the general appearance of the emulsions on the surface of t...
G E Holland, R J Orsler


Determination of the water sorption properties and preliminary results from field tests above ground of thermally modified material from industrial scale processes
2004 - IRG/WP 04-40279
In this study the differences in moisture behavior and durability above ground of heat treated wood originating from different European industrial heat treatment plants by means of the water sorption properties as well as field tests were examined. The manufacturers of heat treated material were: PLATO Hout B.V./Netherlands, Thermo Wood (Premium wood)/ Finland and Menz Holz/ Germany, where Oil-...
C R Welzbacher; A O Rapp


A method for the preliminary assessment of timbers for their treatability with preservatives under pressure
1977 - IRG/WP 3100
President Maurice Fougerousse has provided the following references to a IUFRO report, published in English, French and German, which may be of interest to IRG members: 'A method for the preliminary assessment of timbers for their treatability with preservatives under pressure', PANS Vol 23, No 2, 153 158, June 1977. 'Une methode d'evaluation preliminaire de l...
M Fougerousse


An appraisal of methods for environmental testing of leachates from salt-treated wood; part 1
1998 - IRG/WP 98-50115
The magnitude and diversity of leaching tests with salt-treated wood, performed by institutes as well as industry, strongly appeal for harmonisation towards one single method. That procedure should be well-defined, cost- and time-effective and moreover be extended with a clear detection and interpretation scheme. The paper(s) presented here tend to evaluate 2 existing leaching methods, the ENV 12...
G M F Van Eetvelde, M Stevens, F Mahieu, H-W Wegen, A Platen


Risk of pulmonary damage as a result of an evaporation of ca. 50 ppb = 42 mg HF, evaporated from wood treated by difluorides
1987 - IRG/WP 3401
In this review of the literature the effects of fluorides and fluorine on man are described, especially the low level effects of inhaled HF on human beings. The term "fluoride" is used as a general term everywhere, where exact differentiation between ionic and moluecular forms or between gaseous and particulate forms is uncertain or unnecessary. The term covers all combined forms of the element, r...
H F M Nijman


Assessment of wood decay in small-scale unsterile soil-bed tests
1997 - IRG/WP 97-20111
This study is concerned with the investigation of wood decay in small-scale unsterile soil-bed tests. Tests were performed with untreated heartwood samples from five hardwood species of different natural durability classes ranging from highly perishable to very resistant. Our results confirmed the critical role of soil moisture content on wood decay. The highest decay rates were observed at moistu...
L Machek, A M Derksen, R Sierra-Alvarez


A technique for the rapid assessment of wood surface degradation during weathering
1987 - IRG/WP 2281
Radiate pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) sapwood samples taken from four trees were converted into thin strips 100 x 10 x 0.085 (85 µm) mm³, (longitudinal x radial x tangential) in size and exposed in preweighed hatches to the weather inclined at 45° facing equatorially for 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 days. Significant (P < 0.001) weight losses occurred with time over the exposure period. Differen...
P D Evans, D Abbott, S Thein


A novel solvent penetration assessment technique for wood preservativation treatments using waterborne systems
1990 - IRG/WP 2346
Solvent and hence solute (a.i.) penetration during any wood preservation treatment cycle and the flow pathways taken by the solvent in the wood are crucial elements in determining the adequacy of any treatment. Inadequate solvent penetration into specimens or an inappropriate tissue throughflow pattern during impregnation will markedly affect the distribution pattern achieved by many non-diffusibl...
A J Pendlebury, J Coetzee, E Sorfa, A Botha


Treatment application method and CCA efficacy in Corsican pine - Assessment by serial exposure and soil burial tests
1993 - IRG/WP 93-40006
A previous report on this research (Newman and Murphy, 1992) identified possible variation in the efficacy of a CCA preservative applied to Corsican pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima) dependant upon the treatment application method (Bethel, Lowry or Steam/Bethel). This paper presents further data from biological testing of CCA treated Corsican pine using serial exposure and unsterile soil techniques...
P R Newman, R J Murphy


