Preservation – Wood Central https://woodcentral.com.au Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:44:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 Sawdust Resins Are 76% Tougher Than Plastics — and Could Keep Blades Out of Landfill! https://woodcentral.com.au/sawdust-resins-are-76-tougher-than-plastics-and-could-keep-turbine-blades-out-of-landfill/ Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:43:43 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32917 A new generation of resins made from sawdust and other agricultural waste streams could be up to 76 per cent stronger than current fossil‑based plastics, a breakthrough that could reshape composite manufacturing across energy, transport and industrial supply chains. The work, led by the University of Oulu in Finland and supported by researchers in Italy and Sweden, marks a rare moment in materials science: a greener alternative that not only matches the performance of fossil‑derived materials but outperforms them.

“The biomass-based polyester resin we developed shows up to 76 per cent higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin,” said Mikko Salonen, a researcher involved in the study. Working with colleagues at Oulu, Salonen has developed high‑performance epoxy and polyester resins that mimic existing oil‑based materials, using forestry and agricultural byproducts such as sawdust and straw.

The secret recipe is cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin

By unlocking the potential of lignocellulosic biomass — including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin — waste-related byproducts can be converted into a range of platform chemicals, including hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural, which could challenge the long-running reliance on oil‑derived resins that are extremely difficult to recycle at the end of life.

Until now, wind turbines have been notoriously difficult to recycle, with huge volumes of blades ending up in landfills. Footage courtesy of Business Insider.

Crucially, the new materials address one of composite manufacturing’s most persistent problems: end‑of‑life waste. Current composite systems — such as those used in wind turbine blades — are extremely difficult to dismantle and often end up in landfill. To counter this, researchers developed resins that can be chemically broken down and fully repurposed, enabling a closed‑loop manufacturing model aligned with circular‑economy targets.

For Senior Research Fellow Juha Heiskanen, the shift to biomass‑based feedstocks can be achieved without major capital expenditure, with new formulations designed to work within existing chemical industry infrastructure and therefore avoid the cost barriers that often stall sustainable alternatives.

A future beyond pulp, and into much higher-value uses of forest fibre.

Wood Central understands that the breakthrough also signals a major shift for producers and manufacturers who have traditionally focused on pulp production. By integrating forest‑based residues into high‑value chemical supply chains, the research opens new commercial pathways for countries with abundant biomass.

And for Europe — home to less than 2 per cent of global oil reserves — the development carries strategic weight. Bio‑based resins offer a pathway to greater material self‑sufficiency while supporting climate and circular‑economy objectives, particularly in sectors under pressure to decarbonise without compromising performance.

In 2024, Wood Central publisher spoke to Duncan Mayes, the founder and principal of Helsinki-based Lignutech Oy, about the push by Europe’s forest giants to invest in developing new bioproducts from cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Footage courtesy of WoodCentral.

The findings were published in February 2026 in Circular composite materials: Biomass-based furan epoxies with high-performance and closed-loop recyclability, released last week in Composites Part B: Engineering. The work forms part of the Business Finland‑funded FurBio flagship project, which brings together Finnish, Italian and Swedish research institutions to accelerate the commercialisation of bio‑based composites. Parallel progress on polyester resins is advancing through the Interreg Aurora‑funded SUSBICO project, which has already demonstrated the viability of unsaturated polyester resins derived from bio‑sourced furan monomers.

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McLaren Vale Leads Push to Reuse Millions of Australia’s Vineyard Posts https://woodcentral.com.au/mclaren-vale-leads-push-to-reuse-millions-of-australias-vineyard-posts/ Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:53:59 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32815 A new effort to tackle one of Australia’s most problematic waste streams has taken a major step forward, with a pilot in the heart of the nation’s wine country testing whether millions of vineyard posts can be recovered and reused at scale — saving growers millions of dollars in disposal costs.

It comes as the Sunshine Coast–based National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, which is working with Wine Australia, Forest and Wood Products Australia and the Australian Forest Products Association, has begun field trials on a mobile processing unit in McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide. The unit strips fasteners, including clips, staples, and nails, and guillotines end-of-life posts to size, preparing them for reuse without generating hazardous sawdust.

“Together with partners in both the forestry and viticulture sectors, we are developing practical pathways for the reuse of treated posts and other end‑of‑life timber products, demonstrating what collaboration across sectors, in research, industry and government can achieve,” Professor Tripti Singh, Director of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, said.

