There are a number of wood properties which affect the quality of forest products such as lumber and pulp. Of these, wood density is considered by some to be the single most important physical characteristic because it is an excellent predictor of strength, stiffness, hardness, and paper-making capacities. Accurately assessing...
The specification, inspection, and remedial treatment of utility poles are addressed. Included are discussions of enhancing specifications for improved performance, techniques for detecting decay and other defects, and chemical treatments available for arresting decay of poles in service.
The steadily increasing costs of raw materials, of the treated products, and of their replacement in service, as well as the steadily shrinking supply of preferred species, prompted a forum at Oregon State University on May 15, 1973 "to encourage the use of western hemlock and western fuss for poles...
Total US lumber production in 2011 was 77.9 million cubic meters. Its primary use was for housing and construction. There is a growing concern that the structural properties for wood are being reduced as trees are harvested at much younger ages as the wood supply shifts from older to younger...
Published January 1951. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Douglas-fir utility poles are routinely air seasoned before
treatment with chemical preservatives. Basidiomycetous fungi invade
these poles and may cause strength loss during air seasoning or later
if treatment temperatures are insufficient to kill the decay fungi.
The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid test to asses...
This report is one of a series issued in cooperation with the Army-Navy-Civil Committee on Aircraft Design Criteria under the supervision of the Aeronautical Board.
In order to decide whether or not to develop biomass energy facilities and where to best locate them, developers and investors need accurate assessments of fuel supply. This includes information about the distribution and concentration of fuel throughout the assessment area, the quality of fuel (form, moisture content, contaminant content,...
In an exploratory survey of the serviceability of wood in the
marine environment in the Pacific Northwest, pressure-creosoted
piling with tops protected from wetting by the superstructure provided
40 and more years of service and showed little or no indication
of deterioration. The service life of these piling is still...
Eight series of untreated posts (including 5 series of steel), 22 series of nonpressure-treated posts, and 13 series of pressure-treated posts remain in test. Series in which all posts have failed now number 36 for untreated and 29 for nonpressure-treated. Causes of failures since 1949 were: fungi, 75 percent of...
This summary of the 1958 inspection of the T. J. Starker Post Farm is issued as a supplement to the detailed Progress Report 11, October 1957. Complete Progress reports to be issued at intervals of 2-5 years will describe post series mentioned here and will summarize previous work.
Untreated and preservative-treated fence posts were exposed in soil at a test site near Corvallis, OR. Several species, including western juniper and Osage-orange, showed exceptional natural durability. Preservative treatment generally extended the useful life of the posts, but the degree of protection varied with the chemical and the application method.
Eight series of untreated posts (including five series of steel), 18 series of nonpressure-treated posts, and II series of pressure-treated posts remain in test at the Oregon State University post farm in western Oregon. So far all posts have failed in 36 untreated series, 33 nonpressure-treated series, and 2 pressure-treated...
Eleven series of untreated posts, 33 series of nonpressuretreated posts, and 13 series of pressure-treated posts remain in test. Series in which all posts have failed now number 34 for untreated, and 18 for nonpressure-treated. Causes of failures since 1949 were: fungi, 77 per cent of failures; fungi and termites,...
Revised March 1962. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published April 1955. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Published July 1953. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Two approaches to improving wood treatability include the modification of pressure
schedules during conventional liquid treatments and the use of supercritical fluids (SCFs). In
both of these techniques, pressure differences are important for transporting materials into
wood. The level of pressure and its change during SCF treatments are also important...
Boron and boron compounds have been long used for pressure treatment, dip-diffusion, and remedial treatments of wood because of their proven efficacy against fungi and insects. These materials are especially attractive because their high water solubility promotes deeper penetration into wood. Other useful properties of boron include its neutral pH,...
This report is one of a series issued in cooperation with the Army-Navy-Civil Committee on Aircraft Design Criteria under the supervision of the Aeronautical Board.
Among the many products of Oregon's forests are poles and piling. These products form the basis of an industry with distinctive manufacturing and marketing processes. Based on information collected through interviews with officials of the pole and piling industry, this report describes characteristics of the industry-its major markets, marketing procedures,...
