The effect of copper naphthenate treatment on electrical resistance of Douglas-fir utility poles was compared with similar
poles either left untreated or treated with pentachlorophenol (penta). Penta-treated and untreated wood had similar electrical
resistance shortly after treatment and after a 3-month outdoor weathering period. Electrical resistance of copper naphthenate–
treated...
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 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 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 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 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 potential effects of plant derived oils on survival of dampwood termite (Zootermopsis augusticollis) workers was explored on western white pine sapwood blocks. All of the oils rapidly affected protozoa in the hindgut of termite workers and protozoa loss was closely followed by worker mortality. The effects were most rapid...