Preservative Treatments of Fence Posts

0 C)EGO STA1ifi REGON I II II Preservative Treatments of Fence Posts 1940 Progress Report on the Post Farm By T. J. STARKER Bulletin Series, No. 9B November 1940 (supplement B to Bulletin No. 9, issued Decemoer 1938) A Project of the School of Foresti Engineering Experiment Station Oregon State System of Higher Education Oregon State College

: THE Oregon State Engineering Experiment Station was established by act of the Board of Regents of the College on May 4, 1927. It is the purpose of the Station to serve the state in a manner broadly outlined by the following policy: (1)To stimulate and elevate engineering education by developing the research spirit in faculty and students. (2) To serve the industries, utilities, professional engineers, public departments, and engineering teachers by making investigations of interest to them. (3) To publish and distribute by bulletins, circulars, and technical articles in periodicals the results of such studies, surveys, tests, investigations, and researches as will be of greatest benefit to the people of Oregon, and particularly to the state's industries, utilities, and professional engineers. To make available the results of the investigations conducted by the Station three types of publications are issued. These are: (1) Bulletins covering original investigations. (2) Circulars giving compilations of useful data. (3) Reprints giving more general distribution to scientific papers or reports previously published elsewhere, as for example, in the proceedings of professional societies. Single copies of publications are sent free on request to residents of Oregon, to libraries, and to other experiment stations exchanging publications. As long as available, additional copies, or copies to others are sent at prices covering cost of printing. The price of this bulletin supplement is 15 cents. For copies of publications or for other information address Oregon State Engineering Experiment Station, Corvallis, Oregon

Preservative Treatments of Fence Posts 1940 Progress Report on The Post Farm By T. J. STARKER, Professor of Forestry On October 12, 1940, 'The Post Farm" received its annual inspection and all posts that failed to resist a 50lb pull 2 feet from the ground were considered to have failed. The following number of posts failed in the various series indicated: Series Species Treatment 8 Douglasfir Carb. \Vood Pres. Co. 9 Port Orford cedar Tops, open tank 12 Douglasfir ZnCl2, steeped 15 White fir Nonesplit 15 Douglasfir Crankcase oil and creosote 21 Port Orford cedar Nonesplit 22 Douglasfir Charred 31 Sitka spruce None4 rough 34 Western white pine None4 rough 35 Sugar pine None4 rough 36 Ponderosa pine None4 rough 37 Western larch None4 S4S 38 Western hemlock None4 x 4 rough 39 Douglasfir Aspl1alt emulsion 47 Cascara Noneround Total removed 10/12/40 Removed Total Removed 10/12/40 ToDate 2 14 1 1 1 24 1 19 2 6 1 1 1 25 (100%) 4 21 2 24 2 17 2 20 2 17 2 22 1 25 (100%) 1 1 This number removed, 25, is far less than last year when 59 posts were taken out. For those who desire to keep their tables up to date, it is again suggested that the above information can be inserted on page 12 of your copy of Bulletin No. 9. In the 1939 progress report (Bulletin Series, No. 9A), mention was made of receiving 25 redwood posts of foundation grade from the HolmesEureka Lumber Company, Eureka, California. These were planted in the farm on December 20, 1939. We hope others who are interested in wood preservation will contribute other species and processed material to add to the value of the farm, which has contained to date 1,442 posts. As indicated in the above table, two more series have been completely removed; and the cascara posts, consisting of 12 small specimens, were all removed at the examination in 1939. The following chart is Figure 5 from Bulletin No. 9 brought up to date. 25

4 ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN No. 9B 8c z 60 hi U 40 j ILl U > 20 z 0 hi hi LU _j I a hi 'C.. 'C z o hi 0 j u I 0 i 0 U ' z 0D hi 'C 0 'C J 'C U 'C 0 J I 2 0 'C U a 'C j 0 0 a SPECIES AVERAGE SERVICE OF POSTS THAT HAVE FAILED 100 PER CENT. THE FIRST FIVE WERE WITHOUT TREATMENT, THE OTHER ThREE TREATED AS INDICATED. 'C Interesting facts, that are borne out by similar tests, show that Douglasfir untreated is more durable than when charred or coated with asphalt emulsion. Untreated, the above chart shows a life of 84 months, while the charred posts had an average life of 76 months and asphaltemulsioncoated posts 75 months. The graph line of 57 months for cascara is not a comparable figure with the other series, as these samples were small, 2 to 3 inches in diameter. For such small posts their service life was very good. A new series of cascara posts of larger size, 4 to 5 inches in diameter, were placed on January 29, 1938. Attention should also be called to the other series of posts planted at the same time, September 20, 1933, as the asphaltemulsiontreated Douglasfir posts that have failed completely. In the same time 24 western white pine posts had been removed, 21 Sitka spruce, 20 ponderosa pine, 17 sugar pine, and 17 western larch, indicating that none of these species are very durable in this particular climate. This is especially surprising with western larch, which has had a good reputation in Eastern Oregon for durability.

THE ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION STAFF R. H. DEARBORN, Dean and Director of Engineering. S. H. GRAF, Director of Engineering Research. A. L. ALBERT, Communication Engineering. F. A. EVEREST, Radio Engineering. G. W. GLEESON, Chemical Engineering. BURDETTE GLENN, Highway Engineering. J. R. GRIFFITII, Structural Engineering. F. 0. MCMJLLAN, Electrical Engineering. W. H. MARTIN, Mechanical Engineering. E. G. MASON, Forestry. FRED MERRYFIELD, Sanitary Engineering. C. A. MOCKMORE, Civil and Hydraulic Engineering. W. H. PAUL, Automotive Engineering. B. F. RUFFNER, Aeronautical Engineering. E. C. STARR, Electrical Engineering. C. E. THOMAS, Engineering Materials. GLENN VOORHIES, Wood Products. Technical Counselors R. H. BALDOCK, State Highway Engineer, Salem. C. B. MCCULLOUGH, Assistant State Highway Engineer, Salem. R. G. DIECK, Consulting Civil Engineer, Portland. C. V. LANGTON, Professor of Hygiene, Oregon State College. J. C. H. LEE, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, North Pacific Division, Portland. PAUL B. MCKEE, President, Portland Gas and Coke Company, Portland. J. H. POLHEMUS, President, Portland General Electric Company. J. C. STEVENS, Consulting Civil and Hydraulic Engineer, Portland. C. E. STRICKLIN, State Engineer, Salem.

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