ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF THE NATURAL DURABILITY OF EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS WOOD

David LORENZO
Laboratorio de Protección de Maderas. Centro Investigación Forestal. INIA & Departamento de Ingeniería de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente. Universidad de Vigo.
Address: Campus A Xunqueira. 36005 Pontevedra. Spain.
Tel: +34 91 3476873. Fax: +34 91 3476883. E-mail: fouz@inia.es

María Teresa de TROYA
Dr. - Laboratorio de Protección de Maderas. Centro Investigación Forestal. INIA.
Address: Carretera Coruña km 7,5. 28040 Madrid. Spain.
Tel: +34 91 3476873. Fax: +34 91 3476883. E-mail: troya@inia.es

María Jesús PRIETO
Laboratorio de Protección de Maderas. Centro Investigación Forestal. INIA.
Address: Carretera Coruña km 7,5. 28040 Madrid. Spain.
Tel: +34 91 3476873. Fax: +34 91 3476883. E-mail: mjprieto@inia.es

Carlos BASO
Dr. - Departamento de Ingeniería de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente. Universidad de Vigo.
Address: Campus A Xunqueira. 36005 Pontevedra. Spain.
Tel: +34 986801900. Fax: +34 986801907. E-mail: carlosbaso@uvigo.es

Manuel TOUZA
Centro de Innovación y Servicios Tecnológicos de la Madera de Galicia. CIS-Madera.
Address: Parque Tecnológico de Galicia. 32901 Orense. Spain.
Tel: +34 988368152. Fax: +34 988368153. E-mail: mtv@cismadera.com

Abstract: The wood of Eucalyptus globulus, in some countries such as Australia and Spain, is recommended, due to its durability, in risk situations. Particularly, in Galicia (Spain) this species has been used for many decades in timber construction, beams, wood flooring and others applications, which are still in service without biological attack problems. However, European Standard EN 350-2 places Eucalyptus globulus in the worst category of natural durability, a situation that does not correspond to the real situation and facts. The aim of this work is to determine the durability of this species against wood decay fungi and wood boring insects and to classify E. globulus in the above mentioned Standard according to the new results.
To achieve this objective, laboratory and field tests against fungi and insect attack are being carried out, following the European Standard methodologies (EN 350-1 which cover European Standards as EN 113, ENV 807, EN 118, EN 20-1, etc). The preliminary results of the laboratory tests with white, brown and soft rot indicate that the heartwood is durable (class 2), sapwood is not durable (class 5) and juvenile wood is not durable (class 5). The data obtained in the laboratory tests with the Lyctus show that the heartwood is durable (D), sapwood and juvenile wood are sensitive (S). Finally, those results respecting the termite tests indicate that the heartwood, sapwood and juvenile wood are all sensitive (S). These preliminary results confirm the high durability of the heartwood of Eucalyptus globulus, pending the conclusion of the remaining tests.

Key words: Eucalyptus globulus, wood decay fungi, wood boring insects, EN 350 part 1 and 2.