Effect of Various Treatments and Additives on Wood-Portland Cement-Water Systems

In this study, a series of treatments were considered to determine the impact of such treatments on wood-cement compatibility. These treatments included hot water extraction of water-soluble components in wood, and/or chemical additives. The species involved included lodgepole pine and western larch. The latter species, in a prior study, proved to be highly inhibitory in a series of hydration tests. The data presented in this paper show that substantial improvements in cement setting can be achieved by the removal of water-soluble extractives and sugars in western larch. Such improvements, however, did not take place in lodgepole pine, which data show is far less inhibitory than larch in the untreated state. The addition of chemical additives, especially calcium chloride, appears to enhance compatibility in cement-wood-water mixes