The Decay Resistance and Preservative Treatability of Three Hardwoods Commonly Used in Ancient Buildings
Populus spp.,Ulmus spp.,and Styphnolobium spp.are the three hardwood species commonly used in ancient buildings in China.To provide a reference for the preservation and restoration of ancient wood buildings,this study evaluated the decay resistance and preservative treatability of three hardwood species.First the decay resistance of the Styphnolobium japonica,Ulmus pumila,and Populus ussuriensis was determined using the laboratory decay resistance test method,and then the preservative treatability of the wood was evaluated by the net retention and cross-sectional penetration of injected CuAz-4 preservative.The preservative-treated specimens were tested for decay resistance.Finally,the pore structure parameters were quantitatively characterized by mercury intrusion porosimetry,to analyze the relationship between the pore structures and their preservative treatability.The results showed that Populus ussuriensis was the easiest to treat,Ulmus pumila was next,and Styphnolobium japonica was the most difficult to treat.Among them,Styphnolobium japonica was a strong decay resistant species(Grade Ⅰ),Ulmus pumila and Populus ussuriensis were slightly durable(Grade Ⅲ)and not durable(Grade Ⅳ),respectively.Ulmus spp.and Populus spp.wood components in ancient buildings needed to be treated to improve decay resistance.After CuAz-4 preservative treatment the wood samples reached the strong decay resistant level.Analysis of the results for pore structure and preservative treatability showed that mesopores were difficult to be penetrated by CuAz-4 preservative,the larger the pore size distribution in the macroporous range,the higher the percentage,the higher the preservative treatability of the wood.
commonly used hardwoods in ancient buildingsdecay resistancepore structurecopper azole preservativepreservative treatability