Wood testing lab gains accreditation

Louisiana companies that produce and market wood products now have an accredited testing facility available to them in the state.  

The LSU AgCenter’s Wood Durability Laboratory recently received accreditation from three organizations that establish standards for testing wood products, according to the lab director Dr. Todd Shupe. 

“We passed a number of test standards,” said Shupe, a professor in the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Forest Products Development Center in its School of Renewable Natural Resources. 

The lab now is accredited by the International Organization for Standardization, the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. The LSU AgCenter facility can now perform 13 ISO-certified tests recognized by the American Wood Protection Association, ASTM International and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association.  

“Developing effective management approaches for termites has been a major goal of the Department of Entomology and in the Forest Products Development Center,” said Dr. David Boethel, vice chancellor of the LSU AgCenter. 

The laboratory personnel include members from the faculty in the LSU AgCenter’s Department of Entomology and School of Renewable Natural Resources. 

“We promote team approaches to problem-solving in the LSU AgCenter,” Boethel said. “We applaud those efforts and the efforts of our scientists to achieve ISO accreditation.” 

Manufacturers use the test results from independent ISO labs to verify the efficacy of their products and to meet requirements for building-code approval, Shupe said. 

The LSU AgCenter has been providing testing for Louisiana wood products manufacturers for many years, but the results of those tests were not certified. 

“This accreditation allows the AgCenter to provide a service to Louisiana manufacturers to help them design and market products that meet building codes,” Shupe said. 

The ISO accreditation process included a complete audit of the laboratory facility to assure testing meets rigorous standards, he added.  

“Now, Louisiana companies can be certain their data are of the highest quality possible,” Shupe said. 

The accreditation followed a visit by inspectors who were shown how tests are conducted, how operators are trained and how record keeping and security are maintained. 

“Chain of custody of materials and data is extremely important,” Shupe said. “These things have to be handled in a precise manner to assure efficacy of the process and avoid miscommunication.” 

The accreditation is subject to annual review, and inspectors look for constant improvement, Shupe said. 

The LSU AgCenter researcher said the most important aspect of the accreditation process was developing a quality manual that “identifies who you are and how you operate.” 

Shupe said the LSU AgCenter’s Wood Durability Laboratory has long been the leading facility in the country for testing for termite resistance in wood products. 

The basic test involves putting termites and wood in a jar of sand. After 28 days, researchers measure how much mass the wood lost, assign a visual rating and determine how many termites have died. The results indicate how effective a particular wood species or wood treatment is in repelling termites. 

“No one in the country has run more of these tests than we have,” Shupe said. 

Shupe said the laboratory tests all sorts of wood products, including various species of solid wood as well as a variety of engineered wood products. In addition to termite resistance, the laboratory also tests wood for strength and for resistance to molds, fungus, corrosion and decay.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in mold testing,” he said.

 “This is a Louisiana lab that’s doing something for Louisiana companies to find better products to fight termites,” Shupe said.