IRG Documents Database and Compendium


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Your search resulted in 273 documents. Displaying 25 entries per page.


Natural Durability of Fence Poles from Fourteen Semi-Arid Land Species after Six-Month Exposition
2010 - IRG/WP 10-10724
A sample of thirty fence poles from each of fourteen tree native species from Northeast Mexico were tested in ground contact in a wood-cemetery area located in Linares, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The samples were submitted to six treatments (control, debarked, chemical treated, used cooking oil, thermal and creosote) and randomly distributed in five blocks. The effectiveness of using a bark gauge tool â€...
A Carrillo, F Garza, V Bustamante, S Sandoval, H VillalĂłn


Glued laminated poles - Progress report after 30 years testing
2010 - IRG/WP 10-20427
In 1979 a number of glued laminated poles treated with CCA and creosote were placed in a greenhouse at Uppsala, at the SimlĂĄngsdalen test field in southern Sweden and in a power lane in Vuollerim in northern Sweden in order to study their resistance against biological degradation. The tests have shown that the best performance will be obtained if each lamination is treated with a water-borne pre...
Ă– Bergman, J Jermer


Novel Approaches to the Development and Testing of Anti After-glow Additives for CCA-based Treatments of Poles
2011 - IRG/WP 11-30561
In this paper, a field fire stake testing screen method is described. This method uses stake samples from matched wood sources allowing replicates from different boards to be included. The method is easy to control and can provide quick comparative fire resistance test results. The parameters measured from the tests are percentage weight loss, minimum residual circumference and residual thicknes...
L Jin, P Walcheski, A Preston


Performance superiority of CCA-C treated wooden jetty poles and piles used for 30 years in Bangladesh against marine borers
2012 - IRG/WP 12-30582
Observational study along with previous investigation and records revealed that chromated copper arsenate type C (CCA-C) impregnated southern pine poles and piles of jetty constructed in most vulnerable brackish water in Bangladesh are stable and resistant to attack of all types of marine borers after 30 years of use. It is evident from the service records of other construction materials that CCA-...
A K Lahiry


Effect of preservative treatment on mechanical performance of round and square poles made of small diameter Scots pine
2012 - IRG/WP 12-40612
A growing proportion of harvested Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) timber originates from the first or second commercial thinning stands. There is a need to find economically viable and high quality wood products that can be manufactured from this raw material. Small log volume means not only demands of increased efficiency for material handling in logistics and manufacturing processes, but also c...
V Möttönen, R Stöd, K Heikkilä, H Heräjärvi


An assessment of soft rot in preservative-treated poles in two test sites and two network areas in New South Wales
2013 - IRG/WP 13-10801
This document presents an extended summary of recent investigations into soft rot attack of preservative treated power poles from the re-inspection of samples selected from two field sites and two in-service trials located in New South Wales, Australia. The in-ground sapwood of selected poles was assessed by probing and, after core sampling, by microscopy to determine the severity and extent of s...
W D Gardner, M A Powell, C Kirton


CT scanning of decay in creosoted poles for overhead lines
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30634
Creosote-treated poles have been examined by means of CT scanning in order to investigate the nature of soft spots that have been found more frequently during the last five years in Sweden. CT scanning provides a very good picture of the interior of the poles and decay can easily be detected. It was concluded that the soft spots in most cases were caused by decay which in turn had to do with extre...
C-J Johansson, A Clang, I Johansson, G Berggren


An Overview of Western Red Cedar as a Wood Pole Species
2014 - IRG/WP 14-10815
This paper reviews the characteristics of western red cedar, with particular emphasis on its use in utility poles. Western red cedar naturally grows primarily in British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana. Compared to other commercial softwoods it has low density, increased corrosivity, weaker mechanical properties, high dimensional stability, and high natural dura...
M H Freeman, R Stirling


Incidence of soft rot attack on preservative treated Douglas-fir poles: a preliminary survey
2014 - IRG/WP 14-10818
Occurrence of soft rot decay in Douglas-fir poles treated with ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA) or pentachlorophenol in oil was studied. Soft rot was less prevalent in poles treated with penta, but some soft rot was found in approximately 20 % of poles examined. Soft rot was more common in poles treated with ACZA, and, when present, was found in almost 20% of the cells examined. The potenti...
P Torres Andrade, J J Morrell


Migration of copper from copper naphthenate treated Douglas-fir poles during storage
2014 - IRG/WP 14-50302
Preservative migration from treated wood products has raised concerns among regulators, especially when the biocides move into surface waters. In most cases, chemical levels are well below the acceptable minimum level, but can become a concern if large quantities of treated wood are stored in one location. One such case would be a location where utility poles are stored for use in emergency repai...
C S Love, C M Freitag, J J Morrell


Performance of copper treated poles and posts after three to fifteen years of exposure
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20595
Copper based wood preservatives are one of the most important wood preservatives for heavy-duty applications. Wood treated with copper-based preservatives performs excellent if applied according to preservative specifications. If used improperly premature failures might appear. In order to elucidate properties of copper treated wood in use, utility poles and posts treated with copper-based preserv...
M Humar, N Thaler