Wood Central understands the pilot forms a key part of the Australian Timber Circularity Project, which has already mapped more than 27 million CCA‑treated posts stockpiled across the country.

As it stands, Australia’s vineyards rely on more than 80 million timber posts — most treated with CCA — with at least one million or more posts breaking every year. However, Wine Australia warns the real figure may exceed 3.3 million, with the vast majority stockpiled on farms or sent to landfill due to limited disposal pathways. While licensed landfills remain the only legal end‑of‑life option, high costs and logistical constraints often leave growers with no practical alternative.

Delivered by the FABAL Group with support from the South Australian Government, the pilot aims to convert that waste into usable agricultural fencing and landscape timber. By processing posts on‑site and avoiding sawdust, the system could help growers avoid disposal costs of up to $3000 per hectare.

For Ashley Keegan, FABAL Group’s CEO, the objective is to turn a costly liability into products that can be used and reused by regional communities: “Our goal is to convert a problematic vineyard waste stream into a product that others are willing to confidently use,” Keegan said.

Last year, Wood Central reported that more than 78% of timber posts installed on vineyards across the country are treated with CCA (Copper chrome arsenate) – with the bulk of the remaining posts treated with cersole, resulting in between 12,000 and 30,000 tonnes of waste wood entering landfill every year.

However, that could change with Wine Australia revealing that the new project could create alternative, low-emissions uses for end-of-life posts: “Our goal is to develop viable opportunities to divert CCA timber from landfill and create new, valuable products within regional communities,” they said, adding that data, regulatory barriers, reuse and recycling technologies and stewardship are amongst the most significant challenges.

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EPA to Update Formaldehyde Rules for Composite Wood Products https://woodcentral.com.au/epa-to-update-formaldehyde-rules-for-composite-wood-products/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:57:52 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32609 The US Environmental Protection Agency is pushing to update formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products, proposing revisions that would affect manufacturers and importers of hardwood plywood, MDF, particleboard and finished products.

Wood Central understands the changes would affect the entire composite‑wood supply chain — from panel producers and furniture makers to RV manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, testing labs, and professional service firms involved in certification and compliance. The proposal also covers the laboratories and certification bodies that test and verify composite wood products, and the EPA seeks to align several scope and definition sections with updated industry standards.

The rulemaking, published in the US Federal Register yesterday, would revise the voluntary consensus standards incorporated by reference in 40 CFR part 770 under TSCA Title VI and introduce a new quality‑control test method.

Public comments are open until March 13, 2026.

EPA is proposing to update the referenced editions of several standards used for product specifications and formaldehyde testing, including ANSI A190.1‑2022 for structural glulam, ASTM D5582‑22 for desiccator testing, ASTM D6007‑22 for small‑scale chamber testing, ASTM E1333‑22 for large‑chamber testing, BS EN ISO 12460‑3:2023 and ISO 12460‑3:2023(E) for gas‑analysis methods, and NIST PS 1‑22 for structural plywood.

The agency also plans to incorporate ISO 12460‑2:2024(en) as an additional small‑scale chamber method for quality‑control testing under 40 CFR 770.20(b)(1). EPA says the method would expand manufacturers’ analytical options, including the use of laser absorption spectroscopy. California’s Airborne Toxic Control Measure recently adopted the same standard, a development EPA cites in its justification.

The move brings EPA’s testing methods closer to those used in other major jurisdictions, including the European Union, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, all of which rely on the updated ISO 12460 series standards. However, the broader TSCA Title VI framework remains unique to the United States, with no equivalent national certification or import‑control regime elsewhere.

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How Wood Scientists Brought the Tree of Knowledge Back From the Dead https://woodcentral.com.au/how-wood-scientists-brought-the-tree-of-knowledge-back-from-the-dead/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:10:13 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32370 In the middle of Barcaldine in western Queensland stands a resurrected ghost gum (Corymbia aparrerinja). This reconstructed tree, Tree of Knowledge, is the spiritual birthplace of the Australian Labor Party and a symbol of the 1891 shearers’ strike.

And whilst the living tree was poisoned in 2006 with glyphosate for reasons that remain unknown, despite arborists’ efforts to save it, the tree was declared dead in October that year. Although its death was a loss felt across the region, the tree’s journey from decline to preservation and eventual reconstruction has become a remarkable example of heritage conservation and local scientific expertise.

