THE RESEARCH WILL GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT CONCENTRATION AND MIGRATION OF PRESERVATIVES AFTER 15 YEARS FIELD TESTS OF SPRUCE STAKES.
SO FAR SPRUCE HAS NEVER BEEN USED IN FIELD STAKE TESTS ALTHOUGH PRESERVED SPRUCE STAKES CAN HOLD 15 YEARS AND LONGER. FIRST INFORMATION SHOWED MIGRATION PATTERNS OF THE PRESERVATIES.
TO GET A BETTER INSIGHT INTO THESE PHENOMENA QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRESERVATIVES IN THE STAKES HAVE TO BE DONE AS WELL AS MICROSCOPICAL RESEARCH INTO ALTERATIONS IN THE ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE RELATED TO THE MIGRATION PHENOMENA.

THE RESEARCH WILL BE DONE ON STAKES PRESERVED WITH 5 DIFFERENT PRESERVATIVES. ALL CAN HOLD 15 YEARS AT LEAST.

IT IS ALREADY KNOWN THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF ASPIRATED BORDERED PITS IN FRESH FELLED SPRUCE IS NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT FROM THE PERCENTAGE OF ASPIRATED BORDERED PITS IN DRIED SPRUCE. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON THE RELATION BETWEEN DECLINE OF MOISTURE CONTENT AND ASPIRATION OF THE BORDERED PITS, SEARCHING FOR MOISTURE CONTENT AT WHICH MOST OF THE PITS ARE STILL UNASPIRATED. INFORMATION IN THIS FIELD CAN GIVE POSSIBILITIES TO IMPROVE PRESERVATION AS WELL AS KILN DRYING OF SPRUCE.
THE UNITED KINGDOM IS WORKING ON PERMEABILITY AS A PART OF A PROJECT CONCERNING SITKA SPRUCE (PICEA SITCHENSIS) THOUGH DIRECTED MORE TOWARDS PRESERVATION POSSIBILITIES.

THIS PROJECT WILL BE PERFORMED IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH
- TNO (NL)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE (UK)
- TRAETEKNIK (DENMARK)
- BFA HAMBURG (FRG)