STATE OF THE ART REVIEWS

COST ACTION E22: Environmental optimisation of wood protection
3. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES BY WORKING GROUPS
Working Group 1: PERFORMANCE
Scope: Traditional wood preservatives, specifying durability requirements, optimum
bio-effective life, creosote, field performance using soil, insects in Europe, climatic
conditions.
Referring to the objectives of this working group we are interesting in:
• traditional wood preservatives and specifying durability requirements (figure 1);
Wood durability plays an important role, so wood protection intend to increase its
durability requirements for the proper utilisation. The natural resistance of the
main species in Romania is presented in figure 2.
• field performance using soil
The stated objectives is in fact the research thematic approached by the Romanian
scientists as part of the COST program, with the title: "Methodological and
experimental research in line with the European norms regarding the testing of
wood in conditions with major biodegradability risk classes 4 and 5 (in permanent
contact with soil and micro-organisms, sea water and marine micro-organisms).
The study objective is a national priority, keeping account of its complex structure,
which responds to several actual and future demands regarding the use of
wood in major degradability risk conditions (in permanent contact with soil, sea
water and their specific microbial agents).
The development stages of the program include:
- the establishment of the appropriate wood testing methodology;
- the identification and selection of the biotic and abiotic factors specific to the
European risk classes 4 and 5 for the temperate Romanian climate and their
utilisation for wood durability testing;
- based on the wood natural durability testing, the identification of the species
suitable for use in high risk conditions;
- the establishment, by laboratory testing (in specified open conditions), of the
utilisation features of solid wood in risk classes 4 and 5 and the improvement
of those features through the application of preservation solutions in view of
increasing its service life;
- the evolution of the ecological impact of the products studied;
- the development of methods, technologies and utilisation instructions.
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