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Development of decay hazard maps based on decay prediction models
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20588
Durability plays a very central role in timber engineering, especially when working with wood in use class 3 and above where the risk of decay is high. As one of the primary decay influencing factors, the external condition, i.e. the local climate, is often graded by some type of climate index value. Predominately, climate indices are based on a direct relationship between weather data and decay. ...
J Niklewski, E Frühwald Hansson, C Brischke, D Kavurmaci


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


Effects of fungal exposure on air and liquid permeability of nanosilver- and nanozincoxide-impregnated Paulownia wood
2016 - IRG/WP 16-30680
Effects of aqueous dispersion of silver and zinc-oxide nano-particles on air and liquid permeability of Paulownia wood exposed to T. versicolor were studied in the present research project. Specimens were also heat-treated at 100 and 150°C and compared with the control specimens. Permeability values were measured when the moisture content of the specimens was 12%. Results showed significant incre...
H R Taghiyari, A Kalantari, M Ghorbani Kookandeh, F Bavaneghi, M Akhtari


Hygrothermal performance of ventilated wooden cladding
2016 - IRG/WP 16-40733
The risk for an attack of wooden claddings by decay and discolouring fungi strongly depends on the moisture and temperature conditions in the building envelope. The design of the cladding has a major influence on its hygrothermal performance. In the present study, different wooden ventilated cladding designs were investigated at a test house in Mid-Norway for four years. The objective was to incre...
K Nore, U Hundhausen


Marine Borer Resistance of Acetylated and Furfurylated Wood – Results from up to 16 years of Field Exposure
2016 - IRG/WP 16-40756
Furfurylated and acetylated Scots pine sapwood has been tested since 1999 in a marine field with high marine borer activity. In 2004, two test groups with acetylated southern yellow pine (product later known as Perennial Wood™) were put out and over the whole test period differently furfurylated wood (later marketed as Kebony®) test groups have been started. Furthermore, some combinations of mo...
M Westin, P Larsson Brelid, T Nilsson, A O Rapp, J P Dickerson, S Lande, S Cragg


Estimation of wood degradation determined by visual inspection, mechanical testing and DNA characterisation – report after 3 years of exposure
2016 - IRG/WP 16-30700
The influence of two separate treatments, thermal modification and alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ, Silvanolin©) treatment, on fungal decay, visual disfigurement, deterioration in mechanical properties and fungal community structure was assessed on Norway spruce (Picea abies) and compared with the performance of two naturally more resistant tree species native to North America: Douglas fir (Pseud...
N Thaler, T Martinović, M Bajc, D Finžgar, H Kraigher, A Sinha, J J Morrell, M Humar


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


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


Performance of Norway spruce bridge in North-West Spain after 12 years exposure
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40796
Across Europe is very common to find bridges build in sawn and glue-laminated wood. Most of these bridges used softwood wood species such as: fir, spruce, larch and pine. In Spain wooden bridges, became more and more popular since nineties, when sawn and glue-laminated wood were utilized for building exterior wooden structures in overall Spain. This material, sawn and glue-laminated wood, are ma...
D Lorenzo, J Fernández-Golfín, M Touza, M Guaita, A Lozano, J Benito


Decay resistance of beams made from thermally modified Scots pine and Norway spruce after 6 years’ exposure in ground contact
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40806
In the present study the resistance of beams treated by ThermoWood® process was studied in ground contact and the results given are based on a “modified” EN 252 test. After six years’ exposure clear differences were found between untreated Scots pine and Norway spruce beams and treated ones. In all cases thermal modification improved the performance. Thermally modified pine heartwood showed...
S Metsä-Kortelainen, H Viitanen


Corrosion of fasteners in furfurylated wood – final report after 9 years exposure outdoors
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40810
The corrosion of some common fastener materials – mild steel, stainless steel, zinc-coated steel, brass and Sanbond Z (nickel, zinc and chromate) coated steel – has been evaluated after nine years exposure outdoors in untreated Scots pine and furfurylated beech and southern yellow pine (SYP). The furfurylation was carried out according to a process that resulted in approximately 40 % WPG (We...
J Jermer, B-L Andersson, J Schalnat


Effects of exposure time on detection of the behavior of white-rot fungi on Oriental beech wood properties
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10902
The comparison of fungal degradation of Orientalis beechwood by two white-rot fungi was evaluated in this study. Biological, mechanical, and chemical assessments of beech wood were carried out at 30 day interval for 120 days. The results demonstrated that both fungi have greater effects on beech wood during each exposure time. However, Trametes versicolor degraded beech wood more effectively than ...
E Bari, D D Nicholas, K M Ohno


