IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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An update on durability of New Zealand grown timber
2015 - IRG/WP 15-10851
Classification and predication of in-service performances of naturally durable timber is much more difficult than preservative treated timber due to the variability of wood properties within and between trees of the same species and the variable nature of the hazard to which the timber will be exposed. A combination of field test and in-service testing has been used to classify the suitability of ...
D Page, T Singh


Bamboo: A poor man’s timber
2015 - IRG/WP 15-10852
Bamboo, known as poor man’s timber in the past gained some importance in the last decade when TIFAC under Department of Science & Technology and Ministry of Agriculture awoke to find a better future for this unique gift of nature. Until then it was considered a good for nothing grass suitable only for making paper and building effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath year after year at Dussehr...
S Kumar


Wood protectors to control Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
2015 - IRG/WP 15-30661
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the pine wilt nematode (PWN), is a quarantine organism with a high potential to damage Conifer forests in Europe. The European Union is concerned in the protection of forest stands from the propagation and dispersion of this pathogen. In this line, the current control measures have been unsuccessful in preventing the dispersion of this organism, as it continues to be de...
M T Troya, C S Arcos, A Navas, L Robertson, M Conde, F Llinares


Performance of kiln-dried and air-dried anti-sapstain treated pallet timber under use scenarios against wood discolouring fungi
2015 - IRG/WP 30669
During their lifespan there is a high probability that wooden pallets and packaging material will be exposed to rainfall or rewetting conditions, increasing the risk of growth of discolouring fungi. Kiln-drying of wooden pallets and packaging material without anti-sapstain treatment does not give efficient protection against wood discolouring fungi during rewetting periods. However additional temp...
A Steitz, E Stoyanova, N Pfabigan, R Gründlinger


Remedial treatment of difficult to access timber in buildings
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40691
The quest to understand remedial treatment for timber framing begun following the ‘leaky building crisis’ in New Zealand which came to prominence in 2000. Several in-situ remedial treatment products are used in New Zealand. However, effectiveness of these treatments is still unclear particularly in situations where not all faces of the timber can be assessed. This research was conducted to det...
T Singh, I Simpson, D Page


Shells of Coconut and their Durability against Termite Attack
2015 - IRG 15-10853
All tropical and subtropical areas of the Earth are inhabited by termites. In climates with moderate temperatures, they occur less frequently. Especially wood and non-wood materials that grows in tropical areas and used there in timber constructions and woodworking, wood durability and protection against termites should be researched. This paper reports findings from an experimental “AW011” la...
M Dass, A H H Wong, W Unger


Production of reactive oxygen species in the presence of oxidized iron and oxalate under conditions mimicking brown-rot fungal degradation of wood
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10861
The biochemical role of oxalate in the fungal solubilization of iron is well known, but additional information is needed on the role that oxalate plays in the brown-rot decay of lignocellulose. In this study iron sequestration from iron and iron oxide-hydroxides was assessed with regard to the function of a chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)...
Yuan Zhu, Liangpeng Zhuang, B Goodell, Jinzhen Cao, J Mahaney


Exudate production: a detoxification strategy of wood decaying fungi
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10868
Even often observed, the exudate production in fungi remains mainly unstudied. During growth on oak wood, the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor produces droplets of a red-brown liquid, this phenomenom being observed with nine studied strains. One of these strains secretes a similar exudate on rich medium even in the absence of wood. This secretion seems to be linked to the formation of special...
A Deroy, J G Berrin, S Dumarçay, P Gérardin, A Kohler, D Navarro, C Rose, R Sormani, M Morel-Rouhier, E Gelhaye


Fungal decay of archaeological waterlogged oak timber: role of the mineral content
2016 - IRG/WP 16-10873
In service, wood foundation poles are subjected to water level fluctuation in soil. While wood is saturated by water only bacterial decay occurs. When oxygen content increases and moisture content decreases, severe fungal attack may occur. To evaluate the long term fungal durability of wood foundation pole in the context of service, 300 years waterlogged archaeological wood poles were used. The oa...
A Besserer, M Letellier, E Fredon, Q Kleindienst, M-L Antoine, C Perrin, J Lallemand, C Rose, M-C Trouy


Screening of fastener resistance in contact with untreated wood using different test designs
2016 - IRG/WP 16-30686
The performance of fasteners in wooden constructions is an important aspect especially regarding corrosion resistance. In an early stage corrosion of fasteners in untreated timber becomes often visible as a discoloration on the surface of the timber resulting in bad appearance of the product followed by complaints. In order to develop an accelerated test for the assessment of fastener performance ...
E Melcher, S Wolf, U Cera


The durability of manufactured structural building materials
2016 - IRG/WP 16-40718
The projected market potential for Engineered Wood Products such as CLT (cross laminated timber) is very positive however, potential prolonged rain leakage or moisture exposure during construction and in-service could pose considerable concern for its durability and reputation. This research was conducted to assess the decay resistance of CLT and OSB (oriented strand board) in an accelerated trial...
T Singh, D Page


