Abstract
This paper reports on the ground-contact durability of lesser-used wood species of the northeastern United States after treatment with copper-based preservatives. Stakes (19 by 19 by 457 mm) cut from balsam-fir (Abies balsamea), eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), eastern spruce (mixture of Picea glauca, Picea mariana and Picea rubens), red maple (Acer rubrum) or eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) were treated with one of four concentrations of chromated copper arsenate type C (CCA-C), copper citrate (CC), alkaline copper quat type C (ACQ-C) or copper azole type A (CBA-A) and placed into the ground at a test site in southern Mississippi. Similarly treated southern pine (Pinus spp.) stakes were included for comparison. The stakes were rated for decay and termite attack after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 12 years. Eastern white pine and incised eastern hemlock and balsam-fir had durability similar to southern pine when treated with CCA or the other copper-based preservatives. Eastern spruce was less durable than the other softwood species, apparently because of low preservative uptake. Red maple had the least durability at all retentions and for all preservatives. This study indicates that several northeastern softwoods can be adequately durable when pressure-treated with CCA-C or copper-based preservatives.
Highlights
The volume of available timber in the northeastern and northcentral United States has been increasing for several decades (Smith et al 2009)
The rate of failures in southern pine stakes was somewhat less rapid than that observed for other studies in adjacent forested plots, which could be at least in part attributed to lower termite pressure in the open field
The untreated red maple and eastern hemlock stakes appeared to fail most rapidly, but it is evident that none of these wood species have significant natural durability when placed in ground contact
Summary
The volume of available timber in the northeastern and northcentral United States has been increasing for several decades (Smith et al 2009). Recent reports from New York State (Anon 2015a) and southern New England (Anon 2015b) indicate that the saw timber value of red maple is only 20-50% that of hard maple or red oak, while the value of white pine, eastern hemlock or eastern spruce is only 10-30% of the other, more valuable hardwoods. Adding value to these wood species would give forest managers more flexibility in economically managing the forest resource while preserving more traditional commercial species. Before a wood species can be accepted in this market, adequate
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