The story of Carmo poles (Treatment 4/6)

How can it be that there is a 20-year full warranty on wooden posts?

When you need the guarantee, the company no longer exists and nobody is at home. These are comments we often hear. In the coming period, we will be focusing on the 20-year guarantee on wooden posts. These are not wooden poles, but Carmo poles.

In a series of articles we describe the Carmo wooden post. The wooden post that comes with a 20-year guarantee. How is this possible? Read the previous and upcoming articles. In this article we describe the treatment of Carmo wooden posts.

Why is treatment of wooden posts necessary? The material is biodegradable, i.e. it is food for insects, termites and fungi. Insects, termites and fungi which feed themselves with the nutrients in the wooden pole. The treatment extends the life cycle of the wooden pole.

Durable wooden post

In addition, the treatment turns non-durable wood into durable wood. Contact of the wooden pole with the ground leads to faster deterioration, especially in the critical/embedded zone. The critical zone is 10cm above and 20cm below the ground (see photo below).

This zone is favourable to the development of fungi due to: oxygen, humidity and temperature. You probably recognise it with old wooden posts that break off at the ground line. This is why Carmo Wood treats its wooden posts in a special way that ensures they can last several cultivation rounds.

Risico categories

Depending on the risk category to which the timber will be subjected, a guarantee of longevity must be given. This applies to the application of the wood.

The Carmo Wood treatment above the 4 SP class guarantees the properties required to extend the natural biological attack and its duration. The risk classes are described below. Carmo Wood treats its wooden posts in class 4 SP.

• Risk class 1: Sheltered use of wood, protected from weather and wind, not exposed to moisture.
• Risk class 2: Sheltered application of wood, protected from weather and wind, but with occasional high humidity which may lead to exposure to moisture.
• Risk class 3: Unprotected application of wood, without ground contact. The timber is either permanently exposed to wind and weather or is protected from wind and weather but regularly exposed to moisture.
• Risk class 4: Application of wood in contact with the ground or fresh water and therefore permanently exposed to moisture.
• Risk class 5: Application of wood in permanent contact with salt water.

Bethell Treatment Process

The Bethell treatment process is applied. Total penetration of the sapwood (softwood) is required. And retention of chemicals above the 4Sp CTBb+ class, which in the case of Celcure C4 is 22.5kg/m3.

The Carmo Wood treatment system is fully automated and PLC controlled. As a result, you get:

• Absolute control of the process phases;
• Absolute control of the cycle time;
• Absolute control of the concentration and volume of the wood;
• The system sends control and monitoring feedback on the treatment to all parties concerned in real time;
• The duration of the cycle is approximately one hour.

FCBA recommendations

According to the FCBA recommendations, for the product C4 Celcure and risk class 4SP, a minimum retention of 22.5 kg/m3 of salts must be guaranteed. On average, the Carmo Wood treatment achieves a retention of 35 kg/m3 in the sapwood, which is well above the recommended level. Total penetration of the sapwood is always guaranteed, which is an essential requirement for C4 SP. The preservative is CTB-P+ certified.

The treatment of wooden posts is therefore extremely important. For FruitSecurity Holland quality, durability and longevity are important. Therefore choose Carmo wooden posts!

In the next article we will take a closer look at the control of the processes.