In this study, bending and compression strength tests were performed to investigate effect of composition of layer layout of Larix cross-laminated timber (CLT) on mechanical properties. The Larix CLT consists of five laminae, and specimens were classified into four types according to grade and composition of layer. The layer's layout were composited as follows 1) cross-laminating layers in major and minor direction (Type A), and 2) cross-laminating external layer in major direction and internal layer applied grade of layer in minor direction (Type B). E12 and E16 were used as grades of lamina for major direction layer of Type A and external layer of Type B according to KS F 3020. In results of the bending test of CLT using same grade layer according to layer composition, the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of Type B was higher than Type A. In case of prediction of bending MOE of Larix CLT, the experimental MOE was higher than 1.00 to 1.09 times for Shear analogy method and 1.14 to 1.25 times for Gamma method. Therefore, it is recommended to predict the bending MOE for Larix CLT by shear analogy method. Compression strength of CLT in accordance with layer composition was measured to be 2% and 9% higher for Type A using E12 and E16 layers than Type B, respectively. In failure mode of Type A, progress direction of failure generated under compression load was confirmed to transfer from major layer to minor layer by rolling shear or bonding line failure due to the middle lamina in major direction.

Oriented strand board (OSB) distributed in Korea was collected, and its mechanical properties were investigated according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Japanese Industrial Standards, and Korean Design Standard. Ten types of OSBs were collected, including six types for walls and others for floors. The thickness swelling, moisture content, and density of each product satisfied the ISO standards. All products showed lower formaldehyde emission values than those of the SE0 grade. The internal bonding strengths of all products, except products B, H, and I, met the ISO standards. However, products A, B, C, F, and H did not satisfy the thickness swelling standard of the load-bearing OSB for use in dry conditions. Products D and G showed heavy duty load-bearing OSB for use in humid conditions in terms of internal bonding and bending strength after boiling. In the nail head pull-through force and lateral nail resistance tests, all products met the standards. In terms of the structural bending performance (four points), the six types of OSBs for walls satisfied the standard for bending strength and modulus of elasticity. All the products for flooring met the standard for bending strength but, except for product G, the products did not meet the standard for modulus of elasticity. Although the results of this study cannot represent the performance of all imported OSBs, considering the above results, the water resistance performance of seven types of OSB products did not meet the standard, and 10 types of products did not match the labeling grades.

Lower termites need symbiotic microbes for cellulose digestion. Elizabethkingia miricola strain BM10 has been proposed as a symbiotic microbe that assists in low-temperature digestion and metabolism of Reticulitermes speratus KMT1, a termite on Bukhan Mountain, Seoul, Korea. In E. miricola strain BM10, β-glucosidase genes expressed at 10℃ were identified, and the psychrophilic enzymatic characteristic was confirmed by heterogeneously expressed proteins. Crude β-glucosidase in the culture broth of E. miricola strain BM10 showed specific enzymatic properties, and its substrate affinity was 4.69 times higher than that of Cellic CTec2. Among the genes proposed as β-glucosidase, two genes, bglB_1 and bglA_2, whose gene expression was more than doubled at 10℃ than at 30℃, were identified. They were heterogeneously expressed in Escherichia coli and identified as psychrophilic enzymes with an optimal reaction temperature of about 20℃-25℃. In this study, E. miricola strain BM10, a symbiotic bacterium of lower termites, produced psychrophilic β-glucosidases that contribute to the spread of the low-temperature habitat of a lower termite, R. speratus KMT1.

Chemical characterization of vinegars obtained from Durian wood (Durio sp.) and their termicidal activity against Coptotermes curvignathus and antifungal activity against Schizophyllum commune were evaluated. The process of pyrolysis produced wood vinegars at three distinct temperature: 350℃, 400℃, and 450℃. To determine their effectiveness against fungal growth, the vinegars were tested using a Petri dish with 1.0%, 2.0%, 3.0%, and 4.0% (v/v) against S. commune. In the experiment, termicidal activities were evaluated using a no-choice test for C. curvignathus with 3.0%, 6.0%, 9.0%, and 12.0% (v/v). The wood vinegar exhibited antitermitic activity to C. curvignathus workers in the no-choice experiment; For vinegar produced at 450℃, a 6% concentration was required to achieve 100% mortality against C. curvignathus. In addition, a 12% vinegar produced at 450℃ resulted in the lowest mass loss of treated filter paper, which was 20.00%. Furthermore, all the wood vinegars exhibited antifungal activities against S. commune at concentration of 2.0%. The dominant chemical components of wood vinegar produced at temperature of 350℃, 400℃, and 450℃ were 2-methoxy-phenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxy-phenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxy-phenol, 3.5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxytoluene, and creosol.

This study applied a real-time IoT (Internet of Things) environmental monitoring system to wooden cultural heritages (WCHs) located in suburbs and forests in Korea. It automated the graphs of seasonal Temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) changes inside the heritage structures and seasonal Performance Index (PI) values. While utilizing line graphs of the existing T and RH change trends and a bar graph expressing the PI values, this study examined the current status of the conservation environment inside the WCHs throughout the year and its diagnosis. Consequently, at higher latitudes, the organic cultural heritage repeatedly experienced large T fluctuations, and the risk of physical and chemical degradation of the materials was greater. However, the RH showed significant seasonal differences, even within the same latitude, indicating that the impact of latitude was not significant. Therefore, the staff in charge must manage RH by considering the surrounding environmental conditions and adjusting the internal environment of the structures. The PI values for the year-round T and RH inside the heritages were confirmed to only be a maximum of approximately 60% of the environmental suitability for conservation throughout the year, depending on the season. The relationship between the germination and growth potential period of xerophilic fungi and the monthly internal temperature and humidity in five heritages located at different latitudes was analyzed. As a result, we could thus determine that four particular months of the year (June-September) represent the periods with the highest risk of damage from xerophilic fungi in the country, regardless of latitude.

Bamboo culm is in the form of a tube/pipe, composed of internodes which are bounded by a partition/diaphragm (node). Anatomically, bamboo is composed of vascular bundles and parenchyma ground tissue. One of the constituents of vascular bundles is fibers that are grouped to form a fiber sheath. The anatomical structure of the nodes and internodes is thought to influence the strength of bamboo strips, including tensile strength. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of vascular bundles (distribution and fiber percentage) and their effects on the density and tensile strength of Gigantochloa apus bamboo strips with and without nodes. The bamboo culms were divided into three parts (outer, middle, and inner) along the radial direction. The results showed that the distribution of vascular bundles and percentage of fiber sheaths decreased significantly from the outer to the inner layer. This also had a significantly decreased density and tensile strength. Furthermore, the number of vascular bundles (in the transverse plane) was greater in the internodes than in the nodes. Anatomically, the orientation of the vascular bundles at irregular nodes is observed in the radial and tangential planes, where the direction is not only in the axial direction, but also in the radial and tangential directions. This caused the tensile strength of the G. apus bamboo strips to be lower at the nodes than at the internodes.