TIMBER STRUCTURES

XII. WOOD DEGRADATION AND

PRESERVATION METHODS
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DEGRADATION OF WOOD
 Wood has three shortcomings that tend to limit its structural use:
 (1) it is subject to deterioration by weathering and by attack of various organisms,
 (2) it is combustible, and
 (3) it is subject to swelling and shrinking.

 During the service period of a timber structures should be monitored the following:
- swelling and shrinking occurrence;
- decay;
- insects attack;
- great deflections and joint loosening;
- high temperatures and fire behaviour;
- chemical and biological hazards.

 Monitoring timber structures should be done especially in the first years of service.
During this period are recommended two annual checks:
 In spring;

 In autumn.
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DEGRADATION OF WOOD

 Under ideal conditions timber should not deteriorate, but when

timber is used in exposed (outdoor) conditions, it becomes
susceptible to degradation due to a variety of natural causes. It
will suffer rot and insect attack unless it is naturally durable or is
protected by a preservative.
 In general, timber with a moisture content of over 20% is
susceptible to fungal decay; timber of any species kept in dry
conditions will remain sound; however, dry timber maybe
subjected to insect attack.
 Timber can be protected from the attacks by fungi, harmful
insects or marine borers by applying chemical preservatives.
The degree of protection achieved depends on the preservative
used and the proper penetration and retention of the chemicals,
as treatability varies among the species and also between their
heartwood and sapwood. Some preservatives are more effective
than others, and some are more adaptable to specific use
requirements.
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 Deterioration mechanisms

 The main deterioration mechanisms are: fungi, insects, bacterial

attacks, chemical attach and weathering.

 1. Fungi decay
 Decay fungi have four basic requirements for growth that must be fulfilled
simultaneously:
- wood as a food source,
- oxygen (fungi are aerobic organism),
- water and
- appropriate temperatures.
 In general, fungi do not affect wooden structures if the water content is lower
than 22%. Wood standards contain strict requirements for the water content
of construction. The most favourable temperature range for wood decay is
between 19 and 31 ºC (often 25 ºC is optimal).
 Fungi survive freezing temperatures but die at temperatures exceeding 60
ºC.
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Fig.1 Fungi rot: white partial (a), white full (b), brown (c).
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 2. Beetle attack
 The wood-affecting beetles are insects capable of flying, that lay
their eggs in wood pores or cracks and have larvae that attack the
wood.
 They are present throughout the Europe.
The most important beetles which affect the
seasoned (dried) wood are:
- the Death Watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum)
- the Common furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum)
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 3. Bacterial attack
 Bacteria degrade all wood in almost all environments. However, their
enzyme production is slow and therefore, they cause relatively little
damage in comparition to other “degraders”.
 Bacteria are able to degrade preserved wood of highly durable
species in conditions of low oxygen concentrations.

 4. Natural aging
 A natural aging of timber is the process of irreversible changes in its
appearance and properties under the influence of long-term
operation under the influence of exterior factors like:
 - UV radiation,
 - air,
 - temperatures variation,
 - moisture changes,
 - stress conditions.
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 The durability of timber is in a range between a few years (e.g. aspen

(Populus Tremula) on free air) up to few thousands years (e.g. oak, larch –
2500 years, ebony found in pharaon’s tombs – 4500 years)
 Timber stored under cover (roofed), and in conditions of stable
temperatures during the time, can keep its properties over 1000-2000
years. Under natural aging, timber looses its properties after approx. 3000
years.

 5. Excessive drying - shrinking (contragerea)

 Due to the wood anisotropy, swelling and shrinking are not uniform,
varying according to the cross section properties different for each
direction:
- axial – cca. 1%;
- radial – cca. 5-6%;
- tangential – cca. 10-12%.
 Shrinking, usually takes place after the lumber has been put
into a structure because it continues to dry.
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SR EN 335 Durability of wood and wood based products

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Classes of natural durability of wood exposed to fungal attack

SR EN 350 Durability of wood and wood based products – Natural durability of solid wood
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Matching hazard class and durability class

 For each application in a specific service environment and geographical location,
wood of a specific minimum durability class must be chosen.

