Preservative treatment in poles of poplar hybrids taking radiata pine poles as a reference

Abstract

The behavior difference of poplar utility poles after impregnation was evaluated and the physical and mechanical properties of impregnated wood were characterized using wood coming from the top useful part of the log from three commercial hybrids of poplar, such as: I-214, I-488 and I-63/51. Radiata pine utility poles were used as a control. They were impregnated and tested under the same conditions as the poplar hybrids to determine their physical and mechanical properties. Thirty utility poles of poplar and ten of pinus and were impregnated with CCA using the Bethell method. It was found that the hybrid I-488 showed better impregnation behavior than the pine and the hybrid I-214 showed better mechanical properties than the pine. It was observed that the hybrid I-63/51 showed some problems in impregnation and similar mechanical behavior to that of the pine. Based on this study it could be inferred that impregnated utility poles of hybrids I-214 and I-488 could be utilized the same as impregnated pine utility poles.