Treesearch

This study examined nails and screws exposed to ACQ-treated wood for up to 12 months in a controlled environment. The environment (27ºC, 100% relative humidity) was chosen so that comparisons could be made with previous exposure tests run using CCA-treated wood in the same environment. Five types of fasteners (common 8d nail, hot-dipped galvanized 8d nail, 4d aluminum alloy nail, 64-mm electroplated galvanized screw, 64-mm stainless steel screw) were inserted into wood treated with ACQ to a retention of 4 kg m–3 and exposed to a 100% relative humidity environment for periods from 1 to 12...

This paper describes an effort to refine a global dynamic testing technique for evaluating the overall stiffness of timber bridge superstructures. A forced vibration method was used to measure the frequency response of several simple-span, sawn timber beam (with plank deck) bridges located in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Static load deflections were also measured to establish the benchmark stiffness level for each bridge superstructure. Analytical models based upon simple beam and plate theory were utilized to characterize the relationship between the 1st bending mode frequency and the...

Heterobasidion annosum causes root and butt-rot in trees and is the most serious forest pathogen in the northern hemisphere. We developed a rapid and simple Agrobacterium-mediated method of gene delivery into H. annosum to be used in functional studies of candidate genes and for visualization of mycelial interactions. Heterobasidion annosum TC 32-1 was cocultivated at pH 5.6 and 20 1C in Hagems medium with Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 carrying plasmids with hygromycin B resistance as the selectable marker and green fluorescent protein as a visual marker. We obtained 18 mitotically stable...

Diterpene resin acids are major constituents of conifer oleoresin and play important roles in tree defense against insects and microbial pathogens. The tricyclic C-20 carboxylic acids are generally classified into two groups, the abietanes and the pimaranes. The abietanes have conjugated double bonds and exhibit characteristic UV spectra. Here, we report the analysis of abietanes by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using multiwavelength detection to optimize quantification of underivatized abietic, neoabietic, palustric, levopimaric, and dehydroabietic acids. The...

In 2004, the voluntary removal of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) from residential wood construction raised concern about corrosion of metal fasteners in wood treated with replacement preservatives. Replacement preservatives contain more copper, which may increase corrosion, and do not contain chromates or arsenates, which are known corrosion inhibitors. This paper is an overview of activities related to standardizing or acceptance testing, research, and design considerations related to corrosion performance of fasteners in treated wood.

Technologies for the production of alternative fuels are receiving increased attention owing to concerns over the rising cost of petrol and global warming. One such technology under development is the use of yeasts for the commercial fermentation of xylose to ethanol. Several approaches have been employed to engineer xylose metabolism. These involve modeling, flux analysis, and expression analysis followed by the targeted deletion or altered expression of key genes. Expression analysis is increasingly being used to target rate-limiting steps. Quantitative metabolic models have also proved...

We previously reported results from limited field trials of a bark-based filtration unit designed to remove phosphorus from cranberry bog tail water. In that report we also identified some barriers that needed to be overcome to improve the performance of such a filtration unit. One barrier was lack of a cost effective process for large-scale conversion of bark to an efficient sorbent for phosphorus; another barrier was the inability of the filtration unit to handle high flow rates of tail water discharged from the bog. In this report we present an improved filtration unit design. Its...

A recent collaborative effort among the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, Virginia Tech, and the University of Maine has explored the possible bonding mechanisms contributing to durable wood adhesive bonding using hydroxymethyl resorcinol (HMR) surface treatment. Current adhesive bonding mechanisms include: mechanical interlocking, electronic or electrostatic theory, adsorption, thermodynamic or wetting theory, diffusion theory, chemical (covalent) bonding theory, theory of weak boundary layers and interphases. In this paper, the findings of the research project will be presented and...

Forests play a key role in cleaning water. Precipitation is “'filtered” through the tree canopy and filtered again throuph the organic matter on the forest floor. The water then seeps into the subsurface to replenish the ground water. Approximately 80% of the freshwater in the United States originates in the 650 million acres (265 million hectares) of forest that cover approximately one-third of the nation. These forested watersheds are the primary source of drinking water for nearly two our of three people in the United States. The United States' national forests and grasslands, which...

Development of a fundamental understanding of heat transfer and resin curing during hot- pressing will help to optimize the manufacturing process of medium density fiberboard (MDF) allowing increased productivity, improved product quality, and enhanced durability. Effect of mat moisture content (MC) and panel density on performance of MDF panels, heat transfer, internal steam pressure, and pre-curing on the surface were systematically studied in this project. Both panel density and mat MC have significant effects on the internal steam pressure and internal bonding. We found that if the...