The durability of yellow-poplar and American beech treated with chromated copper arsenate

Durability of yellow-poplar and American beech treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was evaluated in field plots in West Virginia and Mississippi. Stakes were vacuum-pressure treated with CCA Type-C (CCA-C) to several retentions and placed at the test sites. Stakes were evaluated yearly according to American Wood Preservers' Association standards. The 5-year results suggest that use of heartwood, but not sapwood, of these two species treated to a retention of 0.60 pcf (9.6 kg/m3) is justified when a use-life of 5 years is acceptable. Stakes of all wood species (American beech, yellow-poplar, and southern yellow pine) treated with CCA-C exhibited an increase in durability performance with an increase in retention.