For more than a century, the Tree of Knowledge served as a gathering point for unionists and workers. For many Australians, it was more than a tree; it was part of the nation’s identity.

The challenge was how to honour the tree and ensure future generations understood both its significance and the science behind its preservation.

Scientists from the wood protection team at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries’ state-of-the-art forestry research facility in Salisbury, Brisbane, led the effort.

In 2007, the tree was carefully dismantled at its original site, with every branch meticulously marked to allow accurate reconstruction. The branches and main trunk were then loaded onto a bed of sand and transported to Salisbury in Brisbane. There, they were installed over a large, covered, purpose-built tank fitted with an irrigation system before a preservative solution was sprayed regularly over the timber to keep it damp throughout the treatment process.

A boron-based preservative supplied by Koppers Performance Chemicals was used to impregnate the wood. The treatment, supported by regular testing, continued for more than a year to ensure full penetration.

And as the boron diffused into the timber, it provided protection against insect and termite attack. Because the reconstructed tree would be housed under cover, additional decay protection was not required.

Get to know Jack. Dr Norton is the National Secretary of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA). The body that provides knowledge of timber preservation methods helps to establish Standards for the treatment of timber and promotes best practice in the production of preserved wood.
In 2009, the preserved Tree of Knowledge returned to Barcaldine.

But simply reinstalling the trunk was not enough; it needed long-term protection from the elements. A roofed structure was built above it, and a canopy of 8000 hanging slats made from recycled spotted gum was suspended 18 metres above the ground. These slats mimic the form of the original canopy, creating the illusion of a leafy ghost gum from a distance while revealing the preserved remains up close.

And whilst the boron protects the timber from insects and termites, it is not fixed in the wood and can leach out under wet conditions. The covered installation shields the trunk from rain and direct sunlight while allowing airflow.

At night, lighting transforms the structure, making the tree’s “ghost” visible across the flat plains surrounding Barcaldine.

Whilst the full Tree of Knowledge is no longer alive, it has been preserved as a monument that has a different kind of immortality. It stands as a quiet reminder of the birth of a movement, sheltered beneath its timber canopy in the town where its story began.

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Tree Dating to Help Close Case of 400-Year-Old Dutch Ship Under New York Streets https://woodcentral.com.au/tree-dating-to-help-close-case-of-400-year-old-dutch-ship-under-new-york-streets/ Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:01:39 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32139 International researchers will next month examine the suspected remains of a 17th-century vessel, long believed to be the Tyger, the Dutch ship commanded by famed explorer Adriaen Block. Wood Central understands that the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) are leading efforts to study preserved timbers from the ship to determine beyond all doubt whether the fragments can be fully traced to the 1613 shipwreck.

Block’s Tyger was destroyed by fire in New York Harbour shortly after arriving from Amsterdam, marking one of the earliest documented Dutch encounters with the region and making the vessel a symbol of New York’s colonial origins and its early Dutch presence.

The mystery began in 1916, when subway workers uncovered a charred keelson and three rib frames beneath Greenwich and Dey Streets in Lower Manhattan. Based on the location, archaeological context and age, the remains were attributed to the Tyger and celebrated as a rare physical link to early 17th‑century Dutch maritime history.

And whilst the timbers were first displayed at the New York Aquarium before being transferred to MCNY in the 1940s, advances in scientific analysis a century later have prompted a renewed investigation into their true identity. Now, researchers led by Professor Martijn Manders – the Program Leader of the International Program for Maritime Heritage – and Dr Marta Domínguez Delmás – Senior Researcher and Dendrochronologist  – both from RCE are travelling to New York, where they will study the timbers using tree-dating technology.

The study will identify the wood species and use dendrochronology to determine when and where the trees were felled. This data will help confirm, or definitively rule out, a connection to Block’s ship.

“These ship timbers connect us directly to New York’s earliest years as a crossroads of cultures, commerce and exploration,” said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, Ronay Menschel Director and President of MCNY. “We are honoured to collaborate with our colleagues at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands to reexamine this material evidence and help uncover new insights into the city’s 17th‑century past.”

The researchers will also examine how the timbers were shaped and used in the vessel, and will compare them with known Dutch shipbuilding traditions of the early 1600s.

