The amounts of treated wood present at a wood recycling center in western Oregon were surveyed over a 10-year period. Treated wood was found at 106 of 112 inspections, but the levels never exceeded 2 percent of the volume present. The amount of treated wood averaged 0.15 percent of the...
The resistance of three naturally durable heartwood species and a stranded giant bamboo product to fungal and termite (Coptotermes formosanus) attack was evaluated at a test site located near Hilo, Hawaii. Merbau (Intsia bijuga or I. palembanica) and ipe (Tabebuia spp.) were both exceptionally resistant to fungal and termite attack,...
The effect of various wood characteristics on decomposition of metham sodium to methylisothiocyanate in sixteen North American and Southeast Asian hardwoods and softwoods was investigated. While marked differences were noted in the degree of decomposition among some species, the relationship between decomposition and lignin content, extractive levels, wood pH, or...
The bioassay with Aspergillus niger is a simple way of determining the presence and amount of pentachlorophenol or tributyltin oxide in wood, but it does not appear useful for measuring strongly fixed chemicals such as chromated copper arsenate, borate, and fluoride. Its effectiveness in detecting other preservatives has not been...
The ability of white and brown rot fungi to colonize wood-plastic composites was investigated by measuring weight loss and anatomical changes. Three composite materials were evaluated. The material containing a 70/30 wood-high density polyethylene (HDPE) mixture was most susceptible to fungal attack, while two different 50/50 wood-HDPE composites experienced little...
An aging electricity distribution system and reduced availability of naturally durable tropical hardwoods in Australia will
combine in the next decade to produce a major shortage of poles. One approach to mitigating this shortage is to utilize lower
durability species and improve the penetration of preservatives into the refractory heartwood...
The heartwood of western redcedar (Thuja plicuta) is known for its natural resistance to fungal attack, but some users of western redcedar utility poles have suggested that its durability may be diminished as suppliers begin to harvest trees from younger stands. The decay resistance of western redcedar samples from the...