PRESERVATIVE TREATMENTS FOR TIJVJ:BER PILING First Progress I:Wport ·

B. W. Pocock

Research Laboratory Division Office of Testing and Research Research Project R-61 NM-38 Research Project R-61 NM-47

Report No. R-400

Michigan State Highway Department John C. 1\lfaclde, Commissioner

Lansing, November 1962

PRESERVATIVE TREATMENTS FOR TIMBER PILING

At the April 6, 1961, meeting of the Committee for Investigation of

New Materials pentachlorophenol treatment of timber piles was brought

up for consideration at the request of the Dow Chemical Company. Penta­

chlorophenol treatments of guard posts had been permitted for some time

in Department specifications, but there had been some doubt as to its

effectiveness as a heavy duty preservative treatment in a more rigorous

exposure. It was decided by the Committee that a trial installation should

be made to test the relative effectiveness of pentachlorophenol and creosote

as preservatives for timber piling. The original site chosen for the

installation was in the Saginaw river, where fluctuation in the water level

would permit effective inspection of the piles at frequent intervals .. The

site was changed later to the St. Clair area when it was learned that the

pentachlorohpenol-treated piles could not be obtained in time for the con­

struction at Saginaw.

In the meantime, another wood preservative called Boliden Salts was

submitted by the TaCo Corporation for Department approval. This request

was referred to the Committee by J. ·E. Meyer and considered at the

meeting of July 11, 1961. The Committee instructed the Research Lab­

oratory Division to study the material and report their findings. After

examination of available evidence, chiefly from tests by the Forest Pro-

ducts Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture at Mad-

ison, Wisconsin, a recommendation was made to permit Boliden Salts as

an alternate treatment for guard posts. At the same time the Committee

recommended that this treatment also be included in the timber piling

installation for comparison with creosote and pentachlorophenol.

Actual installation of the timber piling last summer included a fourth ·

preservative treatment, Osmosalts, which was added to the test project

by the Bridge Construction Division. This material is permitted for

treating guardposts but not piling. Both Boliden Salts and Osmosalts are

water-borne preservatives; pentachlorophenol is used in mineral oil

solution.

As shown in the attached plan for B02 of 77052, C5, six pile clusters

treated with these materials were driven in the Pine River adjacent to the

M 29 bridge in St. Clair. Installation of the piles was completed August

29, 1962. The prime contractor was the K. G. Marks Construction

Company. The treated piling was supplied by Biewer of Port Huron.

Periodic inspections of all piles will be made, including appropriate

photographs, until sufficient evidence has been obtained to judge the

relative effectiveness of the various freatments. Figures 1 through 8

show the appearance of the pile clusters on August 29, 1962. Subsequent

photographs will be compared with these to show the condition at later

dates in relation to the original condition.

- 2 -

Figure 1. Three of six new pile clusters near M 29 bridge over Pine River, St. Clair. View facing northwest showing piles treated with ·creosote (Nos. 1 and 2) and Osmosalts (No. 3).

Figure 2. Pile cluster ],, treated with creosote, viewed facing north (left) and northwest (right).

Figure 3. Pile cluster 2, treated with creosote, viewed facing north (left) and northwest (right).

Figure, 4. Pile cluster 3, treated with Osmosalts, viewed facing northwest (left) and northeast (right).

Figure 5. Thr~e of six new pile clusters near M 29 bridge over Pine River, St. Clair. View facing northwest showing pile~ treated with pentac'hlorophenol (No. 4) and Boliden salts (Nos. 5 and 6).

Figure 6. Pile cluster 4, treated with pentachlorophenol, viewed, facing north (left) and west-northwest (right).

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Figure 7. Pile cluster 5, treated with Boliden salts, vtewed facing north (ieft) and west (right).

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Figure 8. Pile cluster 6, treated with Boliden salts, viewed facing north (left) and west (right).

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MICHIGAN STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT M- 2 9 CROSSING PINE RIVER IN THE CITY OF ST. CLAIR

PROPOSED PILE CLUSTERS AND NAVIGATION LIGHTS

GENERAL LAYOUT

802 OF 77052Cf