S: Natural durability sufficient, (S): Natural durability, in principle sufficient, but under
special service conditions, the wood must be preserved, (S)-(P): Natural durability
can be sufficient, but the choice of wood, the treatability of the wood by preservatives
and the application determine whether or not the wood should be preserved, (P):
Treatment is applied, but under some service conditions, the natural durability can
be sufficient, P: Treatment is required.
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 Great deflections and joint loosening

 Deformaţiile excesive sunt deosebit de periculoase în special pentru că
ele conduc la o distribuţie a eforturilor cu totul diferite de cele
presupuse pe baza ipotezelor de calcul.
 Un alt fenomen periculos este slăbirea îmbinărilor, impunându-se în
primii ani de exploatare strângerea pieselor (buloanelor) de îmbinare.
 High temperatures and fire behaviour
 Timber and wood-based materials comprise mainly cellulose and lignin,
which are combustible and will burn if exposed to an ignition source
under suitable conditions.
 Due to its good thermal insulation properties, when timber burns a layer
of char is created, which helps to protect and maintain the strength and
structural integrity of the wood inside.
 The fire protection of timber depends on many factors including size,
species type and moisture content. Smaller section sizes, low-density
species and sections with cracks and fissures are more likely to ignite
and burn more easily than larger and denser ones, and as such may
require treatment with flame-retardant chemicals.
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 High temperatures and fire behaviour

 Timber has a poor thermal conductivity, therefore there is a very low
transmission of heat inside the material. As the solid wood surface
starts to burn it builds up a layer of insulating charcoal which protects
the remaining unburned material.

In case of solid timber, the core section

remains cool only a short distance behind
the burning zone. Thus, all of the cold state
physical properties of the timber are
retained and any loss of bearing capacity
is a result of the reduced cross-section.

Many test results for wood and wood-

based materials have shown a linear
relationship between charring depth and
time. The charring rate β0, given in the
table below, can be used for simple
methods of structural fire design.
Fig. 3 Timber charring
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 High temperatures and fire behaviour – design charring rates β0

Where: tp – thickness of wood and wood-based panels, a – width or depth of the cross-
section, ρk – is the characteristic density of solid timber.
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Timber preservation

The durability of timber can be improved through:

 finishing treatments – to protect timber against weathering effects:
discoloration, moisture content increase, grey colour, by applying a
physical barrier. The application of a surface treatment can be through
brushing or spraying.
The common treatments used are paints and transparent coatings.

 preservation – to protect it from biological attack by fungi, insects

and marine borers. The application of preservatives can be through
brushing, spraying, dipping and steeping, or impregnation treatment.
- tar oil preservatives
- water-borne preservatives
- organic solvent preservatives

 Fire proofing – to improve the timber fire resistance.

- timber is soaked in NH4SO4, NH3Cl, NH4PO3, ZnCl.
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 Finishing treatments

- Paint gives sound (de buna calitate) protection against weathering

effects
- Paint has to be renewed at regular intervals (normally every 6 years
for outdoor wood application)

- Transparent surface finishes are used when the natural appearance

of wood is required to be maintained.
 There are mainly two types of transparent finishes:
- Varnishes = blend of oils and resins that covers the surface of
wood and gives a transparent, protective coating. It can leave a
gloss, semi-gloss or satin finish.
- Water-repellent (impermeabil)=>penetrate the surface of wood,
allowing the natural pattern of the grain to remain visible, but
not forming a glossy surface film.

Transparent surface finishes are less durable than paints, requiring

more frequent renewal.
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1. Tar oil preservatives – creosote

Creosote is the oldest and one of the most

effective industrial preservatives for protection the
wood from deterioration and decay cause by
fungi, insects and marine organisms.
Creosote is a complex mixture of organic
compounds distilled from coal tar at 200C…400C.
- Used for railway ties, telephone poles, marine
piling.

2. Water-borne preservatives
The most common are based on copper, chromate
and arsenic (CCA) compounds, or copper-
chromium and copper-chromium-boron.
Suitable for outdoor and indoor applications.

3. Organic solvent preservatives – substance

dissolved in a petroleum distillate (organic
solvent). Relatively new and expensive.

Steeping into creosote for timber logs

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Preservation treatments for “green” wood - brushing

Surface treatment by brushing

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Impregnation treatments

Injection treatment and open

tank treatment.
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• Preservation treatments for dry wood

Some of the most common used techniques are:
- Bethell Method;
- Ruping;
- Estrade;
- Kyan;
- Hot-cold baths.

2 Impregnation treatments

For lasting protection of timber, it is required a deep and uniform

penetration of the preservatives. There are a number of techniques
available, as:
- high-pressure vacuum impregnation,
- Injection treatment
- Open tank treatment.

=> Suitable for high-risk applications such as where wood is

embedded in the ground.
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• Tratamente de profunzime
Metoda “forajului”
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The “injection” method Dolger-Wolman method
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Timber treatment with overheated air

- In order to ascertain the presence of the insects larvae, apart from direct
observation, there are existing special listening apparatus;
- The infested roof or loft space should be cleaned and sealed before
carrying on a treatment with overheated air.
- Hot air (temperatures between 60C…80C) is blown into the infested loft
space.
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- Modul în care acţionează aerul supraîncălzit în incintele din lemn
supuse tratamentului este prezentat în figură: