STRENGTH AND TESTING OF TIMBEE 
311 
timber, although it will not bear nearly so much load as a 
dry beam, will nevertheless not fail so suddenly. 
Since it has been shown that wet timber is not nearly 
so strong as the same timber when dry, the question arises 
as to how treating timber with creosote or other anti- 
septics affects its strength. From a few tests made by 
Mr. Tiemann on loblolly pine the comparisons are as 
follows : — 
Length of soaking. 
Total load. 
Moisture. 
Days. 
Air dry timber' 
0 
1 
9'1 per cent. 
Soaked in water 
6 
•42 
71^5 
Soaked in creosote . 
6 
•80 
70 
showing that creosoting only diminishes the strength of 
timber to about half the extent to which soaking it in 
water does. Similar tests were made on timber soaked in 
turpentine and kerosene, and the results showed the same 
tendency ; in each case the strength of the wood was 
much less decreased than by soaking in water. In the case 
of kerosene-soaked wood there was no significant weakening 
effect over that of dry wood. These tests were compression 
tests made on very small pieces of timber, and not upon a 
large number even of these, and must be received with 
caution.^ 
Long time, tests were made at the Chalmers Institute, 
Gdteborg, Sweden, by M. Theodore Wijkander, on pine, 
1 Although more recent experiments rather tend to confirm the 
decrease in strength of timber immediately after being creosoted, 
compared with seasoned wood, any decrease is only temporary ; the 
presence of creosote does not weaken wood in itself, but only retards 
the seasoning, and after a time it will become as strong as the original 
seasoned wood. 