According to Professor Manders, the project offers a rare opportunity to revisit a pivotal moment in Dutch–American history. “Working on the shipwreck remains from 1916 is very exciting, and hopefully our research will shine some more light on the wood provenance, dating and construction of the ship parts,” he said. “Will it be the Tyger? Who knows? We will do our best to unravel the mystery!”

Whilst Dr Delmás said the team will use an exclusion-based approach to test the attribution. “Tree rings in the shipwreck timbers can reveal the date and provenance of the wood, and while they cannot tell us explicitly whether this is the Tyger, they can certainly reveal if it is not,” she said. Adding that if the wood species, date and provenance all line up, archaeologists can confirm the origins with categorical proof “Piecing all the puzzle together, we will be able to reach an informed conclusion.”

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World’s First High‑Timber Medieval Cog Found Preserved Underwater https://woodcentral.com.au/worlds-first-high-timber-medieval-cog-found-preserved-underwater/ Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:41:12 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=32064 Dutch maritime archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the world’s largest medieval cog, a 28‑metre timber vessel hidden for six centuries beneath the sands of the Sound. The ship, known as Svælget 2, surfaced during seabed investigations for Copenhagen’s new Lynetteholm district, shedding new light on the movement of goods across Northern Europe during the medieval period.

“The find is a milestone for maritime archaeology,” according to Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist and leader of the excavation. “It is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages.”

For the first time, researchers have uncovered physical evidence of the high timber “castles” long depicted in medieval illustrations. These bow and stern platforms, drawn in 14th‑ and 15th‑century illustrations, had never been found in an archaeological context because most wrecks preserve only their lower hulls.

According to Uldum, that gap has now been closed. “We have plenty of drawings of castles, but they have never been found because usually only the bottom of the ship survives. This time we have the archaeological proof.”

His team uncovered extensive remains of a timber‑built stern castle, a covered deck where the crew could shelter from weather and rough seas. The scale of the material is unprecedented, offering researchers a rare opportunity to understand how these structures were built and used.

“We now have 20 times as much material to work with,” Uldum said. “It is not comfort in a modern sense, but it is a big step forward compared to Viking Age ships, which had only open decks in all kinds of weather.”

Marine archaeologists have uncovered the world’s largest medieval cog, Svælget 2, which has been lost for over 600 years in the waters between Denmark and Sweden. Footage courtesy of IFLScienceOfficial.

Measuring 28 metres long, 9 metres wide and 6 metres high, Svælget 2 is the largest cog ever discovered, with an estimated cargo capacity of 300 tonnes. Built in 1410, the ship operated during a time when Northern Europe’s maritime economy was booming and when builders were pushing the limits in boatbuilding.

Dendrochronological analysis shows the vessel was built in the Netherlands using timber sourced from two regions: Pomeranian oak for the planking and Dutch timber for the frames. The combination reveals a sophisticated supply chain in which large quantities of timber were transported across the Baltic and North Seas.

“It tells us that timber exports went from Pomerania to the Netherlands, and that the ship was built in the Netherlands, where the expertise to construct these very large cogs was found,” Uldum confirmed. He added that the construction pattern suggests the heavy planking was imported while the frames were cut locally at the building site.

The ship’s preservation is remarkable. Buried at a depth of 13 metres, the starboard side remained fully protected from currents and marine organisms, allowing archaeologists to uncover rigging components rarely preserved in medieval wrecks.

“It is extraordinary to have so many parts of the rigging,” Uldum said. “We have never seen this before, and it gives us a real opportunity to say something entirely new about how cogs were equipped for sailing.”

Another surprise came with the discovery of a brick‑built galley, the earliest example ever found in Danish waters. Around 200 bricks and 15 tiles formed a cooking hearth where sailors could prepare hot meals, a significant improvement over the cold, dried food typical of earlier seafaring.

In the same area, archaeologists found bronze cooking pots, ceramic bowls, painted wooden dishes, shoes, combs, rosary beads and food remains, including fish and meat, offering a vivid portrait of daily life aboard a 15th‑century ship.

“The sailor brought his comb to keep his hair neat and his rosary to say his prayers,” Uldum said. “We have the remains of the pots his food was cooked in and the bowls he ate from.”

Despite the ship’s size, no cargo has been found. The hold was uncovered, meaning barrels of salt, cloth, or timber likely floated away during the sinking.

