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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


Recommendations for handling of mold infestation of wooden artifacts
2012 - IRG/WP 12-10790
The presentation gives an overview of the handling of wooden artifacts with mold infestation. The causes of mold deterioration are demonstrated by investigations in a church, a historic library and a monastery in Germany. Investigated infested wooden artifacts were altars, sculptures, picture frames and sarcophagi. Important investigation methods including indoor climate measurement, material an...
K Plaschkies, B Weiss, W Scheiding


Climatic impacts on the moisture performance of wooden decking and facades
2013 - IRG/WP 13-20518
In outdoor usage wood is exposed to a variety of influences, which reduce its durability against biological deterioration and wetting. Besides many other factors the service life of wooden facades and cladding is dominated by occurring moisture loads on the one hand and their capability to withstand moisture on the other hand. Hence, climatic factors have a direct impact on the material climate an...
T Bornemann, C Brischke, G Alfredsen


Protective effectiveness of antifouling coatings for wooden boats in the Northern Adriatic Sea
2013 - IRG/WP 13-40634
There are various conventional biocide containing antifouling coatings and some more environmentally friendly paints for boats on the market. However, the question of their performance in accordance with the manufacturers’ statements or guaranties arises. The aim of our preliminary investigation was to state which type of antifouling coating exhibits better effectiveness against fouling organism...
M Petrič, M Humar, J Adamek, B Kričej


Nondestructive Detection of Biodeterioration in Indonesian Traditional Wooden Construction of “Joglo”
2014 - IRG/WP 14-10834
To decide the repairing and reinforcement method for wooden constructions, it is necessary to get the enough and precise information on the status of the construction beforehand, especially the distribution and the degree of the biodeterioration, such as decay or insect attack (e.g. termite attack). In this study, damage of biodeterioration to teak wood used in Indonesian traditional wooden const...
Y Yanase, T Mori, T Yoshimura, Y P Prihatmaji, J Sulistyo, S Doi


Performance of kiln-dried and air-dried anti-sapstain treated pallet timber under use scenarios against wood discolouring fungi
2015 - IRG/WP 30669
During their lifespan there is a high probability that wooden pallets and packaging material will be exposed to rainfall or rewetting conditions, increasing the risk of growth of discolouring fungi. Kiln-drying of wooden pallets and packaging material without anti-sapstain treatment does not give efficient protection against wood discolouring fungi during rewetting periods. However additional temp...
A Steitz, E Stoyanova, N Pfabigan, R Gründlinger


Mould growth on spruce claddings and the effect of selected influencing factors after 4 years of outdoor testing
2015 - IRG/WP 15-30671
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is the most frequently chosen wood species as claddings in façades in Norway, and is used both coated and uncoated. The visual changes that occur during weathering can be colour changes, abrasion or wear, blistering, flaking, and even cracks in the wood or coating, but more often growth of mould and blue stain fungi is the main challenge. A field test with synchronous monitoring of relative humidity, air temperature, material temperature and wood moisture content in Norway spruce claddings has been performed in southern Norway as part of the ClimateLife project. Visual evaluation of blue stain and mould growth according to EN 927-3 was performed, and evaluation data after 46 months exposure is presented. The objectives were to study the effect of 1) environment, 2) cardinal direction and 3) colour of the coated surface on growth of blue stain and mould fungi and to study the variation in relative humidity, air temperature, wood moisture content and material temperature. After 46 months exposure, the red coating system had generally the lowest mould ratings and the uncoated claddings had the highest. Of the white coloured claddings the ones facing south had lower mould ratings than those facing north, but the opposite were found for red coloured claddings. The relative humidity was higher in front of claddings exposed northwards and in a shaded environment compared to an open environment against south. In an open environment red coloured claddings had the lowest wood moisture content and highest material temperature, and red coloured claddings against south had the highest maximum material temperature.
L Ross Gobakken, G I Vestøl


Fire protection of wooden facades in Norway
2015 - IRG/WP 15-40710
Wood products are experiencing a renaissance as construction material in Europe due to their environmental benefits. In Norwegian building design however, timber has always played an important role but has had its limitations in urban architecture. One of the reasons is a high demand to fire safety in dense house building and multi-story buildings. Though novel construction methods and fire safety...
U Hundhausen, K-C Mahnert


Transfer of microorganisms from wooden crates to foodstuffs: assessment of a transfer threshold
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20574
Wood is commonly used in contact with foodstuffs, for example for packaging fruits or vegetables. Most common species used are beech, pine, spruce and poplar. Wood is often considered as being less safe than plastic because it is less easy to clean whereas several studies have demonstrated that microorganisms cannot survive easily on wood (Milling et al., 2005; Revol-Junelles et al., 2005). Nation...
M Montibus, R Ismail, I Le Bayon, A Jasick, M Gabille, F Aviat, V Michel, M Federighi, M Kutnik


Simulation of surface climate and mould growth on wooden façades
2016 - IRG/WP 16-20585
The weathering of wooden surfaces is normally caused by mould growth, lignin deterioration and leaching of extractives. For well insulated buildings, the effect of the interior climate on the outer surface is small and sometimes negligible. This paper describes simple models for surface temperature and moisture conditions on a wooden façade that can further be used to model weather degradation an...
T K Thiis, I Burud, D Kraniotis, L Ross Gobakken


