Documenting the Durability and Service Life of Pressure-treated Wood

Abstract

Estimates of service life are increasingly used to compare life cycle costs of building materials. Because of a lack of published data for treated wood, some users assume a relatively low service life for wood in comparison to alternative materials. Such bias against durable wood products may cause alternative materials to appear more economical. This paper discusses options for making additional treated wood service life information available to engineers and others who are comparing construction materials. In the short term, existing data and reports could be summarized and published in a format that is both readily accessible and easily understood by potential users. Examples of long-term durability for previous construction projects could also be reported, although these examples do not necessarily reflect typical service life. Additional long-term data may also be available from exposure tests using large specimens such as posts. Surveys of utilities and government agencies that utilize large volumes of treated products may also provide useful data in the short term. In the longer term, and for newer preservatives, the durability of wood used in recent construction projects could be monitored and the results periodically reported to AWPA committees.

Citation

Lebow, Stan; Woodward, Bessie; Lebow, Patricia. 2014. Documenting the Durability and Service Life of Pressure-treated Wood. Proceedings, 108th Annual Meeting of the American Wood Protection Association, April 29 – May 2, 2012. Nashville, TN. 108: 2014; pp.166-170.