The absence of ballast suggests the ship was fully loaded when it went down. What is clear, however, is that Svælget 2 was not a warship, and archaeologists found no evidence of conflict or military use. “There is no evidence pointing to war or conflict in this ship,” Uldum said. “None at all.” The vessel instead reflects a society capable of organising large‑scale trade across vast distances.

“Perhaps the find does not change the story we already know about medieval trade,” Uldum said. “But it does allow us to say that it was in ships like Svælget 2 that this trade was created.”

Wood Central understands that the ship’s components are now undergoing conservation at the National Museum in Brede, with its story to be featured in Gåden i dybet (Mystery in the Deep), a new documentary series from Denmark’s national broadcaster.

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When Is H3 Not H3? Why Good Detail Matters More Than Ever! https://woodcentral.com.au/when-is-h3-not-h3-why-good-detail-matters-more-than-ever/ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:40:38 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=31803 The Australian timber preservation standard, AS 1604, is the backbone of durable construction. It simplifies preservative protection into clear hazard classes, ensuring the right treatment is used for the right exposure.

Hazard Class H3 is designed for preserved timber that is exposed to the weather but is out of ground contact and can readily dry out after wetting events. Think decking, fence rails and palings, cladding, and balusters — situations where the wood gets wet but airflow quickly dries it.

But what happens when the right treatment meets bad detailing?

An important part of H3-level protection is that the wood can dry out. The preservative systems specified in the Standard will protect wood if it gets wet. However, they won’t work if the wood isn’t allowed to dry out, staying wet (damp) for long periods.

Timber that remains consistently damp, even if it’s out of ground contact, becomes a different environment entirely. It provides the right conditions for rot or fungi to thrive, leading to decay. This is the condition where H3 is not H3.

In the real world, common design mistakes can convert an H3 application into a harsher, quasi-H4 environment. The issue is almost always poor moisture management, stopping airflow and drainage. Some examples I have seen:

  • The Ledger-Flashing Trap: A common failure point is where a deck ledger board (H3) is fixed to a house wall. If the flashing, house wrap, or sealant is incorrectly installed, water gets trapped between the ledger and the wall sheathing. The timber cannot dry out, leading to decay, not just in the deck structure, but often the wooden house components as well.
  • The End-Grain Water Sink: Timber balusters, handrails or deck posts in saddles or rails (H3) that are capped or contained in an impermeable material (like a metal or plastic cap or even paint) without an air gap, often trapping moisture at the vulnerable end grain. Painted joints can create a problem. This turns the top of the post or a housed joint into a long-term water reservoir, accelerating decay.
  • The Planter Box and Balcony Barrier: H3 timber used for external planter boxes or in balcony construction where it directly contacts soil, potting mix, or is permanently encased by waterproofing membranes on all sides is almost guaranteed to fail prematurely. These are H4 (in-ground) applications, and H3 is simply inadequate. OK, a planter box is not really detailing, but you get the idea!
  • Timber decks exposed to the ground and often poorly ventilated create a persistent humid environment, turning a H3 application into an H4 situation.

For any timber member that stays damp for long periods where the drying-out process is significantly impeded, the required Hazard Class should be H4. H4 treatments use higher concentrations and deeper penetration of preservative to provide the necessary protection for the more aggressive decay environment.

The Conclusion: Design Matters Most

The treatment standard can’t specify all the exposure conditions to which timber may be exposed. The design and detailing of where timber is used is important. A H3 level of protection is not a magical shield, and a H3 preserved wood performance specification is based on an expected environment.

If your design creates a perpetually damp environment – wet pocket, a moisture trap, or an airflow barrier –you must treat the timber as if it were constantly exposed to the ground. When specifying and building, remember the advice:

If it can’t, step up the treatment. Ensuring adequate drainage, using spacers to promote airflow, and protecting end-grain are not just good building practices. They are essential to making sure your H3 timber actually delivers performance.

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Timber Hall Belonging to King Harold Unearthed Beneath Skipsea Castle https://woodcentral.com.au/timber-hall-belonging-to-king-harold-unearthed-beneath-skipsea-castle/ Fri, 02 Jan 2026 07:57:32 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=31563 Archaeologists may have uncovered the remains of a timber hall on land once owned by Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo‑Saxon King of England, offering a rare glimpse into the wealth and influence Godwinson held before his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The excavation, led by University of York lecturer Dr Jim Leary, has revealed evidence of a timber hall, a malthouse and a sunken tower on a site near Skipsea Castle in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The Norman motte‑and‑bailey castle, built around 1086 on the edge of an ancient lake, no longer survives, but its mound remains a prominent landmark.