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


Cryptotermes brevis - a silent earthquake for the wood structures in a World Heritage city in the Azores Islands
2016 - IRG/WP 16-50316
In the Azores archipelago the exotic drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis, detected in early 2000’s, is destroying the wood structures of the typical buildings and is already considered the main urban pest in these islands. This work aims to show the spread evolution of this pest along the last six years in the first Portuguese city classified as world heritage by UNESCO, Angra do Heroísmo. For ...
O Guerreiro, P A V Borges, L Nunes


Assessment of the quality and lifetime of wooden pile foundations
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10883
The development of wooden pile foundations started centuries ago and enable man to build and live in strategic and fertile areas. Although the building methods, the building materials and the building regulations chanced especially over the last decades, worldwide wooden pile foundations still fulfil their function to support above ground constructions of which many belong to our cultural heritage...
R W W M Klaassen, A Jorissen, H Keijer


Effects of climatic factors and material properties on mould growth on untreated wooden claddings
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10884
Mould growth is an important contributor to colour change of untreated wood exposed outdoors. Predicting the development of mould growth is therefore important to ensure successful use of untreated wood as a façade material. More knowledge about the factors affecting mould growth on outdoor exposed wood is required to give better predictions. In this study, climatic factors and material propertie...
S Karlsen Lie, G I Vestøl, O Høibø, L Ross Gobakken


Oak maturation casks at the Rodenbach brewery, an industrial heritage of the Flemish Community requiring protective measures
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10898
Brewery Rodenbach has world-renowned cask halls with close to 300 oak casks, some of these big maturation casks are 150 years old and this is protected as part of the industrial heritage of the Flemish Community. Since some of these maturation casks or “foeders” were the last decades no longer fully in use some parameters of their physical condition might have increased incidence of fungal dec...
J Van Acker, I De Windt, R Ghequire


Prefacricated modular wooden bridges
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40785
The bridge consists of simple, identical pre-fabricated triangular wooden panels joined top and bottom to make up trusses. These trusses are in turn joined together side by side in pairs and are braced to one another to create a girder construction. The deck is carried on top of the trusses, an arrangement which has several advantages for such an uncomplicated structure. It is built up on site, af...
L Jayanetti


Treatability of beechwood railway sleepers with potential creosote substitutes
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40790
Maintenance of an efficient railway infrastructure still requires the use of wooden railway sleepers, particularly because wooden sleepers have more favourable properties for intensified vibrations than concrete or steel sleepers. Creosote, used for decades for the impregnation of railway sleepers, will possibly no longer be available for this application due to European legislation. This reveals ...
N Pfabigan, E Habla, R Gründlinger


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


Durability of energy efficient wooden buildings: a building physical point of view
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40812
The drive for more energy efficient and sustainable buildings resulted in an increased popularity of wooden buildings, even in countries with a masonry tradition. Often guidelines and prescriptions then are copied from other countries. Different climatic boundary conditions and tradition of finishing, though, do require different moisture tolerance criteria. This is clearly the case for water vapo...
S Roels, J Langmans


Exploration of waterlogged piles and wooden constructions of Riga Dome Cathedral
2017 - IRG/WP 17-10901
The Riga Dome Cathedral’s waterlogged wood piles and the roofs and tower's wooden structures were investigated, the extent of biological damage was evaluated, and the wood rot fungi and insects were identified. The pile wood’s component composition and elemental composition were analysed; the wood structure damage by erosion bacteria was microscopically determined. In the roofs and tower ...
B Andersons, I Andersone, I Irbe, V Fridrihsone, R Lūsis


Water absorption characteristics of CLT
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40817
CLT is initialism of Cross Laminated Timber. CLT is generally large-sized panel which can use many woods efficiently, so it is attracted attention recently in Japan. Therefore, many studies about CLT are carried out. However, there are few studies about durability of CLT. Avoiding water infiltration is important for durability of wooden building. CLT has many edge-glued points which has risk of w...
D Yokoi, H Ishiyama, Y Hirano


Influence of sea water on timber and metal joints
2017 - IRG/WP 17-40818
In the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in March 2011, many buildings suffered from seawater immersion caused by the tsunami. Saito's study revealed that corrosion progresses on metal plate that experienced seawater immersion 1). However, the detailed mechanism of corrosion progresses has not yet been clarified. Therefore, in this study, salinity which is one of causes of corrosion w...
T Nishimura, H Ishiyama, F Hirose, N Wada


Colour changes in unpainted wooden façades – Fifty Shades of Grey
2018 - IRG/WP 18-10903
In Norway the use of weathered unpainted, wooden façades has increased in popularity the last 20 years, both in single family houses as well as in multi-story and non-residential buildings. The benefit of using unpainted wood as façade material can be several: low maintenance costs, low environmental impact and low carbon footprint as well as contemporary and trendy aesthetic appearance. The va...
K Zimmer, L R Gobakken, O Flindall, M Nygaard


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


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


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