Attainable Termite Harm or Wooden Rot to Structural Timber
Query
I’m a structural engineer who designed a timber deck construction adjoining a pool in Catherine Hill Bay. The deck is instantly adjoining to the pool and is about 100m to vigorous surf. The structural timber specified was F17 hardwood because it was in a BAL29 space. The venture accomplished 6 years in the past and at the moment we uncovered structural harm the place a number of the timber beams are wafer-like and hole and fully compromised. There was proof of internet/granular trying materials on the deck boards that we eliminated. I’ve connected photographs under. I’m making an attempt to ascertain whether or not that is termite harm or moist rot related to the place the pool is positioned. Respect you reviewing the connected photographs and letting me know your ideas on this case.
rob.mcgowan@st…
Thu, 01/23/2025 – 11:55
Reply
The harm proven in your photographs does not seem like fungal decay (rot). It is troublesome to see precisely what’s going on, however decay would current as brown cubical materials (‘brown rot’), or whitish stringy harm (‘white rot’), quite than flakes of sound wooden interspersed with broken materials. It could be a sophisticated case of Lyctus borer which produces wonderful mud just like talc powder. This could possibly be the ‘powder-like buildup’ described within the caption to your picture #3. Lyctus borer assault can be confined to the sapwood portion of the timber, normally the corners, and would go away exit holes on the floor of approx 2mm in diameter. Termites tunnel horizontally and eat the softer components of the expansion rings, typically not breaking the floor of the member. Termite harm shouldn’t be in contrast to your picture #2 the place you say the wooden ‘sounds hole and flakes away’. It is doable there’s termite harm and Lyctus borer assault. You’ll find additional info and pictures on the web when you search with the phrases ‘Lyctus borer’ and ‘termite assault’. Whereas the issue does not seem like moist rot we word that there’s no signal of air flow openings within the cladding to the perimeters of the deck. A damp atmosphere is engaging to termites, and conducive to decay, though it does not appear to have triggered decay on this case.
#Termite #Harm #Wooden #Rot #Structural #Timber