Nondestructive assessment of wood members from a historic viewing tower

Abstract

The state of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources is responsible for operating one of the largest state park systems in the United States. Peninsula State Park, one of the state’s most visited parks, attracts more than one million visitors a year. This park contained one of the most iconic structures in the Wisconsin State Park system, a tall, wooden observation tower that was constructed in 1932. Because of concerns about the structural integrity of several of the large timbers in the tower, it was closed in the spring of 2015 and dismantled in fall 2016 at the request of the Department of Natural Resources. The USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, was contacted and asked to conduct an assessment of the timbers after the structure was dismantled. This report summarizes results obtained from our inspection and assessment of the timbers. A brief summary of the nondestructive testing techniques used, observations, and data from tests conducted on the timbers are included.

Citation

Ross, Robert J.; Wang, Xiping; Senalik, C. Adam; Allison, R. Bruce; Zhou, Lujing. 2017. Nondestructive assessment of wood members from a historic viewing tower. Research Note. FPL—RN—0349. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 10 p.