These discoveries form part of a six‑year project examining the area’s early medieval past and will feature in the upcoming series of the BBC’s Digging for Britain, due for release in January.

One of the earliest finds was the remains of a building containing a large tandoori‑style oven, its intense heat having turned the surrounding soil red. Charred seeds nearby indicate the structure functioned as a malthouse used for brewing beer. According to Dr Leary, the original floor survived, and the building likely dates to AD 750–850.

As the excavation progressed, the team uncovered the base of a tower that had sunk into the ground, accompanied by postholes and a cellar. Dr Leary told the Daily Mail: “The tower is an indicator of a high‑status site, the Malthouse is also an indicator of high‑status. It is not the sort of thing that is normally found. This suggests it is probably a lordly centre. We know that Harold Godwinson owned the land, but we don’t know that he ever visited it.”

The tower appears to mirror a structure Godwinson is believed to have had at Bosham in Sussex. As Dr Leary noted, “The tower may relate to Godwinson, as he did have a similar tower in Bosham in Sussex. We know he had it because it was depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.”

Attention then shifted to a large timber hall built above the earlier malthouse. Although the hall has not yet been dated, its scale and construction suggest it served as a venue for political gatherings, feasting and cultural activity — all hallmarks of elite Anglo‑Saxon estates.

Among the most striking finds was a piece of worked amber, apparently being prepared for jewellery. Dr Leary described it as the “standout find”, saying it reinforced the idea that the site was a place where luxury goods were produced or enjoyed by wealthy individuals.

The Domesday Book, commissioned by William the Conqueror after taking the English throne, records the Skipsea area as land formerly held by Godwinson. The new discoveries suggest the hall may have been part of a significant estate linked to the king or his household. The region retained its strategic importance after the conquest, with the Norman castle thought to have been constructed roughly two decades later.

Reflecting on the site’s significance, Dr Leary said: “It does indicate high‑status sites, and the fact that he [Godwinson] owned it, you know, all of these things sort of link up.”

Even so, no definitive evidence yet ties the structures directly to Godwinson himself. The site may also correspond to the lost settlement of Cleeton, mentioned in Domesday records but long considered missing.

For co‑director Dr Elaine Jamieson, the scale and rarity of the discoveries exceeded expectations. “We definitely were surprised in the sense that we thought there might be a hall there. The nature of archaeology is you don’t always find what you’re looking for, so it was surprising,” she said.

“But the other two structures, the malthouse, we had no inclination that was there, and the sunken tower structure is a very rare building. There are very few of them that have actually been excavated, so that was a real surprise. We had no idea that was there as well, so that’s really exciting.”

The site also serves as the University of York’s leading undergraduate field school: “We use this as the main undergraduate field school for students at the University of York, so this is where they get their first real taste of excavation, and it has blown us away,” Dr Leary said. “We will be digging for the next few years, and it is tremendously exciting.”

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Time to Change the Label — Why ‘Preserved Wood’ is a Better Term https://woodcentral.com.au/time-to-change-the-label-why-preserved-wood-is-a-better-term/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 07:51:55 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=31041 For decades, homeowners, builders and specifiers have relied on the term ‘treated wood’ to describe non-durable wood that has been turned into the durable timber of today.

Durable timber is commonly used for house framing, decks, fences, fascias, cladding and outdoor structures (among other products). However, as the timber industry evolves and environmental concerns grow, it’s time for the public and media to adopt the more precise and beneficial term: preserved wood.

While the phrases might seem interchangeable, ‘preserved wood’ offers clearer communication about the product’s function, better reflects modern preservative treatments, and helps to dispel persistent consumer concern associated with the older term.

The word ‘treated’ often conjures an outdated image of hazardous chemicals. In the 1980s and 90s, the main chemical treatment was chromated copper arsenate or CCA. Contains arsenic, right? Arsenic is dangerous, right? Arsenic is a chemical, right? Therefore, all chemicals are dangerous, right? WRONG!

Everything, and I mean everything, is made up of chemicals. The bottled water many are fond of and the food we eat are chemicals. The central fact that everything is a chemical is a fundamental concept taught to chemistry and toxicology students and most importantly it is the dose that makes the poison. This remains is a basic principle of toxicology.