Creosote leaching from timber bridges in Norway – a practical classification approach
2016 - IRG/WP 16-40744
Creosote is widely used as a wood preservative for highway timber bridges in Norway. However, excessive creosote leaching at various highway timber bridge sites leads to a bad reputation for the use of creosote treated timber constructions and the use of wood in general. Macro- and micro anatomical factors such as amount of heartwood, annual ring width, annual ring orientation, ray- height and com...
A Treu, K Zimmer


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


Decontamination of sludges, liquids and soils polluted by “class 1, 2 & 3a” and “temporary” wood treatment products from dipping tanks
2016 - IRG/WP 16-50315
Wood is one of the most widely used building materials as it is easy to find and process. As an organic material, time leads to a degradation of its substance, and even more so when it is exposed to pathogens such as fungi, bacteria and insects. In order to try and inhibit this phenomenon, several preservation treatments have been developed and applied thanks to the production of chemical biocides...
A Zaremski, E Wozniak, S Maman, C Zaremski, S Morel


State of the art of industrial wood protection in Portugal
2016 - IRG/WP 16-30703
This work intended to give a perspective of industrial wood protection in Portugal. A survey was made of the companies treating wood mainly for use classes 3 and 4 such as autoclave treatments with biocides and wood modification procedures. Currently there are 23 companies with 33 production plants with an autoclave installed for wood preservation by impregnation. There are also two companies prod...
L Nunes, J Carmo, J Vicente, B Esteves


Assessing the natural durability for different tropical timber species using the mini-block test
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10886
The Xylarium in the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA, Tervuren, Belgium) contains over 60,000 wood-samples, comprising over 12,000 species. These samples are of great historical and scientific value yet have a random format, which complicates standard testing. The wood-durability against Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor was tested for 36 species. Due to the random sample sizes the s...
V Deklerck, I De Windt, N Defoirdt, J Van den Bulcke, H Beeckman, E Espinoza, J Van Acker


Genetic characterisation of the deathwatch beetle – Call for support
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10890
The deathwatch beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) is one of the most important pests of historical wood constructions. Further analysis of the exact nature of the feeding habits regarding diet and wood characteristics might deliver answers for controlling this pest. Also there is little known about genetic variability and population structure within the species. For analysis of infested wood and also...
M Höpken, E Melcher, J Trautner


Underground timber constructions from the First World War are well preserved after 100 years
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10897
During the Great War or World War I many underground constructions have been built for protection from shelling. They were an important part of the trench warfare as they were used as an area to rest and carry out other activities such as eating. They would usually range in size from smaller constructions that could hold several men to larger entities that could hold thousands of soldiers. In the ...
J Van Acker, I De Windt, K Haneca, H Beeckman, F Claeys, S Vandenbussche, J Vandewalle, N Robeyst, A Willems


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


Design and performance prediction of timber structures based on a factorization approach
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20603
Service life of timber structures in outdoor conditions is predominantly affected by the climatic conditions in terms of moisture and temperature over time. On the one hand, the two parameters moisture content and temperature determine the exposure-induced dosage that can lead to fungal infestation and subsequent decay. On the other hand, the material resistance of wood stands in opposition to exp...
L Meyer-Veltrup, C Brischke


Laboratory test to determine the effect on durability of combining biobased building materials with timber in construction
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20604
The use of Structural Insulated panels is a construction approach that is seeing more abundant use and is becoming a widely available method. Preformed units are usually a composite structure which often include a range of bio-based materials such as timber, wool or straw. Traditional laboratory based wood decay tests do not take into account this combination of biobased materials and it may be po...
S F Curling, G A Ormondroyd


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


Comparative Durability of Timber Bridges in the USA
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20615
As engineers begin to utilize life-cycle-cost design approaches for timber bridges, there is a necessity for more reliable data about their durability and expected service life. This paper summarizes a comprehensive effort to assess the current condition of more than one hundred timber highway bridge superstructures throughout the United States. This national study was jointly administered by the ...
J P Wacker, B K Brashaw


An experimental study of mould growth and wood decay in timber frame walls
2017 - IRG/WP 17-20623
This paper deals with parameters related to the occurrence of mould growth and wood decay in timber frame walls. In a first part, the hygrothermal conditions inside a timber frame wall finished with brick veneer cladding are analysed to get an idea of possible moisture related problems. It is shown that, based on the VTT mould prediction model, there is a mould risk on the interface between the in...
M Vanpachtenbeke, J Van den Bulcke, I De Windt, J Langmans, S Roels, J Van Acker


Efficacy of Erythropleum suaveolens (potrodom) and Distemonanthus benthamianus (bonsamdua) water extractives on the durability of five Ghanaian less used timber species of varying perviousness and retentiveness
2017 - IRG/WP 17-30705
Conventional wood preservatives are not only toxic to target bio-deterioration organisms but also to humans, other organisms and the environment. In an effort to find preservatives that are less toxic or non-toxic to man, other organisms and the environment, efficacy of branch bark and heartwood water extracts (0.65 g/ml) of Erythropleum suaveolens (potrodom) and Distemonanthus benthamianus (bonsa...
A Asamoah, K Frimpong-Mensah, C Antwi-Boasiako


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