Objective
A. GENERAL BACKGROUND
Wood is a renewable raw material with a low energy demand and of high economic importance for industrial sectors such as building, furniture and the packaging industry in Europe. As emerges from a study by the Economic Commission for Europe and the FAO ("European timber and prospects to the year 2000 and beyond"), the demand for wood products will increase in the coming years, even under more pessimistic assumptions.
The significance of wood protection for the woodworking industries in general is especially apparent from the fact that through this process, the use of wood from indigenous sources has been made attractive in applications where generally rapid biotic or abiotic deterioration can be expected. This means that European wood as a raw material for industrial uses can win market shares in these fields from other competing materials made from finite resources and in specific cases also replace the use of certain tropical hardwoods from vulnerable sources.
Faced by stringent requirements with respect to health and the environment from society, in particular in relation to wood preservation, the European woodworking industry is responding to its responsibilities in this field through the continuous adaptation of chemicals and processing techniques applying the most recent findings of science and technology. The promotion of appropriate technological advances, taking into account health and environmental problems related to this process, provides a beneficial and necessary means of gaining competitiveness in the woodworking industrial sector.
R & D can significantly influence this evolution. In recent years many laboratories have intensified research work to minimize harmful side effects of wood preservatives as well as to improve methods of wood protection without using biocides. Papers, published in various scientific journals or presented at national and international conferences (e.g. British Wood Preserving and Damp Proofing Association or the International Research Group on Wood Preservation) demonstrate that so far the ongoing research work does not cover the full range of projects necessary to achieve early progress towards effective solutions. To improve the situation in this most important field of research, co-ordination of the activities in different countries and co-operation between laboratories is essential to concentrate and co-ordinate the intellectual and financial investments in research.
B.OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION
General objective
-considering that wood is a renewable raw material with low energy demand,
-taking into account the economic importance of wood durability to the wood industry,
-in accordance with stronger ecological safety requirements of society,
the main objective of this COST Action is to improve and consequently to increase the use of European wood by means of safer protection methods for enhancing its durability.
Detailed objectives are:
-to evaluate the impact of chemically treated wood during service,
-to improve the service life of timber considering the impact to health and environment,
-to encourage the use of safe additives for the purpose of wood modification,
-to develop new technologies relying on biocontrol,
-to elaborate the necessary tools to check the impact of such methods and to facilitate risk assessment,
-to improve methods for handling treated timber after use,
-to consider the impacts of products from cradle to grave with respect to service, recovery and disposal,
-to promote environmentally compatible protection methods for wood and wood-based products,
-to achieve a range of safer options for wood protection.
To fulfil these objectives this COST Action intends:
-to review the state of the art with respect to health and safety impact of treated wood and wood based products,
-to strengthen the scientific basis for co-operation,
-to co-ordinate research work and to stimulate international co-operation by arranging workshops, exchanging scientists and organizing a final seminar,
-to publish results in a compendium and to give advice on the safer use of wood with respect to its durability,
-to provide information on the ongoing research work,
-to identify research priorities of common and key interest.
C.SCIENTIFIC CONTENT (PROGRAMME)
With this programme it is intended to facilitate closer co-operation of ongoing research work regarding the relation of wood protection to improved wood durability.
As the objectives of this COST Action are of an interdisciplinary nature and cover various fields of specific research work, it is necessary to sub-divide the Action into five sub-groups.
1.Natural durability and design/fabrication consideration
This part of the programme comprises the whole manufacturing chain from felling to end use to guarantee high quality by avoiding attack by moulds, fungi and insects. Methods have to be improved to protect wood during storage and in service from wetting, as high moisture content promotes fungal deterioration.
2.Degradation mechanisms and biocontrol
This programme is directed to the basic understanding of wood degradation in order to develop new ways to hinder it. It includes the combined influence of moisture dynamics as well as degradation by UV-radiation and also covers such effects as the competition between different organisms, their enzymology and pheromone attractants.
3.Use of added chemicals and substrate modification
It is important to improve existing products and technologies, as well as to develop new methodologies. This can be achieved for example, by developing milder toxicants and carrier systems containing a lower amount of volatile organic compounds, and also by extending the knowledge of the chemistry of wood modification.
4.In-service impact analyses
This part comprises studies of all aspects of the impact on health, safety and the environment of treated and otherwise protected wood, including the efficacy of the treatment.
5.Recovery and disposal
After service, methods are essential to enable recycling of safe disposal of treated wood and treatment chemicals by biological methods, incineration, composting or by re-use; soil decontamination is another part of this subtopic. When new preservatives are introduced, strategies for disposal are needed from the outset.
Phase 1: State of the art (6 months)
APreparing a workshop, call for contributions
BAnswers by members
CPreparation of discussion documents/presentations
DOrganizing the workshop
EWorkshop
Phase 2:Co-ordinated research work by participants (18 months)
FResearch work by participant
GExchange of scientists
HPreparing of reports for a second workshop
IOrganizing a second workshop
KSecond workshop
Phase 3:Subsequent co-ordinated research work by participants (18 months)
LResearch work by participant
MExchange of scientists
NPreparing of reports for a seminar
OOrganizing the seminar
PSeminar
Phase 4:Evaluation of results and elaboration of conclusions for actions and for further research work (6 months)
QEvaluation of results
RPreparation of the final report
SDiscussion and adoption of the final report by the participating countries.
In total: 48 months.
Current status
The Management Committee is chaired by Mr. Hubert Willeitner (D) with Mr. Marc Stevens (B) as Vice-Chair. The Action has three Working Groups; each of which contains a number of topical networks :
WG 1 : Optimising Natural Protection Mechanisms
Chaired by Professor Th. Nilsson from the University of Uppsala (S) and directed towards the basic understanding of wood degradation in order to develop new ways of retarding it.
Networks : [A]
- COST Euro index (The index is to be an indicator of the potential activity of wood fungi depending on the local microclimate)
- Improvement of microbial resistance of painted wood
- Copper-tolerant micro-organisms
- Decay of wood in soil contact.
WG 2 : Improvement of Chemicals and Substrate Modification
Chaired by Dr. D. J. Dickinson, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine, London (UK), studies the improvement of existing products and technologies, as well as the development of new methodologies, in order to obtain higher durability.
Networks : [B]
- Wood modification and metal carboxylates
- Resins and water repellents
- Creosote : losses to soil and performance
- European field trials
- Borates
WG 3 : Environmental Impact
Chaired by Mr. G. Ozanne, Centre Technique du Bois et de l'Ameublement, Paris (F), studies all aspects of effects on health, safety, and environment, including the efficacy of the treatment. It also handles methods of enabling recycling or safe disposal, including soil decontamination, of treated wood and treatment chemicals.
Networks : [C]
- Remediation
- Disposal
- Health
- Fate-air-workplace
- Impact - LCA
- Connection with EU regulation.
The Action actively promotes Short-Term Scientific Missions. So far 22 missions have been completed.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
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Coordinator
21027 80 Hamburg
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.