Pressure of Competing Materials: Why Some Wood Products Hold Their Own

The progress of the wood preservation industry since its inception in 1885 is discussed. The use of wood preservatives has greatly extended the life of many products and prevented the loss of valuable markets to competing materials. The average life of crossties has been increased from approximately 9 to 38 years by pressure treatment. This has made it possible to retain the tie market despite the development of numerous competing products. Pressure-treated poles is another major product of the wood preserving industry. New markets for poles have been developed in the area of lighting standards and pole-type buildings. Pole-type buildings are used for homes as well as storage and farm buildings. Such buildings are durable and relatively inexpensive. Pressure-treated piles find extensive use in foundation work. Under identical conditions, wood piles have the same land bearing capacity as concrete piles and are generally less expensive.

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