Using the right wood product in the right application is essential to reap its maximum value and meet end-user performance expectations. The question remains, how do you specify the correct product for the given application? Building codes provide a legal framework, and engineers ensure that structures made from wood products are safe. However, within these broad constraints there are still many products from which to choose. Through its ongoing field-test program, FPInnovations developed a unique perspective on the selection criteria of preserved wood.
The key: Proper specification
Wood used in applications where it may be vulnerable to biodegradation requires special consideration. Design solutions can minimize this risk, as can the use of durable wood products.
As wood products and their applications diversify, associations such as Wood Preservation Canada are seeing increased interest from architects and engineers to better understand how to specify and select the proper preserved wood products for the various applications.
With long-term funding provided by Natural Resources Canada, FPInnovations has been operating test sites in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec to evaluate the performance of durable Canadian wood products as well as the efficacy of new wood protection technologies.
FPInnovations experts apply this knowledge to support the development of robust wood preservation standards, including the CSA O80 series of standards on wood preservation and the American Wood Protection Association standards.
Wood Preservation Canada – which represents the Canadian wood preservation industry – is actively engaged in educating specifiers on the use of preserved wood and has developed several specifier guides to that effect. Wood Preservation Canada has also recently invited Rod Stirling, New Construction Materials Manager at FPInnovations, to present a webinar on the importance of proper specification for preserved wood as part of the Canadian Wood Council’s Wood Webinar series.
“I was excited to share what I’ve learned about wood preservatives, how they’re regulated, their efficacy, and some of the frequently encountered inquiries,” says Stirling. “Preserved wood is an incredible resource that sequesters carbon and is critical to key parts of our society, including housing, transportation and electrical distribution. Ensuring its proper use helps to create a more safe and sustainable society.”
Stirling’s presentation is available to watch from the Canadian Wood Council’s eLearning centre.
For more information, you may contact Rod Stirling, New Construction Materials Manager at FPInnovations.
