Mycologg: a new accelerated test method for wood durability above ground

If not properly handled, selected and protected, wood will be degraded by bacteria, fungi and also insects. In order to ensure service life, durability tests are needed. Most accelerated laboratory tests on wood durability are focused either on fungi attacks or the uptake of moisture. Accelerated field tests in ground contact are of limited use since they could be difficult to reproduce and are sensitive to the characteristics of the soil in which the wood is placed. In addition, the results cannot be directly transferred to wood in use above ground because such wood is subjected to different set of conditions. The Mycologg is a new accelerated test method for estimating the durability of wood in above ground applications. The Mycologg allows the test panels to be subjected to the discolouring fungi and different RH (relative humidity) cycles simultaneously. Every 30 min, the temperature, the RH, and the moisture content in each test panel are measured and saved in special software. This allows for a constant update of the moisture patterns during a fungi attack. A trial was made with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) heartwood samples, where fungal growth after 6, 8 and 10 weeks in the Mycologg were compared to weather exposure of duplicate samples after 12, 16, and 26 months. The results showed that 10 weeks into the Mycologg accelerated test method corresponds well to real-time weather exposure with respect to fungal discolouration.     

Decay of wooden commodities – Moisture risk analysis,service life prediction and performance assessment in the field

Abstract

One key issue in wood construction is durability. Constant wetting and suitable temperatures for fungal growth promote the risk of decay and thus a decrease in structural stability and performance. Hence, performance-based prediction models seem to be reasonable to predict the in-service performance of wooden structures in different outdoor exposure situations. Within this study continuous wood moisture content (MC) and temperature measurements were conducted on five different test objects. Four test set-ups were installed at a test site in Hannover, Germany. A fifth set-up was exposed in Ås, Norway. Data-sets were applied to a dose–response performance model considering wood MC and temperature as key factors for fungal decay. The expected service life (SL) was calculated for different materials and constructions. In addition, the depth and distribution of decay was assessed using a pick test and compared with the calculated SL. Differences regarding the risk of fungal decay for various construction details, exposures and materials were quantified. A wide range of SL estimates was estimated and significant differences were found between the various components, design details and wood species. Furthermore, results from the decay assessments were used to verify the performance model. Recommendations for improvements were provided.     

木塑复合材料耐候性能研究进展

木塑复合材料(WPC)的耐候性能决定了材料的户外使用寿命。文中介绍了国内外在WPC耐热氧老化、耐光氧老化、耐真菌腐朽及耐潮湿与冻融性能方面的研究进展。现有研究表明, 热氧老化与光氧老化均使得WPC发生褪色现象, 力学性能下降, 添加抗氧化剂与光稳定剂可分别改善二者对WPC的破坏作用。WPC中木粉含量较高时更易发生真菌腐朽现象, 添加化学防腐剂或其他助剂、木粉改性及涂饰可有效抑制真菌腐朽。WPC的吸水性是其热氧老化、光氧老化、真菌腐朽及冻融循环过程的催化剂。文中还总结了目前WPC耐候性能研究存在的主要问题, 并对其未来趋势进行了展望。     

The evaluation of long-term mechanical properties of wood-based panels by indoor exposure tests

Wood-based panels such as plywood, oriented strand board, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard are used for roof, wall and floor sheathing materials in residential construction. However, the service life of these panels is still unknown due to the lack of long-term durability data. In this paper, test results from six different indoor exposure experiments were integrated to investigate the long-term durability of wood-based panels. The indoor exposure tests lasted for a maximum of 10 years, providing the panels with the changes in moisture content that ranged between 5 and 18%. The reduction in mechanical properties was determined to be in the range of 0–16% for the bending strength, 3–22% for the modulus of elasticity, 11–31% for the internal bond strength and 0–8% for the nail-head pull-through strength. No reduction was recognized for the lateral nail resistance. Furthermore, the concept of deterioration intensity (DI) based on the moisture content history was introduced to predict the long-term durability of the panels, and various calculation methods for DI were discussed so as to increase the correlativity of this property with the reduction in a mechanical property.     

