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Statistical analysis of durability tests - Part 1: Principles of distribution fitting and application on laboratory tests
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20504
Service life prediction is an important topic in wood research, especially with regard to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Both laboratory tests as well as in-service performance testing are therefore essential in combination with proper monitoring and analysis tools. A crucial concept is variability in testing and analysis, especially for a biological material such as wood. The larger ...
I De Windt, J Van den Bulcke, C Brischke, C R Welzbacher, A Gellerich, S Bollmus, M Humar,


Characterization of test fields
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20508
Test field characteristics and impact of test fields on wood degradation is important when testing wood protection. The current EN 252 standard has no requirement for knowledge of decay hazards, but most commonly a test field is known as a “brown”,- “white”,- or “soft rot” field. To understand which decay hazard wood preservatives are tested against, each test field should be character...
U Råberg, N Terziev, G Daniel


Quasi-in-situ durability tests on oak timber bridges
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20510
This study aims on developing a method for determination of wood durability on samples taken from real structures in service. Therefore quasi-in-situ durability tests have been conducted exemplarily on timber bridges made from English oak (Quercus robur L.). Drilling cores were found to be a feasible alternative to standard specimens for laboratory durability tests against pure cultures of Basidio...
C Brischke, C J Behnen, M-T Lenz, K Brandt, E Melcher


Changes of fungicidal, mechanical and sorption properties of wood during above ground outdoor exposure
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20513
The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate differences in mechanical, fungicidal, and sorption properties of four different wood species (sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), common beach (Fagus sylvatica), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and copper-ethanolamine (CuE) impregnated Norway spruce (Picea abies)) that were exposed in the 3rd use class (CEN, 1992) for periods between 4 and 30 months...
N Thaler, M Humar


Image analysis for mould and sapstain detection on wood
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20519
Laboratory tests for mould growth on wood products are time consuming and rely on visual assessments of specimens utilizing subjective rating systems. Accelerated laboratory methods are needed that can provide rapid, quantitative assessment of mould and sapstain growth on solid and composite wood products. Image analysis of scanned spore imprints from southern pine or oriented strandboard (OSB) sp...
C A Clausen, V W Yang


Visual Inspection – How Important is the Influence of the Evaluator?
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20521
Visual inspection is often a crucial means of judging the efficacy and performance of a preservative. It is used in non-destructive testing in long term exposure trials or simply, when the practical use and precision of the human eye is a good means of measure. As for the procedure described in EN 252, the impression of softness due to decay of the wood has also to be considered. Although, a thumb...
M Klamer, P Larsson Brelid, I Stephan


Predicting the Rate of Decay, and the Potential for Misinterpretation of Proper Scientific Method
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20525
Predicting the rate of fungal attack in wood-based materials and its effect on properties remains the holy grail of wood products pathologists; however, achieving this goal is difficult because of the many variables associated with the process. This paper reviews some of the more important aspects of the decay process in relation to test methodology and then discusses how data are sometimes used b...
B S Goodell, J J Morrell


Report on COST E37 Round Robin Tests – Comparison of results from laboratory and field tests
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20535
A round robin involving 15 European participants was set up in 2006. The round robin consists of both a field test according to the double layer test method and a laboratory test with two different preconditioning methods. When comparing EN 84 preconditioning (two weeks water leaching) with natural preconditioning (1 year in field, above ground) according to CEN/TS 15397, no significant difference...
M Westin, E Conti, J Creemers, P-O Flæte, A Gellerich, I Irbe, M Klamer, B Mazela, E Melcher, R Möller, L Nunes, S Palanti, L Reinprecht, E Suttie, H Viitanen


Micronized Copper Wood Preservatives: Strong Indications of the Reservoir Effect
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30609
Micronized copper wood preservative systems were launched commercially in May 2006. Now, over 75% of the residential lumber produced in the USA is treated with micronized wood preservative formulations. Although considered controversial at first, the mode of action of micronized copper has been clearly defined by multiple authors over the years, as well as a need for a co-biocide in water-borne sy...
M H Freeman, C R McIntyre


Preliminary testing of spiroborate esters as wood preservatives
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30614
Fungicide and insecticide properties of boric acid are known since 30’s of the last century, but high solubility and leachability of inorganic borates limit their use for only applications not directly exposed to liquid water. A number of attempts were made to fixate borate salts into the wood structure but this research topic is still up to date and undiscovered. Water insoluble organoboron est...
D Panov, N Terziev


The Effect of Water Repellent on Semi-Field Leaching of Active Substances from Metal Free Wood Preservative Formulation
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30615
The risk assessments for the use of wood preservatives proposed by the OECD and used under the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) (98/8/EC) require the derivation of leaching rates for active substances. These rates are to be used as input data in to agreed exposure scenarios. A comparison of the leaching of active substances from wood treated with a metal free preservative formulation with and wit...
D G Cantrell


40 year results from the largest preservative in-ground stake trial conducted in Australia
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30624
The final results from Australia’s largest preservative in-ground stake trial are listed. There were eight test sites, six in Australia and two in Papua New Guinea. The preservatives tested include low and high temperature creosotes, PCP and various water-borne preservatives including CCA and copper chromate. The main timbers examined were sawn Pinus radiata sapwood, sawn Eucalyptus regnans hear...
L J Cookson


