Wood Deterioration, Protection and Maintenance

THE AUTHOR Prof. Ing. Ladislav Reinprecht is a wood protection specialist at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Technical University of Zvolen, Slovak Republic. He holds an MSc in Organic Chemistry from the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and a PhD in Wood Technology from the Technical University of Zvolen.

Preface ix About the Author xi 1 Wood Durability and Lifetime of Wooden Products 1 1.1 Basic information about wood structure and its properties 1 1.1.1 Wood structure 3 1.1.2 Wood properties 10 1.2 Types and principles of wood degradation 12 1.3 Natural durability of wood 14 1.4 Methods of wood protection for improvement its durability 17 1.5 Service life prediction of wooden products 18 1.5.1 Lifetime of wooden products 20 1.5.2 Service life prediction of wooden products by factor method 21 1.5.3 Life cycle assessment of wooden products 22 References 25 Standards 27 2 Abiotic Degradation of Wood 28 2.1 Wood damaged by weather factors 28 2.2 Wood damaged thermally and by fire 34 2.2.1 Thermal wood decomposition 34 2.2.2 Wood burning: fire 36 2.3 Wood damaged by aggressive chemicals 45 2.3.1 Corrosion of wood by chemicals under aerobic conditions 45 2.3.2 Corrosion of wood by chemicals under anaerobic conditions: wood fossilization 49 2.4 Properties of abiotically damaged wood 50 2.4.1 Properties of weathered wood 50 2.4.2 Impact of increased temperature and fire on wood properties 52 2.4.3 Impact of water and other chemicals on wood properties 53 References 57 Standards 61 3 Biological Degradation of Wood 62 3.1 Wood damaged by bacteria 62 3.2 Wood damaged by fungi 65 3.2.1 Reproduction, classification and physiology of wood-damaging fungi 66 3.2.2 Wood-decaying fungi 76 3.2.3 Wood-staining fungi and moulds 88 3.3 Wood damaged by insects 91 3.3.1 Reproduction, classification and physiology of wood-damaging insects 91 3.3.2 Wood-damaging insects 97 3.4 Wood damaged by marine organisms 106 3.4.1 Shipworms 106 3.4.2 Limnoria 107 3.5 Mechanisms of wood biodegradation 108 3.5.1 Biodegradation of cellulose 110 3.5.2 Biodegradation of hemicelluloses 113 3.5.3 Biodegradation of lignin 114 3.6 Properties of biologically damaged wood 117 3.6.1 Properties of rotten wood 117 3.6.2 Properties of wood having galleries 118 References 120 4 Structural Protection of Wood 126 4.1 Methodology of structural protection of wood 126 4.2 Selection of suitable wood materials 126 4.3 Design proposals for permanently low moisture of wood 129 4.3.1 Estimated moisture of wood 129 4.3.2 Shape optimizations for wood moisture reduction 131 4.3.3 Waterproofing and other isolations of wood and wooden composites from water sources 137 4.3.4 Structural design to prevent condensed water generation 140 4.3.5 Regulation of climatic conditions in interiors 141 4.4 Fire sections and other fire-safety measures 142 References 143 Standards 144 5 Chemical Protection of Wood 145 5.1 Methodology, ecology and regulation of chemical protection of wood 145 5.1.1 Methodology and legislation of chemical protection of wood 146 5.1.2 Toxicological and ecotoxicological standpoints of chemical protection of wood 149 5.1.3 Regulation of chemical protection of wood 151 5.2 Preservatives for wood protection 152 5.2.1 Bactericides 152 5.2.2 Fungicides: for decay, sap-stain and mould control 153 5.2.3 Insecticides 163 5.2.4 Fire retardants 167 5.2.5 Protective coatings against weather impacts 170 5.2.6 Evaluation of new preservatives 172 5.3 Technologies of chemical protection of wood 173 5.3.1 Improvement of permeability and impregnability of wood 174 5.3.2 Application properties of preservatives 176 5.3.3 Flow and diffusion transport of preservatives in wood 177 5.3.4 Fixation of preservatives in wood 182 5.3.5 Non-autoclave technologies of chemical protection of wood 182 5.3.6 Autoclave technologies of chemical protection of wood 186 5.3.7 Nanotechnologies and nano-compounds for chemical protection of wood 191 5.3.8 Quality control of chemically protected wood 193