Nondestructive evaluation of wood decayed by xylophagous organisms

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of attack by xylophagous organisms on the physicomechanical properties of Araucaria angustifolia wood from the floor of a historic house in Pelotas, Southern Brazil using two nondestructive methods. To achieve this, samples were collected from the floor for visual assessment by photography in metric scale. All the images were exported to CAD software in order to measure the percentage of the sample's surface attack in relation to its total area. Subsequently, nondestructive tests were performed using an ultrasound with two types of transducers. Mechanical properties of the material was measured through static bending tests and these results were compared with the results of nondestructive methods. The nondestructive methods of computerized visual analysis and ultrasound were efficient for quantifying the surface attack and showed a good relationship with the results obtained in static bending tests. © 2013.