Decay resistance of thermally modified Scots pine after 6 years’ exposure above ground
2013 - IRG/WP 13-40624
In the present study the performance of boards treated by ThermoWood process were studied above ground and the results given are based on a “modified” horizontal double- layer test. The base layer of boards was in direct contact with ground and the conditions were much harder than in the standard method. After six years’ exposure clear differences were found between untreated Scots pine and ...
H Viitanen, S Metsä-Kortelainen, A Nurmi, S Jämsä


Field performance of wood impregnated with siloxanes using supercritical carbon dioxide
2013 - IRG/WP 13-40632
This paper presents preliminary results from a 13-month field test containing pine sapwood samples (Pinus sylvestris) impregnated with a mixture of siloxane and organic biocides using supercritical carbon dioxide as carrier. Samples were exposed above ground at a Danish field test site using matched non-treated sapwood controls for every treated sample. All samples were painted before exposure. Pi...
A Kjellow, F Imsgard, J Fernandes, R Wagner, J Delis


Performance of Coatings on Wood Treated with Carbon-Based Preservatives
2013 - IRG/WP 13-40638
Wood treated with carbon-based preservatives is often used in applications where coatings are required, yet few studies have examined the effect of such treatment on coating performance. Users need to be confident that coatings on carbon-based preservative-treated wood will perform as well as or better than those on untreated wood. The present study examines the performance of three coatings on un...
R Stirling, P I Morris


Quantification of copper and chromium in field stakes after different exposure times: Remaining metal content and distribution
2013 - IRG/WP 13-50291
In order to determine the distribution of copper and chromium as well as their remaining concentration EN 252 specimens and thicker pine sapwood stakes (non standard format) were treated with a commercial CC salt in a vacuum pressure process. The stakes were installed in the test field of the Institute of Wood Research, Hamburg, in August 2010. In all cases three stakes were removed after 4, 8, 12...
T Liese, M Bahmani, E Melcher


Critical moisture levels and mould resistance of five different wood treatments
2013 - IRG/WP 13-30632
Mould resistance of five different treatments were tested using two methods, a recently developed method for the determination of critical moisture levels of building materials (RHcrit), and ASTM D3273-94. The critical moisture level method exposed samples at 22 °C and 98, 92, 86 and 82% relative humidity (RH) for 12 weeks. ASTM D3273-94 was performed at 29 °C and about 95% RH. Treatments c...
G Bok, P Johansson, A Ekstrand Tobin, S Bardage


Field performance of wood-based decking materials in the Western United States
2014 - IRG/WP 14-30645
While wood has long been used for the construction of decks and other outdoor features, a variety of wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking products have emerged over the past decade with claims of exceptional durability and low maintenance. There are relatively few long term comparative tests on these products. The performance of selected WPC decking products was compared with naturally durable we...
S Lipeh, C S Love, J J Morrell


Ammoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate Preservative Treated Wood Ties Their Performance in Testing and Track
2014 - IRG/WP 14-30636
While not a new preservative system, Ammoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate (ACZA), had not previously been used to protect crossties. Its performance in treating difficult or refractory species of wood has been documented through its wide range of uses approved in AWPA. The establishment of appropriate testing for railroad material use was put in place and includes laboratory, field as well as commercia...
T Carey


Effect of polyurea coatings on performance of Douglas-fir in tropical above ground exposures
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40665
The potential for using polyurea barriers to limit fungal and termite attack was investigated on Douglas-fir lumber and timbers. Termites were capable of penetrating the barrier to attack non-treated wood as well as wood dip-treated with disodium octaborate. The coatings were also exposed above ground for 48 months in Hilo Hawaii. Samples were dissected to detect internal decay. Coated non-trea...
S Uysal, J J Morrell


Comparison of untreated plywood and untreated LVL in a field trial against Coptotermes acinaciformis and in laboratory trials against Tyromyces palustris and Coniophora puteana
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40671
In Australasia, efficacy data obtained on plywood is generally acceptable for laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and vice versa. This is particularly the case with glueline treatment approvals. The rationale is that the two wood products have predominately the same basic structure with the key difference being orientation of the veneer. LVL typically has all veneers in parallel while plywood typical...
A Siraa, K Day, S Millward, P Lobb


The Physical Properties of Heat Treated Fir Wood and Outdoor Durability
2014 - IRG/WP 14-40677
Wood might be easily susceptible to degrade by biotic and abiotic factors. Therefore, wood should be protected from fungi, insects and other degradation factors by applying treatment methods. Especially, for the wood have used in the external environment. Chemical treatment methods have some disadvantages such as use of toxic chemicals (Arsenic and chromium) and treatability of refractory wood spe...
O E Özkan, H Vurdu, A Temiz, G Köse


Biocidal Products Regulation – Structure and Impact for Product Authorization and Testing in EU
2014 - IRG/WP 14-50308
Since September 2013 the Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR) has been in force in Europe. BPR replaces the Biocidal Products Directive (EC/98/8) and in some respect marks a turning point in the European legislation concerning registration of all types of biocides. BPR introduces some changes both for suppliers of active substances and for companies that produce and place biocide containing wood p...
M Klamer


Field Performance of Old-Growth and Second-Growth Western Red Cedar Fence Posts with and without Barrier Wraps
2015 - IRG/WP 15-10838
Many authors have suggested natural durability may be lower in second-growth western redcedar than in old-growth. One potential means of offsetting a decline in durability is use of physical barriers to separate the wood from soil. In the present work we compared the durability of old-growth and second-growth western red cedar posts, with and without barrier wraps, in a field test. After ten year...
P I Morris, J K Ingram, R Stirling


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


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