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Bacterial brown stain on sawn timber cut from water-stored logs
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1532
Brown stains which appear on the surface of sawn radiata pine cut from water-stored logs were identified as tannin-like compounds. They are derived from bacterial breakdown of flavanoid-glucosides. When timber is sawn from infected logs, the free flavanoids migrate to the wood surface as the timber dries. There, they condense and oxidise to form permanent brown discolourations. Stains occurred on ...
M E Hedley, R Meder


Application of a novel strength evaluation technique during screening of wood preservatives
1986 - IRG/WP 2262
The effectiveness of CCA and ACA in treated aspen mini stakes tested using a novel bag procedure, with unsterile soil fortified with Chaetomium globosum and Ceratocystis albida, is reported. Good agreement between toxic limits determined using the standard weight loss procedure, and those determined by the strength technique were found, with some indication that the strength loss method is more se...
J N R Ruddick


Enhanced biodegradation of cocopeat by soft rot fungi
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10276
Biodegradation of cocopeat (coir dust) was enhanced by the addition of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and inoculation with the soft rot fungus Chaetomium globosum. The N and fungally treated cocopeats had a greater percentage weight loss (27%) after 3 months compared with 7% weight loss without the added fungi and N fertilizer. In addition, their hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents were greatly ...
P Y Yau, R J Murphy


Degradation features of waterlogged archaeological compression wood
1998 - IRG/WP 98-10258
The degradation characteristics of waterlogged archaeological compression wood excavated in South Korea were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Degradation of Pinus compression wood occurred mainly in the inner part of S2 layer. In contrast, the outer part of S2 layer remained relatively intact. CLSM and TEM showed the erosion type of ...
Yoon Soo Kim, A P Singh


Protection of southern pine using N,N-Napthaloylhydroxylamine: Field tests, soft-rot cellars and aquatic bioassay leach testing
1999 - IRG/WP 99-30204
Recent environmental restrictions are limiting the use of broad-spectrum biocides for wood preservation. There is an urgent need for new, sharply targeted, environmentally benign wood preservatives. N'N-Napthaloylhydroxylamine (NHA), a water-soluble calcium-precipitating agent, has been shown to inhibit decay by brown-rot and white-rot fungi in soil-block tests and prevent damage by Easte...
D M Crawford, F Green III


Hardwood field experiment: Progress report 1977-82
1982 - IRG/WP 3200
The international hardwood field experiment was planned in 1976 and set up in some 30 different sites around the world. The test stakes include 4 reference species common to each site and in most cases at least 2 species of local importance. It was hoped that a picture of performance of a range of economically important species would be built up and at the same time provide vital background inform...
D J Dickinson, J F Levy


Soft rot
1978 - IRG/WP 179
Soft rot decay of treated wood is examined with special reference to hardwoods treated with CCA. Factors which adversely affect the chances of protection of hardwoods against soft rot are discussed. The ratio of the volume of the fibre cell wall to the volume of the fibre lumen is presented as a major factor influencing final preservative concentration in the fibre cell wall, the major strength co...
C R Levy


The rôle of lignin in the nutrition of several Australian termites
1983 - IRG/WP 1191
The ability of Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill), Coptotermes acinaciformis (Frogatt), Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) and Mastotermes darwiniensis (Froggatt) to degrade 14C-lignin preparations was examined. The lower termites were unable to degrade lignin. Nasutitermes exitiosus was able to cause a 5-8% degradation of hardwood lignins and a synthetic lignin. It failed to degrade the lignin of Pinus ra...
L J Cookson


Molecular studies on house rot fungi by RAPD-PCR
1997 - IRG/WP 97-10195
For genetic information and in view as a possible diagnosis method various isolates of the dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, the wild merulius, S. himantioides, and the cellar fungus, Coniophora puteana, from Asia, Europe and USA were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based technique of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The banding patterns obtained revealed for S. lacr...
O Schmidt, U Moreth


Diffuse cavity formation in soft rot of pine
1992 - IRG/WP 92-1541
A new type of soft rot of southern pine longitudinal tracheids is described. In this type, soft rot cavities form by diffuse degradation of the S2 cell wall layer by hyphae growing within the cell wall. Erosion is diffuse and irregular as opposed to the restricted, periodic erosion typical of type 1 soft rot cavity formation. Proboscis hyphae remain small (diameter 0.6 to 0.8 µm) and rapidly auto...
S E Anagnost, J J Worrall, C J K Wang


Resistance of acetylated wood to basidiomycetes, soft rot and blue stain
1994 - IRG/WP 94-40021
Poplar (Populus spp.), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris) samples were acetylated in a semi-industrial acetylation plant and tested for durability according to European standards. Resistance to Gloeophyllum trabeum, Coniophora puteana and Coriolus versicolor could be reached at a weight percent gain (WPG) of 12%. Susceptibility of acetylated pine to Poria placenta was high...
E P J Beckers, H Militz, M Stevens


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


The degradation of wood by metal fastenings and fittings
1972 - IRG/WP 302
As well as the hazards of biological decay, timber used in boat building is subject to the effects of chemical decay associated with the corrosion of metallic fastenings. The title has been deliberately chosen to emphasize that in wooden construction the troubles are not just those of corrosion of the fastenings, but also the destructive secondary effects on the wood caused by the products of the ...
L C Pinion


A new approach to the maintenance of wooden railway sleepers. (Final Report)
1992 - IRG/WP 92-3724
The micro-environment of wooden railway sleepers was investigated to assess their condition, to determine the necessary treatment, repair and replacement criteria. In the final report the secondary preservative treatment of wooden sleepers with solid boron rods is discussed; the complete development of an in-situ, non-destructive test method based on structural dynamics analysis is described. The ...
W Beauford, A M Brown, D J Dickinson


