Ghent, Belgium test site

 

Site Information

Organization:  Ghent University
Contact person: Prof. Joris Van Acker
Who uses it or can use it?: Research projects and industrial testing
Is it a contract testing site?  In part
Location: Ghent University (UGent), Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent - Belgium
Coordinates: 51.053063 N, 3.706727 E

Type of testing

Decay: Use class 3 related testing
Termites or other insects: no
Ground Contact: very limited (mainly for students)
Above Ground: EN330 and similar + CMM (continuous moisture measurement)
Weathering: EN927 and similar
Marine: N.A.

 

Biodeteriogens

Type of decay: focus on above-ground decay (brown-rot for softwoods and white-rot for hardwoods)
Termite species: no
Marine Organisms: no

Geophysical information

(from http://nl.climate-data.org/location/6350/)

Rainfall: 754 mm
Temperature mean: 10.2 °C
Climate Index: According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ghent has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate map.
Soil-type (if ground contact testing):

Images:

References:

Li, W. Z., Van den Bulcke, J., De Windt, I., Dhaene, J., & Van Acker, J. (in press). Moisture behavior and structural changes of plywood during outdoor exposure. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-015-0992-z.

De Windt, I., Van den Bulcke, J., Wuijtens, I., Coppens, H., & Van Acker, J. (2014). Outdoor weathering performance parameters of exterior wood coating systems on tropical hardwood substrates. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WOOD AND WOOD PRODUCTS, 72(2), 261–272.

Van den Bulcke, J., De Windt, I., Defoirdt, N., De Smet, J., & Van Acker, J. (2011). Moisture dynamics and fungal susceptibility of plywood. INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION, 65(5), 708–716.

Van den Bulcke, J., Van Acker, J., & De Smet, J. (2009). An experimental set-up for real-time continuous moisture measurements of plywood exposed to outdoor climate. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT, 44(12), 2368–2377.