A Case Study of Long-term CCA Preservative Leaching from Treated Hardwood Poles in a Humid Tropical Condition
2016 - IRG/WP 16-50324
Chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated Malaysian hardwoods have long been used as utility poles, posts, construction piles and motorway fencing in soil contact exposed to the threats of decay fungi and termites. Despite global concerns citing predominantly temperate conditions of long-term leaching of CCA toxic heavy metals from wood into surrounding soils and groundwater since the 1990’s, the ...
A H H Wong, W S M Chin


Five-year evaluation of a field trial of Eucalyptus grandis poles treated with zinc and boron
2017 - IRG/WP 17-30721
Round Eucalyptus wood treatment in sequential stages with inorganic borates and metal salts (zinc sulfate and boric acid+borax) was studied; the aims were to form an insoluble precipitate of zinc borate inside wood and to reduce treatment costs by performing the first treatment by simple ascent and diffusion of the preservative, at the same time as it was sought to impregnate the heartwood. The se...
C Ibáñez, A Camargo, C Mantero, M Rabinovich


Degradation of Eucalyptus transmission poles varies across regions in Zambia
2018 - IRG/WP 18-30727
Evidence from literature shows that Eucalyptus poles treated with creosote last over 30 years before replacement. However, in Zambia, the life span of such poles has reduced to 5-10 years. The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with degradation of treated Eucalyptus poles and how these varied across regions in the country. A total of 1200 poles were assessed in three differen...
P Ng’andwe, D Chungu, E Ncube


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


Protecting Sustainable Wood Infrastructure ̶ Improving the Performance of Poles, Piles, Ties & Timbers with Dual Treatments
2019 - IRG/WP 19-30735
Wood is by far the best structural material in terms of environmental impact, as shown by a number of LCA studies. This environmental impact superiority can be improved if the longevity of the commodity is extended. The main durability concern in large cross-section treated materials is the susceptibility of the heartwood to decay, as it is not typically treatable using traditional methods. This ...
J Lloyd, A Taylor, C Brischke, N Irby, M Manning


Protection of Venetian pilings from marine borers
2022 - IRG/WP 22-10995
This keynote paper describes piling typology, i.e. Aids to navigation, Mooring and berthing and Pileworks. Furthermore, it describes damages to pilings and public tests on alternative materials and protection. Final remarks: Today, all the pole types admitted by the Memorandum of Understanding can be seen in the lagoon. Plastic poles are common for the mooring of small boats and as stilts in some...
D Tagliapietra


Chemical Analysis of Southern Pine Pole Stubs Sixty Months Following Treatment with a Methylisothiocyanate-Based Solid Fumigant Stick
2019 - IRG/WP 19-30740
Methylisothiocyanate-based fumigants have been commercially used in the United States for over 35 years to control internal decay in utility poles and other wooden structures with little technological advancement. The most recently commercialized methylisothiocyanate-based fumigant is chemically known as dazomet. Dazomet is a free-flowing powder or granule that decomposes in the presence of mois...
D J Herdman, T Pope, R R Browning


Glued laminated poles - Progress report after 43 years of testing
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20692
In 1979, a number of glued laminated poles treated with CCA and creosote were placed in a greenhouse in Uppsala, in the SimlĂĄngsdalen test field in south-western Sweden and in a power lane in Vuollerim in northern Sweden, in order to study their resistance against biological degradation. The test poles were treated in a two-step process. All laminations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) were first...
J Jermer, M Westin, N Terziev


Multi-scale Experimental Study on Self-sustained Smouldering of CCA-treated Timber Poles
2023 - IRG/WP 23-40988
While it is accepted that appropriate treatment with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) will extend the design life of wood markedly, there are concerns regarding the effect of treatment on fire performance. Smouldering combustion in CCA-treated timber infrastructure can self-sustain, destroying the timber elements, as the chromium and copper present in the CCA can act as catalysts of the smouldering...
W Wu, L Yerman, J J Morrell, F Wiesner


Assessment of historical pilings from Lisbon
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41004
The renovation and rebuilding of areas in Lisbon has led to work on buildings constructed in the Pombaline downtown district. These buildings were constructed on wooden pilings, as a means of stabilising unstable soils and transfer the loads from buildings to soils with adequate bearing capacity. These methods also increased the resilience of the reconstruction works to future possible earthquakes...
D Jones, S Duarte, J A J Huber, L Nunes


Evaluation of mass timber materials for military and commercial trailer decking
2024 - IRG/WP 24-41009
In this study, CLT trailer decking was manufactured to current military trailer decking specifications, verified using PRG320 performance criteria, and treated with either waterborne or oil borne wood preservatives. Preliminary results show adequate uptake of preservative solution and subsequent testing shows minimal effect due to treatment. Field durability tests are also being conducted of treat...
G Kirker, A Senalik, X Wang, K Ohno, R Arango, M Mankowski, X Xie, J Eskola, N Kamprath, S Karwaczynski, M Weaver


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


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