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Natural durability and moisture dynamics of commercially important European wood species after weathering
2022 - IRG/WP 22-10992
Wood is a frequently used material. Timbers’ mechanical properties, particularly its favourable strength-to-mass ratio, make them suitable for many uses. Current environmental awareness has led to its renewed importance as a building material. However, wood is susceptible to decay that severely affect its outdoor performance. This study investigated how weathering affects the natural durability ...
E Keržič, M Humar


Performance of wood exterior structures above ground in Spain. Performance and durability of a shelter of spruce in a shopping centre after 20 years
2022 - IRG/WP 22-20680
Across Europe is very common to find wood exterior structures mainly build in sawn and glue-laminated wood. Most of these exterior wood structures use softwood wood species such as: fir, spruce, pine or douglas. In Spain exterior wood structures, became more and more popular since nineties, when sawn and glue-laminated wood were utilized for building exterior wood structures in overall Spain. In m...
D Lorenzo, A Lozano, M Alonso, J Fernández-Golfín, M Touza, J Benito


Service trial of different materials exposed in jetties at Öresund. Progress report No. 5
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30764
This report contains results of the fifth inspection on the performance of different decking materials – preservative-treated wood, modified wood, natural durable wood, re-cycled plastics and wood-plastic composites (WPCs) - available on the market and exposed since 2013 (some since 2014 and 2016) by the City of Malmö in two jetties near the Øresund Bridge, south of central Malmö in Sweden. T...
J Jermer


Properties of Iron (II) Sulphate treated Norway Spruce
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30765
Exterior wood is exposed to various environmental factors that cause weathering. Weathering is important primarily from an aesthetic standpoint. However, not all parts of the building are equally susceptible to weathering. Parts exposed to moisture will discolour faster than protected parts, such as wood under roof overhangs. To achieve fast and uniform artificial greying, a surface treatment with...
B Lesar, M Humar, M Škamlec


Post-layup protection of mass timber elements in above ground protected exposures: 2-year results
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30766
Mass timber has seen increased use as a building material for low and mid-rise construction in recent decades. The durability of mass timber elements has not been fully examined and the effects of wood destroying organisms on this these materials merits attention. The effectiveness of currently labeled soil termiticides and passively applied biocides at post-construction or as remedial agents need...
M E Mankowski, T G Shelton, G T Kirker, J J Morrell


Above-Ground Termite Resistance of Naturally Durable Species in Ontario and Mississippi
2022 - IRG/WP 22-30767
A collaborative above-ground protected termite field test was initiated by FPInnovations and the USDA Forest Service at sites in Ontario and Mississippi. The aims of the experiment were to compare the rate of attack in protected, above-ground exposures by the subterranean termite species, Reticulitermes flavipes, between northern (Ontario) and southern (Mississippi) test sites and to generate perf...
R Stirling, M Mankowski


Effect of furfurylation treatment on the performance of three Canadian wood species
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40925
The demand for exterior wood siding is stagnating in North America, partly due to the perception of consumers, architects and contractors regarding their durability and maintenance. Improving attributes such as the dimensional stability of wood is therefore necessary to make it more attractive to consumers. This project aims to assess the performance of Canadian species; white spruce (Picea glauca...
G Boivin, D Schorr


A novel wood preservation technology improving durability and water-related properties
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40926
A newly developed silicone oil (Archroma Management GmbH, Switzerland) was tested for wood modification purposes. Scots pine sapwood was treated with aqueous solutions of this silicone oil and showed a penetration of the modification agent into the wood cell wall. Both, biological durability and moisture-related properties, experienced significant improvements by the modification. Besides, the mod...
L Emmerich, H Militz, M Vila


Effect of densification of Eucalyptus nitens and E. obliqua on moisture uptake, swelling, decay resistance, and fire performance
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40946
Some Australian Eucalyptus species that are abundantly available have low natural durability and poor resistance to fire. These same species are also extremely difficult to treat with preservatives or fire retardants using conventional pressure treatment methods due to a large proportion of refractory heartwood. The aim of this research was to understand whether thermo-mechanical densification had...
B Hassan, J J Morrell, F Wiesner, W Wu, B Belleville, K C Wood


Influence of weathering on the mechanical properties and performance of exterior wood coatings
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40951
Three commercial coatings were exposed to artificial (EN 927-6) and natural weathering (EN 927-3) on wood samples. Cracking was visually assessed as well as Persoz hardness. Free films of the same coatings were also exposed to the same weathering tests before their tensile properties were measured. Results show that artificial and natural weathering modified the overall mechanical properties of wo...
L Podgorski, J-D Lanvin


Phenol formaldehyde modification and termite resistance under laboratory testing
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40952
The development of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins as a means of impregnating solid wood is one that has been explored for several decades, both in terms of conventional impregnation processing (Impreg) or compressional impregnation (Compreg). However, it is only recently with advances in processing conditions that the method truly affords a means of achieving conventional modification for solid t...
L Nunes, A Pitman, M Duarte, B Stefanowski, D Jones


A Comparison of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Floor Panels using Finite Element Analysis and Experimental Fire Testing
2022 - IRG/WP 22-40955
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a relatively new timber product and has gained popularity in North America and Europe as a construction material. As a sustainable engineered timber product, CLT offers many advantages over solid wood, concrete, or steel construction. However, the use of timber in medium to high rise buildings is often avoided mainly due to its combustible nature. In this paper, a n...
M Yasir, A Macilwraith, K Ruane