Soft Rot Decay of Cengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) Heartwood in Ground Contact in Relation to Extractive Microdistribution
2003 - IRG/WP 03-10501
The heartwood of cengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii, fam. Dipterocarpaceae) is naturally durable. A square-sawn utility pole specimen of cengal heartwood, after 30 years in ground contact, showed 10-15 mm surface decay all around the ground line position, accompanied with isolated surface termite attack at the decayed region. Light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the decayed regions prov...
A P Singh, A H H Wong, Yoon Soo Kim, Seung-Gon Wi, Kwang Ho Lee


Bacteria are important degraders of cooling tower timbers: New Zealand experience
1995 - IRG/WP 95-10128
Microscopic examinations of CCA-treated Pinus radiata timbers in industrial cooling towers in New Zealand showed bacteria and soft rot fungi to be primarily responsible for the decay of these timbers. Of these micro-organisms, erosion bacteria appeared to be most widespread, attacking wood cell walls independently as well as together with tunnelling bacteria and soft rot fungi. Tunnelling bacteria...
A P Singh, R N Wakeling


The dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans) in nature and its history of introduction into buildings
1999 - IRG/WP 99-10300
For many years the True dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans (Wulf.: Fr.)Schroet.) has exclusively been found in buildings. That is why it is called the True dry rot fungus. The origin of the fungus has always been a mystery, but a wild ancestor must have occured. In the literature there is some information about finds of Serpula lacrymans in nature, however it is difficult to distinguish it from the...
J Bech-Andersen, S A Elborne


New approaches to practical evaluation method of bio-degradation of wooden construction - Non-destructive detection of defects using radar technique
2000 - IRG/WP 00-20214
There have been a number of researches and developments on the techniques and apparatus for the nondestructive evaluation of the biological deterioration in wood and wooden constructions, such as decay or insect attack in house, public buildings or in historically important architectures. As for the detection of the decay in wood, techniques using sound in audible or in ultrasonic frequency ranges...
Y Fujii, Y Komatsu, Y Yanase, S Okumura, Y Imamura, M Tarumi, H Takiuchi, A Inai


Aspects of leaching
1976 - IRG/WP 267
With respect to Document No: IRG/WP/246, and the recommendation that an economic leaching test can be based on a non-changing volume of water (500 ml/block), I would like to relate our experiences with this suggestion. Following 14 days of continuous immersion in de-ionized water it was found that blocks treated with moderate and above concentrations of a preservative gave no problems, but those b...
R S Smith


Laboratory testing of wood natural durability - In soil-bed assays
1998 - IRG/WP 98-20141
Laboratory methods for assessing wood decay resistance are being investigated in the framework of an ongoing European research project. This paper summarizes the main results obtained for soil-bed tests based on the European prestandard ENV 807-Test 2. The data suggest that this testing methodology is suitable for evaluating the natural durability of timber species in soil-contact under conditions...
R Sierra-Alvarez, I Le Bayon, J K Carey, I Stephan, J Van Acker, M Grinda, G Kleist, H Militz, R-D Peek


A bibliography of the dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans
1988 - IRG/WP 1337
For many decades the occurrence of dry rot in buildings has been the cause of serious concern in temperate regions of the world. Consequently, much effort has concentrated on determining the morphology of dry rot and on finding means of prevention and control. During early studies, observers tried to understand the phenomenon of dry rot as a whole, and in the course of the 19th century aspects cha...
G Seehann, B M Hegarty


Decay resistance of Platanus acerifolia wood against White Rot Fungi (Coriolus versicolor)
2002 - IRG/WP 02-10431
Degradation of the lignocellulose complex in wood varies on the microorganism causing decay and chemical composition of wood. The weight loss of Platanus acerifolia wood after decay by white rot fungus (Coriolus versicolor) for period 16 weeks were evaluated according to European standard EN 113 and beech wood as a control. The samples were collected in October 2000 from Nantes, France. The aim of...
M Irmouli, O Duchelier, N Ayadi, B Charrier


Is laboratory testing of decay resistance questionable as a single criterion for natural durability?
1996 - IRG/WP 96-20096
In a laboratory test set up over 20 hardwood species were evaluated according to the European Standard EN 350-1 including Basidiomycete and soft rot testing. Half of the species used were of a known natural durability. The Basidiomycete testing was carried out using Coriolus versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Coniophora puteana in a malt agar test similar to EN 113. From this test it was not pos...
J Van Acker, M Stevens, T Van Cauwenberghe, T Seynaeve


Permanence of permethrin and bifenthrin in framing timbers subjected to hazard class 3 exposure
2005 - IRG/WP 05-30383
End-sealed Pinus radiata specimens measuring 235 x 90 x 35 mm were treated using a modified Lowry schedule with permethrin or bifenthrin in white spirit to Hazard Class 2 (H2) retentions. After conditioning, the specimens were exposed at 45o on north facing racks near Melbourne (Australia). Samples of the specimens were taken before installation, and after three and six months exposure. Analyses o...
A C Hunt, D G Humphrey, R Wearne, L J Cookson


Secretion of ligninolytic enzymes by hyphal autolysis of the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium
1991 - IRG/WP 1480
The secretion of ligninases by Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated with polyclonal antibodies, followed by immmunogold-silver staining and light microscopy. After growing fungal mycelium on nitrocellulose, extracellular ligninases were detected around old, plasmaless hyphae, but not at arthrospores, chlamydospores, or blastoconidia. Labeling of fungal hyphae on coverslip cultures was obse...
R Lackner, E Srebotnik, K Messner


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