Nevertheless, even though CCA is used to protect about a third of the preserved wood currently used in Australia, people are concerned when treated wood is used in residential settings.

Today, residential wood preservatives are vastly different. Since 2003, the industry has reduced arsenic for residential use, mainly by using non-arsenic-containing ingredients such as pyrethrins (originally from flowers, so it must be OK), and copper-based systems such as alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and micronised copper azole (MCA).

By using the term ‘preserved wood’, we shift the focus from the chemicals being applied to the result we are after: longevity, durability, and protection. It highlights the product’s ability to resist fungal decay or rot, and insect damage – the main reasons for its use – rather than focusing on older systems, which have a fraught history.

In today’s market, the term ‘preserved wood’ serves as an umbrella term that encompasses a range of protection methods, from the classic vacuum-pressure-impregnated wood to newer alternatives. It communicates that the wood has been made to last longer than its natural state, which is the core value proposition for the consumer.

Moreover, ‘preserved’ aligns with the technical language used by major industry bodies such as the International Research Group on Wood Protection and the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) and the Timber Preservers’ Association of Australia (TPAA).

The AWPA sets the preservation standards in the US and the TPAA is heavily involved in setting the penetration and concentration standards for wood protection chemicals in this country. Adopting this term helps to foster greater transparency between the industry, builders and the general public.

In an era where consumers demand safer, more sustainable and better-performing building materials, the language used must reflect modern reality.

Shifting from the generic, historically tainted ‘treated wood’ to the descriptive, future-focused ‘preserved wood’ is a simple yet powerful change that benefits everyone by providing greater clarity and restoring consumer confidence in a vital, long-lasting building product.

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One in Five Chemists Add False Data in Peer Review, Study Finds https://woodcentral.com.au/one-in-five-chemists-add-false-data-in-peer-review-study-finds/ Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:52:05 +0000 https://woodcentral.com.au/?p=30658 More than one in five chemistry researchers have admitted to deliberately adding information they believed to be incorrect into manuscripts during peer review to get their papers published. The survey of 982 authors—each with at least two papers published in Royal Society of Chemistry or American Chemical Society journals between 2020 and 2023—was published in Accountability in Research, offering a rare look at how chemists respond to errors in their own work and in others’ studies.

When asked if they felt compelled to modify their manuscript with text they thought to be wrong, 22% of respondents said yes. According to Frédérique Bordignon, a bibliometrician and research integrity officer at École des Ponts ParisTech, one motivation was to speed up the review process: “It’s a bit concerning.”

The survey found that 88% of respondents had discovered errors in the papers they read, and nearly 4 in 5 took some form of action. And whilst most agreed that formally correcting the scholarly record is the best practice, Bordignon noted that “they prefer off‑the‑record activities like discussion with other peers.”

Forty‑two per cent said they raised issues in private conversations with colleagues, around a third cited problematic papers in their own publications to highlight the errors, and about 30% mentioned them to students during training. Other responses included 28% contacting authors directly to encourage retraction or correction, 22% choosing to ignore the error and never cite it, 13% writing letters or notes to journals, 4% launching replication projects, 4% publishing formal refutations, and 2% commenting on PubPeer, a site where scientists discuss work.

The survey also found that 56% of researchers believed errors should always be corrected, a figure that rose to 82% when considering their own studies. A third of respondents said corrections were necessary only if the error altered the paper’s conclusions.

According to François‑Xavier Coudert, a computational chemist at France’s National Center for Scientific Research who is not involved in the study, all mistakes should be addressed. “Identifying errors and their cause is often a lengthy and effort‑consuming process, so the results should be made available to all readers. This is the only way to have more reproducibility in research.”

Bordignon said greater transparency is needed in the field. “The problem is, it’s sometimes difficult to face the consequence of being critical of someone else,” she explained. “I think we should encourage researchers to be more open to critiques and be more open to flagging the research of others as well because that’s part of science.” She added that chemists should make more use of PubPeer, a view echoed by Coudert, who said, “PubPeer is one platform where that can happen, but it is not necessarily the only one,” before adding that research should be treated like “living” documents, updated dynamically as new results emerge.

“This is exactly what happens with preprints, where all readers know that the ‘final’ published version of the article will be different from the preprint version.”

For more information: Bordignon, F. (2025). On and off-the-record correction practices: A survey-based study of how chemistry researchers react to errors. Accountability in Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2025.2564106

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