Assessment on the durability of chemically treated Gigantochloa Scortechinii in accelerated unsterile soil laboratory tests

Cultivated 2 and 4 years old Gigantochloa scortechinii culms of internodes 6, 7, and 8, were chemically
treated with ammoniacal-copper-quaternary (ACQ), borax-boric acid (BBA) and copper-chrome arsenate (CCA)
at 1, 2, 4 and 8% concentrations respectively. Three different methods of chemical treatment were introduced to
the bamboo through soaking, vacuum impregnation and high pressure sap-displacement process. An accelerated
eight weeks laboratory unsterile soil burial tests were then carried out on the bamboo samples. At the
completion of the testing period, the 2 year-old G. scortechinii were found to experience higher weight loss
compared to the 4 year-old as the results of the attack by decay fungi. Comparison between the treatment
processes showed that the vacuum pressure treated bamboos experienced lower weight loss. The 4%
preservatives solution strength was found to be sufficient in controlling the decay fungi in the bamboos.