Evaluation of preservative efficiacy for refractory wood species in field tests and its implication for Korean wood preservation industry

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate preservative efficacy for refractory species in field tests. The field tests were set up to evaluate the preservative performance of western hemlock and white spruce preservative-treated to the residential products group C and D of Canadian standard (CSA O80 Series-08) that have been developed for residential use in above-ground and ground-contact conditions, respectively. They were incised and pressure-treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) or copper azole (CA). Treated samples for the ground contact stake test and ground proximity test were installed in Jinju, Korea on November 2010 according to AWPA E7-09 and AWPA E18-06, respectively. Each sample has been annually assigned ratings for decay and termite attack, based on AWPA E7 grading system. After six years and five months of exposure, the untreated samples showed decay and particularly severe damage by termite attack but all the preservative-treated samples showed no decay. The results showed that the 5-mm penetration depths may be applicable for the treatment of refractory species. This paper discusses what to consider for the use of refractory species in Korean wood preservation industry from the penetration and retention points of view.