Testing the durability of timber above ground: A review on methodology

The majority of timber products in outdoor use are exposed above ground, e.g. façades, terrace decking, playground equipment, garden furniture, windows, balconies or carports. In contrast, the durability of wood and wood products is most often determined in laboratory against Basidiomycete monocultures or in-ground field tests, where wood samples are submitted to permanent wetting. Worldwide, only a few above ground field test methods evaluating durability against fungal decay have been standardized. Wood used in above ground situations can be exposed to a wide range of moisture loads reflecting different design details such as varying shelter, distance to ground, ventilation and water trapping, whereas temperature and rainfall variations are overall influences on service life performance. The aim of this review was to gather information about standardized and non-standardized above ground field test methods used to determine the durability of wood and wood-based products. In total, more than 60 methods have been evaluated according to different criteria, such as principle set-up and design, severity of exposure and distance to ground. Their suitability to reflect a certain exposure under real-life conditions is discussed as well as practical aspects regarding acceleration measures, decay assessment and practicability, costs and time efforts.     

European standards on durability and performance of wood and wood-based products – Trends and challenges

Abstract

Standardization work in the field of wood durability and preservation is managed, at the European level, by the technical committee TC 38 ‘Durability of wood and wood-based products’ of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Producing sustainable wood-based materials is challenging. A crucial aspect of their provision is reliable standards that take consideration of both the expectations of end-users and the broad set of parameters that may influence the service life of wooden components such as exposure to moisture, climatic variations and design. In order to reach these objectives, most CEN/TC 38 standards are currently being revised based on the recent scientific, technological and legal developments in the field of wood protection. There is an increasing need for performance classification of wood products in construction and to radically consider how wood durability test methods and standards can inform on service life and how they might be translated into a performance classification system. This paper describes the changes during the past 5–10 years in Europe and how the trajectory of standards development is now on a different pathway. Classification and service life demands are described as well as current approaches to consider key issues such as material resistance, moisture risk and adaptation of existing standards.     

Magnetic resonance imaging used for the evaluation of water presence in wood plastic composite boards exposed to exterior conditions

Abstract

Two wood plastic composite (WPC) boards, one experimental and one commercial, were exposed to exterior conditions and evaluated non-destructively using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit for moisture content (MC) and distribution. The experimental board was exposed in Vancouver, British Columbia, for more than 8 years, and the commercial board was exposed near Hilo, Hawaii, for 2 years. Both boards were characterized in terms of wood content, density, water uptake properties and voids content. The experimental board was additionally destructively analysed for water absorption of the WPC and MC calculated based on the wood content for verification of MRI results. MRI detected the presence of free water and its distribution in both of the WPC boards. Fibre saturation in the experimental board was found to be about 22–24%, in comparison to 25–30% present in most wood species. There was good correlation between the detection of free water by MRI and by destructive testing. Magnetic resonance images showed various major points of water entry in the WPC boards such as the support area, the cut ends, the dripping edge and the sides of the boards. For the experimental board, significant water entry also occurred at the upper exposed surface.     

Decay-influencing factors: A basis for service life prediction of wood and wood-based products

Abstract

The need for a reliable database and a corresponding methodology to predict service life of wood and wood-based products emanates from the European Construction Products Directive, as well as from a strong interest by the building industry. A literature review on decay-influencing factors and on previous approaches to implement methods and tools for service life estimations was the basis for a concept for service life prediction of wooden components. The effect of various indirect decay factors was found to be reducible to a few direct decay factors, with material resistance, as well as wood moisture content, wood temperature and their dynamics among the key factors for fungal decay. Approaches that consider only indirect factors, e.g. climate indices, suffer from poor correlation with service life or decay rates. Therefore, the overall consideration of all possible influences, reduced on the key direct decay factors in first instance, is recommended. To fill a theoretical model with a reliable database, various data sources need to be considered, in decreasing order of priority: in-service performance, field test data, laboratory test data, survey analysis and expert opinion.     

Decay resistance of sapwood and heartwood of untreated and thermally modified Scots pine and Norway spruce compared with some other wood species

Abstract

Thermal modification has been developed for an industrial method to increase the biological durability and dimensional stability of wood. In this study the effects of thermal modification on resistance against soft- and brown-rot fungi of sapwood and heartwood of Scots pine and Norway spruce were investigated using laboratory test methods. Natural durability against soft-rot microfungi was determined according to CEN/TS 15083-2 (2005) by measuring the mass loss and modulus of elasticity (MOE) loss after an incubation period of 32 weeks. An agar block test was used to determine the resistance to two brown-rot fungi using two exposure periods. In particular, the effect of the temperature of the thermal modification was studied, and the results were compared with results from untreated pine and spruce samples. The decay resistance of reference untreated wood species (Siberian larch, bangkirai, merbau and western red cedar) was also studied in the soft-rot test. On average, the soft-rot and brown-rot tests gave quite similar results. In general, the untreated heartwood of pine was more resistant to decay than the sapwood of pine and the sapwood and heartwood of spruce. Thermal modification increased the biological durability of all samples. The effect of thermal modification seemed to be most effective within pine heartwood. However, very high thermal modification temperature over 230°C was needed to reach resistance against decay comparable with the durability classes of “durable” or “very durable” in the soft-rot test. The brown-rot test gave slightly better durability classes than the soft-rot test. The most durable untreated wood species was merbau, the durability of which could be evaluated as equal to the durability class “moderately durable”.     

Influence of treatment temperature and duration on selected biological,mechanical, physical and optical properties of thermally modified timber

Abstract

The impact of heat-treatment temperature (180, 200, 210, 220 and 240°C) and various heat-treatment durations on selected biological, mechanical, optical and physical properties of thermally modified timber (TMT) was determined. The suitability of different measures for prediction of the treatment intensity was also investigated. Resistance to impact milling (RIM), lightness L*, equilibrium moisture content (EMC), and antiswelling efficiency (ASE) were correlated with corresponding fungal resistance achieved by heat treatments. The results show that the decrease in mass by heat treatments is a suitable measurand to describe the treatment intensity, which is a product of treatment temperature and duration, where the impact of temperature is dominant over the impact of time. The properties examined showed a strong reciprocally proportional relationship with the decrease in mass. Different correlations were found for the various treatment temperatures: the higher the temperature applied, the lower the decrease in mass required for an equivalent improvement in certain wood properties, e.g. biological durability, EMC and dimensional stability. However, mass loss by Poria placenta correlated well with RIM, lightness L*, EMC and ASE of the different heat-treated specimens, depending on the heat-treatment temperature. Consequently, a reliable estimation of improved fungal resistance of TMT, as well as quality control of TMT in general, requires certain process information.     

Testing and evaluation of natural durability of wood in above ground conditions in Europe – an overview

Natural durability of wood is determined by the European standard EN 252 for specimens in ground contact and EN 113 for basidiomycetes in the laboratory, but no test exists for above ground conditions. For above ground conditions, the European prestandard ENV 12037 and EN 330 are used to determine the durability of treated wood. The most important factors for fungal establishment on the surface and within wood are the moisture content, the surrounding temperature, and the relative humidity. Strength tests are the most sensitive for decay detection, but neither strength tests nor identification of fungi responsible for the decay are included in the standards of above ground durability in field tests. To detect decay, visual examination, pick or splinter tests, and mass loss determination are used. Identifying fungi with traditional methods, e.g., growth on solid medium, is time consuming and complicated. Molecular methods like polymerase chain reaction and sequencing do not require mycological skill for identification to species level, and furthermore the methods do not depend on the subjective judgement like most traditional methods, but are based on the objective information of the target organism (e.g., nucleotide sequences). The next generation of standard field tests will probably consider the drawbacks of standard tests today and be rapid and include both quality tests like molecular identification and nondestructive quantitative tests, e.g., acoustic tests. Laboratory tests can be improved by using fungi identified from field trials and by combining different fungi in the same test and thus simulate degradation in practice.     

Studies on the material resistance and moisture dynamics of Common juniper,English yew,Black cherry,and Rowan

The overall aim of this study was to provide comprehensive durability characteristics of wood species underutilized but frequently occurring in Central and Northern Europe: Common juniper (Juniperus communis L.), Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), English yew (Taxus baccata L.), and Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.). Decay resistance was tested against white and brown rot causing basidiomycetes and soft rot causing micro-fungi in terrestrial microcosms. Their wetting ability was determined in terms of capillary water uptake at the end-grain, the liquid water uptake during submersion, the water vapor uptake at high humidity, and the water release during drying. All tests were performed with unleached and leached specimens. Durability classes were assigned based on results from the different tests. Juniper and Yew were classified very durable (Durability class DC 1); Black cherry and Rowan were found to be less durable (DC 3–5). Leaching did not affect the durability classification significantly. Durability characteristics were completed with different indicators for the wetting ability of the four wood species. The combined effect of wetting ability and inherent decay resistance was considered for service life modeling based on a resistance model using dose–response relationships between material climate (dose) and fungal decay above ground (response).     

Postia placenta decay of acetic anhydride modified wood – Effect of leaching

Abstract

It is well established that acetylation of wood by the use of acetic anhydride is able to impart a significant degree of decay resistance. The aim of this work was to study how a standardized leaching procedure with water (EN 84) affected the degradation of acetic anhydride modified samples by the brown rot fungi Postia placenta compared to no leaching prior to incubation. Three different levels (low, medium, and high) of acetic anhydride modified Southern yellow pine (SYP; Pinus spp.) were tested. The samples were harvested after 4 and 28 weeks. We compared changes in mass loss, wood moisture content, fungal DNA, and gene expression from five genes. If leaching changes the acetylated samples and makes them more susceptible for fungal deterioration, the expected effect would be higher levels of these parameters. Generally, leaching resulted in few differences between leached and nonleached samples at low levels of acetylation, while no changes were found for the highest acetylation level. No differences were found in gene expressions after 28 weeks. The possible protection of acetylated wood against oxidative fungal degradation is suggested to be interpreted in combination with the lowered wood moisture content.     

Wood modification with alkoxysilanes

Wood was treated with three different alkoxysilanes which are able to undergo a sol–gel process: tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methyl triethoxysilane (MTES) and propyl triethoxysilane (PTEO). Two types of treatments were compared: impregnation of fibre saturated wood with monomeric silane solutions, and impregnation with pre-hydrolysed partly oligomeric silanes. Wood properties such as cell wall bulking, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), moisture uptake and durability were more significantly improved in samples treated with monomeric silanes than in samples treated with oligomeric silanes. SEM-EDX mapping showed that this treatment resulted in a higher degree of silicon incorporation into the cell wall, although the weight percent gain (WPG) was lower compared to the treatment with pre-hydrolysed partly oligomeric silanes. The resistance against soil micro-organisms was enhanced in the initial phase of incubation especially in those samples treated with organo-functional-alkoxysilanes. In miniaturised block tests with the white-rot basidiomycete Trametes versicolor, an improved durability was observed within the test period. During an air conditioning step, a weight loss of the treated samples occurred which was accompanied by a reduction in bulking and ASE. The initial reduction of moisture uptake observed after treatment diminished almost completely. This effect was explained by an ageing of the gels in the wood cell wall which is a consequence of uncompleted hydrolysis and condensation of the silanes during the treatment.     

Laboratory and environmental decay of wood–plastic composite boards: flexural properties

The flexural properties of wood–plastic composite (WPC) deck boards exposed to 9.5 years of environmental decay in Hilo, Hawaii, were compared to samples exposed to moisture and decay fungi for 12 weeks in the laboratory, to establish a correlation between sample flexural properties and calculated void volume. Specimens were tested for flexural strength and modulus, both wet and dry, at 23°C and 52°C. Some specimens degenerated to only 15% of original flexural strength. UV radiation had no impact on flexural properties of field-exposed boards; loss occurred mainly on the side opposite to the sun-exposed surface. The mechanism of the aging process on colonization of WPC by fungi was examined and is consistent with development of slow crack growth in the polyethylene matrix combined with wood decay by fungi. Wood particle decay, moisture, and elevated temperature were the major factors causing composite degradation, indicated by accumulation of voids and a severe decrease in flexural properties. To simulate long-term field impact (including decay) on WPC flexural properties in the laboratory, conditioning of specimens in hot water for an extended period of time is required. Exposure to water (70°C/5 days) was adequate for simulating long-term composite exposure in Hawaii of 4?×?15?×?86 mm³ specimens.     

