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PRESERVED WOOD
The remarkable history and uncertain future of preserved wood in ports By Ryan Pessah, Director of Government Relations Western Wood Preservers Institute
W
hile there are some who believe it is a relic of the past, the reality is that preserved wood is — and should be — a critical part of the maritime infrastructure here in the 21st century. The very roots of preservative treating for wood harken back to maritime history. In the early decades of the 19th century, a lawyer turned inventor named John Bethell in England earned a patent on a diving apparatus to make underwater repairs on wood ships. This work led him to another perplexing maritime problem: how to keep timbers in ships from rotting. After trying a number of methods, Bethell found success with a process
Coos Bay, Oregon
The growth in preservative treating for wood expanded with the need for durable, long-lasting infrastructure in the U.S. to impregnate wood with a new distillation called creosote, and in 1838 he earned a patent for pressure treating wood. Within a few decades, the process made its way to the U.S. where it was used to protect wood in ships, port facilities and rail ties. The growth in preservative treating for wood expanded with the need for durable, long-lasting infrastructure in the U.S. What started with ships and port facilities soon moved into
emerging industries such as railroads (rail ties) and electricity distribution (utility poles). Preserved wood offered an economical and proven way of keeping these products in service while protecting them from extreme conditions.
Remarkable history
In the maritime industry, the remarkable development of ports across the Pacific during World War II and the post-war expansion thereafter was
