Narrated course featuring video added to Preserved Wood eUniversity

A dynamic, narrated course for preserved wood has debuted on the online eUniversity developed by WWPI and online education service AEC Daily.

The new narrated course Preservative-Treated Wood: Specification and Use runs in a browser and features narration and video. It offers a detailed overview on preserved wood products. Sections include how wood is preservative treated, specifying using AWPA Use Categories, Best Management Practices for aquatic uses and the environmental benefits of preserved wood. The course takes about 50 minutes to complete online.

The eUniversity also has the original preserved wood course, which can be downloaded as a PDF file, with links to other reference materials noted in the course.

There are two courses available in the eUniversity. Protecting wood from fire is to subject of the second course, Specifying and Using Fire-Retardant-Treated Wood. Topics include a history of fire retardant wood and how those products are used in construction today. It explains how fire retardants work to protect wood, the applications and types of fire retardants that are available and the factors that should be considered to ensure FR wood products are properly specified for code compliance.

A narrated fire-retardant-treated wood course is in development and should be available in early 2020.

Each course allows visitors to earn continuing education credits (CEUs). CEUs are available from more than 20 associations, including American Institute of Architects (AIA), Landscape Architecture Continuing Education (LA CES), National Assn. of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Assn. of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). You must complete the free registration with AEC Daily to download the courses and earn CEUs.

The online courses provide a detailed understanding of preservative-treated and fire-retardant wood products. They are an excellent resource for contractors, designers and specifiers, as well as for those selling treated wood products.

>> Review the Preserved Wood eUniversity

Presentation tells why preserved wood is great for trails, outdoor uses

Hear the story of preserved wood and the many advantages in using it in trails and other outdoor structures in a new video.

WWPI Sr. Program Manager Butch Bernhardt was invited to present an 18-minute talk without notes at the 2019 International Trails Symposium in Syracuse, New York. Bernhardt told trails managers and builders about the history of pressure-treated wood and dispelled the many myths about preserved wood products.

"Despite its wide use, treated wood is often dismissed for being 'too' – too primitive, too much maintenance or too dangerous to the environment," said Bernhardt. "However, the real story of preserved wood today is far different than these perceptions."

Watch the video on the WWPI YouTube channel. The presentation was part of the new TRAILSNext speaker series by American Trails, a national non-profit organization representing the trail industry. The association professionally recorded all of the presentations and is making them available to their members.

>> View the video

Awards program open for aquatic projects

Western Wood Preservers Institute is looking to celebrate the innovative uses of preservative-treated wood products in aquatic projects with the 2018 Preserved Wood in Aquatic Uses Awards program.

Eligible projects include docks, port facilities, piers, bridges and others where preserved wood is used in or around water. The top 10 qualified entries will receive a wooden model of the Lady Washington. Check out the submission requirements and download an entry form.

>>Read more

Online model guides preserved wood selection for aquatic uses

Determining any potential impacts from using preserved wood in aquatic or sensitive environments is now easier with a new, user-friendly Environmental Assessment Model.

The online model streamlines the process of modeling the conditions for a project to estimate the potential migration of preservatives from preserved wood immersed or over water. It is based on pioneering research by Dr. Kenneth Brooks and has been peer reviewed, repeatedly field tested and proven to protect the environment.

The model, which is also available as an Excel spreadsheet, has been used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Park Service, Environment Canada and Canadian Department of Fisheries & Oceans as well as a host of local and state regulatory bodies.

For more information on the model, go to the Aquatics section or review materials in the Online Technical Library.

>> See the model

Preserved Wood Infographic, Specification Guide now available

Get the latest information for specifying Western preserved sawn products under the AWPA Use Category system with a new infographic and a special PreserveSpec technical guide.

Both feature the up-to-date definitions from the 2016 AWPA Book of Standards and provide specific information to help select the right preserved wood product. The infographic, developed through the AWPA Education Task Group, shows the most common uses for preserved wood at homes. The PreserveSpec guide is the first in a new series of guides to assist those specifying preserved wood products for any project.

Download the new publications from our exclusive online Technical Library.

>> Read more

SDSs available for preservatives

Safety data sheets, or SDSs, for wood preservatives can be downloaded or requested from the new Find SDS section. The new sheets, required by OSHA regulations, replace the Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) and must be provided to downstream users to communicate information on the hazards of the chemicals in the preservatives.

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Corps removes treated wood ban

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has settled a lawsuit brought by the preserved wood industry and has agreed to allow the use of preserved wood over and near waters or wetlands.

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Get the latest developments on preserved wood and the Western Wood Preservers Institute on our Facebook page. Be sure to like us to get our regular updates!

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