摘要
Timber bridges can provide an economical alternative to concrete and steel structures, particularly in rural areas where vehicle traffic is light to moderate. The wooden components of bridges have historically been preserved with either an oil type or waterborne preservative system to protect the wood from decay in order to maintain required performance standards for an extended period of time. The focus of this paper is to describe some of the key preservatives, research and case studies that support use of preserved wood, and some important steps to follow for the appropriate and safe use of preserved wood when the planned application will be in or over aquatic and wetland environments. A wealth of scientific information has been collected and analyzed that clearly suggests the use of preserved wood does not present a significant adverse effect on aquatic and wetland environments. This conclusion is based on two decades of empirical research and case study evaluating the environmental fate and effects of preserved wood, level of migration of contaminates into aquatic and marine environments, and the preserved wood environment. This is particularly true when risks are properly assessed on a project site, the appropriate preservative is selected and the wood is preserved to the Western Wood Preservers Institute＇s BMPs （best management practices）, along with properly installing and maintaining the preserved material. To assist with the assessment process, peer-reviewed risk assessment models for 11 commonly used preservatives have been developed that provide for streamlined data entry by users and allow for evaluation of a structure above and below water. A companion preliminary screening level assessment tool is also available. When these measures are properly utilized engineers, biologists and other responsible officials can be confident that the service life of the preserved wood components will more than likely meet the required performance standards in an environmentally safe manner for up to 50 or more years on a majority of timber bridge projects.