The combined effect of wetting ability and durability on outdoor performance of wood: development and verification of a new prediction approach

Comprehensive approaches to predict performance of wood products are requested by international standards, and the first attempts have been made in the frame of European research projects. However, there is still an imminent need for a methodology to implement the durability and moisture performance of wood in an engineering design method and performance classification system. The aim of this study was therefore to establish an approach to predict service life of wood above ground taking into account the combined effect of wetting ability and durability data. A comprehensive data set was obtained from laboratory durability tests and still ongoing field trials in Norway, Germany and Sweden. In addition, four different wetting ability tests were performed with the same material. Based on a dose–response concept, decay rates for specimens exposed above ground were predicted implementing various indicating factors. A model was developed and optimised taking into account the resistance of wood against soft, white and brown rot as well as relevant types of water uptake and release. Decay rates from above-ground field tests at different test sites in Norway were predicted with the model. In a second step, the model was validated using data from laboratory and field tests performed in Germany and Sweden. The model was found to be fairly reliable, and it has the advantage to get implemented into existing engineering design guidelines. The approach at hand might furthermore be used for implementing wetting ability data into performance classification as requested by European standardisation bodies.     

Micromorphology,moisture sorption and mechanical properties of a biocomposite based on acetylated wood particles and cellulose ester

Abstract

One of the major issues in a long-term perspective for the use of wood–plastic composites (WPCs) in outdoor applications is the moisture sensitivity of the wood component and the consequent dimensional instability and susceptibility to biological degradation of the composite. In this work, the effects of using an acetylated wood component and a cellulose ester as matrix on the micromorphology, mechanical performance and moisture uptake of injection-moulded WPCs have been studied. Composites based on unmodified and acetylated wood particles, specially designed with a length-to-width ratio of about 5–7, combined with both cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and polypropylene (PP) matrices were studied. The size and shape of the wood particles were studied before and after the processing using light microscopy, and the micromorphology of the composites was studied using a newly developed surface preparation technique based on ultraviolet laser irradiation combined with low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM). The water vapour sorption in the composites and the effect of accelerated weathering were measured using thin samples which were allowed to reach equilibrium moisture content (EMC). The length-to-diameter ratio was only slightly decreased for the acetylated particles after compounding and injection moulding, although both the unmodified and the acetylated particles were smaller in size after the processing steps. The tensile strength was about 40% higher for the composite based on acetylated wood than for the composite with unmodified wood using either CAP or PP as matrix, whereas the notched impact strength of the composite based on acetylated wood was about 20% lower than those of the corresponding unmodified composites. The sorption experiments showed that the EMC was 50% lower in the composites with an acetylated wood component than in the composites with an unmodified wood component. The choice of matrix material strongly affected the moisture absorptivity of the WPC. The composites with CAP as matrix gained moisture more rapidly than the composites with PP as matrix. It was also found that accelerated ageing in a Weather-Ometer® significantly increased the moisture sensitivity of the PP-based composites.     

Static bending and toughness of wood polymer composites (yellow birch and basswood)

Wood polymer composites (WPC) were made from basswood and yellow birch using six cell lumen type polymer formulations. The study was designed to get insight into the influence of wood density and polymer formulation on certain WPC mechanical properties. Small specimens were tested for toughness, stiffness, hardness and bending strength using standard ASTM methods. Results showed that stronger and stiffer polymers produce tougher and stronger WPC, but the effect is small. Thus, there is a wide range of polymer properties which produce useful WPC properties. Study of the fracture surfaces using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that WPC made with different polymers fractured differently and polymer containing a coupling agent bonded to the cell wall. However the cell wall bonding had no noticeable influence on WPC mechanical properties.     

木塑复合板主要工艺对材料性能的影响

研究了木粉与聚丙烯为主要原料的复合材料的主要力学性能和尺寸稳定性.实验结果表明:热压时间对复合材料的力学性能有一定的影响,加压时间为9min,复合板的力学强度较优,吸水厚度膨胀率小;木塑配比对复合材料的力学性能有较大的影响,随着配比的增加,板性能呈现逐渐下降的趋势;配比对吸水厚度膨胀率影响明显,木粉的比例越高,吸水厚度膨胀率越高.     

引导孔孔径对塑木构件结构强度影响

塑木复合材料作为一种新型材料,其螺钉连接能否沿用木材或人造板材料的连接方式尚有待于研究.而引导孔孔径是影响木材和人造板材螺钉连接强度的重要因素,本文通过对塑木复合材料的握钉力和L型构件结构强度的测试,得出塑木构件螺钉连接强度的最佳引导孔孔径.