The Effects of CCA Preservative Treatment and Redrying on the Bending Properties of 2 X 6 Southern Pine Lumber

Southern pine dimension lumber (commercially graded No. 2 loblolly pine 2 x 6s) was treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative (0.4 or 0.6 pcf) and then air-dried or kiln-dried (160, 190, or 240 F). CCA treatment significantly reduced average bending strength, but no discernible differences were found between controls and CCA-treated groups in the extreme lower portions (< 10th percentile) of the bending-strength distributions. When these same specimens were then considered solely on the basis of strength-reducing characteristics, there were obvious differences in how the CCA treatments and subsequent redrying affected these various strength-ratio grades of 2 x 6 lumber; higher grades appeared to be less affected than lower grades. Similar to the trend shown when commercially graded, the middle and upper portion of each strength-ratio grade bending-strength distribution than did drying at 240 F affected a broader range of the bending-srength distribution than did drying at 160 F. The broadened range of significant effects noted after high-temperature redrying indicates that posttreatment kiln-drying temperatures higher than 190 F should be avoided.The effects of CCA treatment and redrying were highly interactive with strength-ratio grade and the presence or absence of pith. CCA treatment reduced the strength of lumber containing pith and having a strength ratio of 0.65 and containing pith was not affected by CCA treatment. The magnitude of this pith-related interaction demands recognition