54 



mens of various methods for protecting wooden piling, most of which 

 have not been in use for a long enough time to make service records 

 available. These methods are mainly, although not exclusively, of the 

 class of paint and batten surface protections, and most of them involve 

 materials of patented or secret composition. Their number is consid- 

 erable, and the insistence with which they are being promoted in this 

 region creates a need among users o-f piling for such information 

 as can be obtained, on unprejudiced and reliable authority, for the 

 appraisal of values. 



Progress in this work has been delayed by several unfortunate diffi- 

 culties. Material for installations of a number of protective processes 

 which are under negotiation is still to be received, either in whole or 

 in part. This is true of two cases involving impregnation of the wood 

 with new substances, of eastern origin, of one of which a test by the 

 Committee was requested by a member of the American Wood-Preserv- 

 ers' Association. The tests already in place include also specimens 

 of two untreated foreign woods said to have a high resistance to ma- 

 rine borers. These are turpentine wood and tallow wood, from Aus- 

 tralia or New Zealand. For the former, in particular, extraordinary 

 claims are made from many credible sources familiar with the wood. 



Complete results from tests such as these can of course be ex- 

 pected only after a period of a number of years. In some cases, 

 however, the occurrence of settlement or initial attack by marine bor- 

 ers, if present, should be evident in a much shorter time. Detailed 

 account of installations will be possible in the next report. 



CHEMICAL SKCTIOX 



The work of the Chemical Sub-Committee and the Committee chem 

 ist has thus far been confined to the problems connected with the pres- 

 ervation of wood from marine borers, no attempt having been made to 

 attack problems raised by the disintegration of concrete in sea water, 

 the corrosion of reinforcing steel and various other materials, etc. 

 Within the field indicated, only those preservatives or preservative 

 methods have been considered which involve penetration of the pre- 

 servative into the wood. This has naturally resulted in centering 

 much of the work upon coal tar creosote. 



The investigative work so far undertaken or planned is in the fol- 

 lowing directions: 



1. Studies contributing to the determination of the constituents 

 of creosote which are the active bases of its preservative power. 

 This involves: 



a. Laboratory separation, from original creosote oils, of 



certain constituents or constituent groups (oil fractions), and 



the preparation for each kind of oil of two sets of test timbers, 