To remain competitive, the forest products industry needs to look for new and innovative processes and technologies to not only reduce costs but also to recover more value through the entire seedling-to-customer forest products supply chain. It is well recognized that measuring wood properties of logs in real time during...
Published November 1983. Reprinted November 1994. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Seismically-induced liquefaction represents a major cause of damage to civil infrastructure and can result in significant damage following major earthquakes. Liquefaction can occur when earthquake ground motions raise pore-water pressures in loose, sandy soil, resulting in a substantial decrease of soil strength. Owing to the potential for instability following liquefaction,...
Woody biomass transportation costs and market values/costs are strongly correlated with the woody biomass moisture content. Properly managing moisture content can potentially lead to economic and environmental advantages in biomass energy markets. Good management requires accurate moisture content measurements. Therefore, availability of accurate, precise, reliable, and efficient tools to assess...
Forest products companies in the U.S. face vigorous competition from other wood
producers around the world and other industries (steel, aluminum, plastics,
composites). To be competitive, forest companies need to control costs, sort and
allocate logs to the most appropriate markets, and recover more value at time of
harvest. Interest...
Influence of temperature and wood moisture content on
spore germination and colonization of Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga jnenziesii) heartwood by Poria carbonica
basidiospores and chlamydospores was studied. Both spore
types germinated and colonized wood at moisture contents
above the fiber saturation point, but not below.
Germination and wood colonization occurred at 22°C...
The goal of this study was to optimize a through-boring pattern that will provide adequate preservative penetration while minimizing the reduction in overall pole bending strength. Hole spacing was developed using longitudinal and transverse chemical penetration data from previous studies. Finite element analysis was used as a preliminary assessment tool...
The temperature-time-location relationships during steam conditioning and pressure
treatment of timber poles have been studied and mathematical models that take into
account both the thermal properties of the poles and the parameters of the treatment
process have been developed. Although much work has been previously done in this
area, the...
Raw material costs and limited material availability and quality have created
significant interest in and opportunities for the application of nondestructive
evaluation techniques to improve wood processing technologies. The incentives come
from the desire to 1) manufacture the highest valued product, 2) conserve the
amount of raw material used, 3)...
The heartwood of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora var. velutina) and of Utah juniper (Juniperus utahensis) is generally considered to have outstanding decay resistance. Quantitative evidence of the juniper superiority appears in a study of old fence lines by Meagher. Nearly three fourths of the juniper posts averaging 3.6 inches in diameter...
ABSTRACT
Improved Fumigants
After 13 years, chioropicrin, methylisothiocyanate (MIT), Vapam, and
Vorlex continue to effectively control internal decay of pressure-treated
Douglas-fir transmission poles. The estimated retreating schedules for
application of these fumigants to treated wood may be as long as 10 years
for Vapam and 15 years for the others....
ABSTRACT
Fumigants. Chioropicrin, Vapam and Vorlex continue to control Internal
decay of Douglas-fir poles 11 years after application.
Methylisothiocyanate (MIT), which was melted and poured into holes in
Douglas-fir poles 3-years ago and goes directly from a solid to a gas in the
wood, appears promising In controlling decay fungi....
ABSTRACT
Improved Fumigants
Chioropicrin, Vorlex and Vapam continue to control internal decay of
pressure-treated Douglas-fir poles 12 years after application. Fungitoxic quantities
of chloropicrin are present in the wood as high as 2.4 m (8 feet) above
the groundline. Solid methylisothiocyanate (MIT), which goes directly to a vapor,
is somewhat...
This fifth annual Cooperative Pole Research Program report
outlines our progress in the six project objectives.
Improved Fumigants
Sampling of previously established field tests revealed that
Vorlex and Chloropicrin continued to perform well after 15 years,
while Vapam was slightly less effective. Solid methylisothiocyanate
(MIT) also performed well in the...
After 14 years, chloropicrin, Vapam and Vorlex continue to effectively
control internal decay of pressure-treated Douglas-fir
transmission poles, but 6 years after application of methylisothiocyanate
(MIT) some poles are becoming reinfested by decay fungi
although NIT residues remain high in these poles. The closed-tube
bioassay, developed through our research, is...