Assessment of the Inhibition of wood decay fungi by volatile organic compounds identified from Trichoderma spp.
1999 - IRG/WP 99-10302
Previous research identified five volatile organic compounds produced by Trichoderma spp. that may be inhibitory to wood decay fungi. The effects of four of these volatile organic compounds, 2-propanone, 2-methyl-1-butanol, heptanal and octanal were tested over a range of concentrations against four selected wood decay fungi. The fungi were incubated in malt extract broth under appropriate conditi...
S N Humphris, R E Wheatley, A Bruce, C Payne


Assessment of untreated Papua New Guinea timbers against subterranean termites. Final report
1993 - IRG/WP 93-10041
Four years after the exposure of eight timber species of varying density against subterranean termites in a field trial, Kwila was still generally sound while Taun, Malas and PNG Walnut were beginning to be attacked slightly to moderately. Calophyllum, Kamarere, PNG Beech and White Cheesewood were severely attacked and failed. Results after the period of exposure shows that Kwila rates highly as t...
H C Konabe, M Rokova


Assessment of residual retentions in creosote treated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) poles after 45 years ground contact service in the Lemstervaart in the Dutch polder
1994 - IRG/WP 94-50022
In a project funded by the Water State Authorities (RWS) and the Noordoostpolder Water Board, the residual retentions in ten creosote treated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) poles were examined after 45 years ground contact service along a canal (Lemstervaart) in the Dutch Noordoostpolder. The Lemstervaart location was selected due to the fact that the poles involved had been originally treated and ...
P Esser, W L D Suitela, A J Pendlebury, H Visscher


A preliminary assessment of the costs of termite activity in Australia: A discussion paper
1983 - IRG/WP 1207
A preliminary assessment has been made of the economic importance of termite activity in Australia and this paper is intended to serve as a starting point in discussing this topic. Damage to timber in service represents their greatest area of economic importance in urban and rural environments. Costs resulting from termite activity include timber replacements in buildings, railway sleepers, transm...
J R J French


Assessment of treated wood leachates genotoxicity with a bacterial test
1997 - IRG/WP 97-50089
Genotoxicity is known as the damage caused by environmental stressors (biological, chemical and physical) on the genetic material of an organism. This toxicological effect can be assessed by a lot of biological assays and especially by bacterial tests. These tests are frequently performed on environmental samples or on pures substances and are in that case, strongly correlated to the carcinogenic ...
P Marchal, C Martin


A methodology for the life-cycle assessment of treated timber products
1993 - IRG/WP 93-50001-01
Using case studies of CCA-treated motorway fenceposts and creosote-treated electricity transmission poles, the paper suggests an approach to evaluation of the overall environmental impact of treated timber products, utilising the emerging systems analysis method of life-cycle assessment (LCA). The development and application of LCA methodologies to date is reviewed and the key features identified....
S R Smith, R J Murphy, D J Dickinson


Subterranean termite attack potential in field test sites: assessment methods and field characterization
2003 - IRG/WP 03-10472
To assess subterranean termite attack potential in the field and seasonal variations, trials were set up in each of two managed silvicultural plantations, of Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus pinaster, respectively. Termite occupancy in lying dead wood was evaluated by an adaptation of the line-intersection method, and attack potential in soil was assessed by a system of stakes inserted into the groun...
T Nobre, L Nunes, L Brinca, D E Bignell


Sawn timber of fir (Abies alba Mill.) - Treatability and usability for the Hazard Classes 3 and 4
1999 - IRG/WP 99-40147
Within a national research project, tests on the treatability on sawn timber of fir (Abies alba Mill.) in oscillation pressure, vacuum pressure and double-vacuum processes have been worked out with 95 trunks taken from 3 different altitude levels (up to a height of 590 metres, 600 to 990 metres and over 1000 metres) and from 4 different regions of Switzerland. As the treatability of round wood can...
E Graf, T Bör


Diffusion modeling of inorganic wood preservative leaching in service
2005 - IRG/WP 05-50224-5
To evaluate the potential environmental and health implications of leaching of inorganic wood preservatives in service under different conditions, there is a need for a predictive model that provides estimates of the rate and extent of leaching over a wide range of product dimensions and exposure conditions. In this paper, we show that the leaching behavior of inorganic preservative components fr...
L Waldron, P A Cooper, Y T Ung


Previous Page | Next Page