Wood used in marine construction is subject to very specific stresses. In addition to constant moisture, salt ingress, and severe mechanical stress, it is exposed to a variety of wood-colonizing and wood-destroying organisms. These include gribble (Limnoria) from the class of crustaceans, as well as shipworm (Teredinidae) and piddocks (Pholadidae) from the class of bivalves (Bivalvia). All of them are capable of colonizing wood within a short period of time and causing massive damage to wooden boats, jetties and harbour facilities, and wooden coastal defense structures.
In the Fishery harbour of Bremerhaven, just outside the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, the durability of various wood-based materials will now be determined in field trials. The first step will be to evaluate which species of marine borers occur and the extent of hazard they pose. In addition, biocide-free treated wood that has previously been chemically modified in various ways is being examined.
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