Unlocking the potential of tropical fast-growing hardwood species
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11010
Social forestry or community managed forestry practices have been promoted as an inclusive way to mitigate climate change through the framework of the UNFCCC scheme of the Reduce Emission Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) programme. Fast growing wood species are one of the least tapped social forestry commodities in Southeast Asia, and they have the potential to be upscaled to meet the ...
S Fauziyyah, R Wimmer, C Brischke


Assessment of the Material Durability and Structural Integrity of the Wooden Velodrome in Češča vas, Slovenia
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11012
Wood is a widely used material in the construction industry, and it has been utilized for thousands of years to create buildings and other structures. When wooden structures are designed, built, and maintained properly, they can be safe and long-lasting. Sports facilities, which provide athletes with a space to train, compete, and improve their abilities, are crucial in creating a strong and susta...
D Kržišnik, M Humar, B Lesar


Long-term Performance of Treated Timbers in a Sub-tropical Marine Exposure
2023 - IRG/WP 23-11015
The long-term performance of preservative-treated and modified wood in marine exposures was assessed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This report describes the final destructive assessment of the surviving Australian panels after 11 years of exposure. This site presents the potential for attack by shipworms (likely Bankia spp.), pholads (Martesia striata), Limnoria and Sphaeroma terebrans. Mos...
E L Galore, J Norton, A Zahora


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 Simlångsdalen 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


Effect of Moisture Cycles and Timber Treatment on the Performance of Screwed Connections
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20694
The impact of moisture in timber structures is associated with the deterioration of timber, and loss of mechanical performance. Methods have been developed to treat timber using chemicals to inhibit deterioration, however, water intrusion has much more immediate effects on the mechanical properties of timber associated with swelling and shrinkage of the wood. The effects of moisture on the mechani...
L Yermán, M Xiao, Z Yan, L-M Ottenhaus


Field durability testing of wood above ground - Part 1: 15 years’ experience with the Bundle method
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20695
A ‘jack of all trades’ method for above-ground wood durability testing has been sought for decades, but until now no method has found its way into standardization. The method of choice shall be applicable for untreated and treated wood – ideally also for wood composites. It shall be reproducible, objective, fast, easy, and inexpensive. Finally, it shall provide high predictive power. This s...
C Brischke, G Alfredsen, L Emmerich, M Humar, L Meyer-Veltrup


Field durability testing of wood above ground - Part 2: The full guideline of the Bundle method
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20696
To determine the biological durability of wood above ground, numerous approaches for test methods have been pursued and tried out in the field in the past. So far, no method has managed to find its way into a European standard. During the last 15 years, experience with the Bundle method has been gained. As described in Part 1 of this paper, the method is recommended as a suitable tool for determin...
C Brischke, G Alfredsen, L Emmerich, M Humar, L Meyer-Veltrup


Laboratory durability testing of preservative treated wood products – first attempts and observations
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20697
In the past, durability classes (DC) had been assigned to wood species, sometimes also to homogenously modified wood-based materials such as thermally modified wood. More recently, some standards allow for classifying the biological durability of chemically modified wood, preservative treated wood and wood composites. Even treated products may be subject to durability classification, but necessary...
C Brischke, M Sievert, M Schilling, S Bollmus


Accelerated surface mould testing for exterior wood treatment in Temperate, Tropical and Laboratory environments
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20699
Mould attack is a very common cause of discoloration on wooden surfaces and can subsequently promote development of wood decay by other organisms. Prevention of mould growth is relevant for both pigmented wood paints as well as more transparent systems with a high or low amount of binder. The use of commercial biocides has led to effective microbiological inhibition in many contexts, but the incre...
A Nazeri, J Stenbaek, T R Laursen, A H H Wong, B M Hasnul


Moisture performance of wooden shingles tested on the Golobar cable yarding
2023 - IRG/WP 23-20704
Wood is a traditional roofing material in Europe and other parts of the world. In the 17th century, wooden roofing was generally used on more important buildings, but today it is mainly used on huts and houses in the Alpine regions. As wooden roofing is expensive, we investigated the possibility of extending the service life of the roofing through material selection and details. The roof of the Go...
M Humar, B Lesar, D Kržišnik


Performance of a noise barrier with different wood materials – results from a service trial after 25 years of exposure
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30776
In connection with the construction of the railway connection between Stockholm Arlanda airport and Stockholm city, an 11 km long noise barrier made of untreated European larch was built along the railway line. This provided an opportunity to implement a full-scale study comparing different untreated wood species and preservative treatments. Thus, in March 1996 ten test sections including untreate...
J Jermer, M Westin


Challenges in managing very long-term field tests
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30779
Field testing of wood preservatives has been on-going in Petawawa, Ontario, Canada since at least 1937. Many of the treated roundwood posts from these early experiments are still in test, and include preservatives still used today, including creosote, copper naphthenate, pentachlorophenol and CCA. Performance data from selected experiments more than 50 years old are reported and we discuss some of...
R Stirling, D Wong


Performance of treated Malaysian semantang bamboo (Gigantochloa scortechinii) - field and laboratory durability evaluation
2023 - IRG/WP 23-30788
Field performance of sematan bamboo, Gigantochloa scortechinii was evaluated under the Malaysian tropical climate, along with laboratory evaluation to white-rot fungi and mold. Starch was removed from the bamboo by submerging the bamboo in the river for 6-8 weeks, kiln-dried and cut to 300 mm (L) round bamboo and 25 mm (W) x 50 mm (L) stripe for the field and laboratory test respectively. Bamboo w...
S Lipeh, T Khadiran, Z Jalaludin, M K Anwar U


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