Piotr Witomski

Selected mechanical properties of Scots pine wood from antique churches of Central Poland

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood is the most frequently used building material in old churches of Central Poland. In the article, the density and compressive strength of Scots pine heartwood samples taken from old churches from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth century were examined. The properties of the old wood were compared with contemporary wood of similar density. The results showed better quality of the ancient wood as compared to modern wood.

Susceptibility of hornbeam and Scots pine woods to destruction by the subterranean termite Reticulitermes lucifugus ROSSI, 1792 (Blattodea: Isoptera)

Abstract The article presents the results of tests of the degree of damage to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) woods by the termite Reticulitermes lucifugus. Both wood species are classified as “susceptible to destruction by termites” in the EN 350-2:2000 standard. The procedures described in the ASTM D 3345-08 standard (2009) were applied in the experiments. During laboratory coercion tests, wood samples from these two species were damaged to a degree between light attack and moderate attack with penetration. Recent Scots pine sapwood was damaged to a heavy degree. The results can be associated with the much higher density of hornbeam wood as compared to Scots pine sapwood. The mortality rate of the termites in the test containers with both wood species was similar and low, no greater than 10%. In the light of the results, the classification of the susceptibility of native wood species to termite feeding, as stated in the EN 350-2:2000 standard, appears to be oversimplified.