Next they tested for Trametes versicolor (a white rot fungus), Tyromyces palustris (a brown rot fungus), subterranean termite, and
marine borer, and the results showed that among the three tested woods, pine had the greatest resistance to white rot and brown rot fungal attacks, and the polystyrene wood had much greater resistance than untreated wood to brown rot fungi, white rot fungi, subterranean termite, and
marine borer attacks.
However, it was revealed that the pilings of the pier were severely comprised by
Marine Borer Worms and had become unsafe.
Deterioration of timber members is also due to impact damage, longitudinal and lateral forces, overstressing, drift/ice, poor construction details, insect and
marine borer damage, and fire.
Marine borer attack was most severe at Townsville, followed by Cairns and then Bundaberg.
Among its credentials, Boswell has been extensively involved in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's
Marine Borer Monitoring Program over the last six years, providing the Port Authority with a tremendous amount of timber core sampling data and other information related to
marine borer biodeterioration rates of attack in various types of treated and untreated wood structures.
ACZA treated samples displayed significant mass losses over the 7-year exposure period even though no
marine borer attack of the higher retention samples occurred.
If a Level III effort of inspection is required, specialty equipment may be needed such as a waterblaster for cleaning large surface areas, or hydraulically-powered coring tools for taking timber samples to assess
marine borer intrusion.
One trade-off to this environmental benefit is a significant increase in the amount of
marine borer activity within these same coastal waters, equating to widespread damage to marine timber infrastructures.
The major visual defects were splits, decay, and
marine borer damage.
(19.) Lauren and Jan Cookson,
Marine Borers and Timber Piling Options (Victoria: CSIRO, 1986).
Marine borers attack and eat wood, steel will rust and corrode, vinyl will degrade from ultraviolet and concrete will deteriorate over time as the rebar starts to corrode.