Visual appearance of unpainted wooden claddings during the first year of outdoor exposure: Evaluation of surface mould growth, lightness (L*) and wasp attack
2018 - IRG/WP 18-40841
This study addresses changes in visual appearance of unpainted wood materials exposed outdoors. Specimens of Norway spruce (Picea abies) Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), aspen (Populus tremula), acetylated Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) and DMDHEU-modified Scots pine sapwood were exposed facing south in Ås, Norway for 60 weeks. During this period, surface mould growth development and wasp attack were...
S Karlsen Lie, L Ross Gobakken, G I Vestøl, O Høibø


Identifying the fungal community on western redcedar (Thuja plicata) wood in field tests above and in ground contact exposure: preliminary results
2019 - IRG/WP 19-10939
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) is a high value species in the Canadian forest industry due in large part to the natural durability of its heartwood. Western redcedar heartwood contains extractives that are inhibitory to the growth of many fungi responsible for decay. In order to gain insights into which extractives are important in long term durability, and which fungi are important to decay of ...
A Dale, S Kus, R Stirling


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


Color change of timber exposed outdoors - Influence of season exposure test starts
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40865
For the client the material and color of the exterior wall are important, because they affect the impression of the building [1]. However, discoloration of the exterior wall begins as soon as the building is completed, by various factors such as rainfall. We tried to quantitatively evaluate the changes of the exterior wood, and to organize the influences of climate conditions, in order to use the ...
K Usami, H Ishiyama


Natural durability and performance of Eucalyptus globulus single family house in Spain after 17 years exposure
2019 - IRG/WP 19-40873
From last century, in the country side in Spain is common to find wooden houses. The reason is mainly due the improvements in glues, materials, design by computer and processing in factories. All these technological advances have facilitated the development industrialized systems cheaper. However, the variety of row materials, designs and construction systems, combined with some hard climates, cou...
D Lorenzo, M Touza, J Fernandez-Golfín, A Lozano, J Benito


Outbreak of timber pest in Philippines: A consequence of frequent typhoons
2019 - IRG/WP 19-50348
Evidence of climate change and its impact are now visible in many parts of the world. This report presents impact of natural disasters in particular typhoons on trees as it passes across the Philippines archipelago every year. Typhoons damage and destroy large number of trees which soon rot under moist and warm conditions. Wood beetles and termites find these sources very quickly, breaking down th...
P Dhang


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


Performance of naturally durable decks after 15 years of field exposure
2020 - IRG/WP 20-10963
A decking test of Canadian species considered to be naturally durable was inspected after 15 years of exposure at test sites in Ontario and British Columbia. Based on the materials used in this experiment, Douglas-fir and yellow cypress had the greatest decay resistance, followed by eastern white cedar and western redcedar, and then by western larch and tamarack. All materials tested were more dur...
R Stirling, D Wong


Observed and projected changes in the climate based decay hazard of timber in the United Kingdom
2020 - IRG/WP 20-20665
The risk of microbiological attack on wood is determined by both material and climatic factors and indeed the hazard for a component is based on its intrinsic durability and the conditions in which it is used. The use of wood and organic materials in construction is increasing but ultimately all these materials will be susceptible to microbiological attack. The Scheffer Climate index applies clima...
S F Curling, G A Ormondroyd


Long-term field exposure of wood-plastic composites processed on a commercial-size extruder
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40894
Wood-plastic composites (WPC) contain wood fiber (or flour), thermoplastics and additives and are exposed to UV light, moisture, and biological deterioration in outdoor installations. Accelerated laboratory tests can help to predict the durability of WPCs, but long term evaluations are needed to validate these results. Field exposed above-ground WPC deck boards (30.5 x 139.7 x 609.6 mm) and in-gro...
R E Ibach, C M Clemmons, N M Stark


Modelling decay rates of timber exposed above ground on four different continents
2020 - IRG/WP 20-20670
Durability performance data from an international decking trial were analysed to explore relationships with climate variables, particularly those related to temperature and rainfall. Matched decking samples of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) sapwood and heartwood, spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris) were exposed to the weather above...
L P Francis, J J Morrell, C Brischke, P B Van Niekerk, J Norton


Macro biological degradation of wood treated with sorbitol and citric acid – first results from marine environment and termite exposure
2020 - IRG/WP 20-40901
Most European wood species are rapidly and severely degraded in termite-infested areas and the marine environment. There is a need for new solutions, especially in the marine environment, since we lack wood preservatives approved for marine applications in Europe. Several wood modification systems show high resistance against both marine borers and subterranean termites. However, the existing comm...
A Treu, L Nunes, E Larnøy


Assessing the risk of marine borer attack of the timber trestles and decay of timber above the intertidal zone of the Barmouth Viaduct
2021 - IRG/WP 21-10974
The Barmouth Viaduct is a Grade II* listed structure which carries the single track of the Dovey Junction to Pwllheli line and footway over the Mawddach estuary. It is in a marine environment where timber below the high tide mark is at most risk in Use Class 5 and all timber above in Use Class 3.2, permanently exposed to the risk of wetting. The structure consists of a timber trestle viaduct of ...
J R Williams


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