10 i n t e r n a t i o n a l w o o d

...Down by the Sea

I n the early 1970s, Timber Holdings USA, currently headquartered in Bedford, NH, pioneered the naturally durable hardwood market in the U.S. by introducing Australian Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) to repair and rebuild the fallen Atlantic City boardwalk. Originally fabricated of old growth domestic softwoods such as pine and fir,

many of the famed Jersey Shore boardwalks had deteriorated badly under the continuous onslaught of wind, waves, weather and pedes-trian usage. Several attempts to use treated pine as a replacement mate-rial, yielded an average service life of only five years and resulted in significant maintenance costs to boardwalk communities.

In the 1980s, Ipe (Tabebuia spp.), sometimes called Brazilian walnut, gained favor as a less costly but equally durable alternative to Jarrah. Later on, Cumaru (Dipteryx odorata) or Brazilian teak, Maccaranduba (Platymiscium spp.), Ekki (Platymiscium spp.), and Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei) also became popular for construc-tion/reconstruction of boardwalks and piers.

“Because of their superior life cycle performance in severe environ-ments, these hardwoods gradually began to replace many of the soft-wood boardwalks all along the Eastern Seaboard,” according to Brian Lotz, Director of Business Development for Timber Holdings USA, which markets superwoods under the brand name Iron Woods®.

Ipe, Cumaru, Maccaranduba, and Ekki belong to a group of tropical hardwoods known as “superwoods.” These species have long been prized

for heavy-duty applications such as decking, bridges, boardwalks, piers, marinas, and other uses in

unforgiving environments.

Under the Boardwalk

Photo courtesy of feMA/Kenneth Wilsey

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According to ASTM testing, tropical hardwoods are valued not only for their beauty, versatility, strength and durability, but also for their natural resistance to fire as well as decay caused by fungus, termites and marine borers. They are among the hardest and most durable of building materials and resistant to fire as concrete and steel.

“While domestic softwoods can be chemically treated to become resistant to either fire or rot, you cannot treat for both perils,” Lotz said.

Moreover, the natural service life of many “so-called” superwoods exceeds their natural growth cycle. Even when damaged, they can usu-ally be reclaimed, reused, or recycled. Tropical hardwoods can be used successfully in outdoor settings without chemical preservatives. This is important because it reduces the potential for harmful chemicals and pesticides used to preserve lumber from being released into the environment.

SupErSTorM Sandy: Total Chaos and unprecedented destruction

Periodically, hurricanes have damaged or even destroyed boardwalks along the Eastern Seaboard. However, when Superstorm Sandy thundered up the East Coast on October 29, 2012, she blasted away virtually every boardwalk along the entire coastline. Among the beachfronts that required extensive recon-struction after Hurricane Sandy were Long Beach, Jones Beach, Coney Island, Far Rockaway, Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Liberty Island, Robert Moses State Park, and several others. Altogether, more than 2 million board feet of decking was installed after the hurricane. Almost half was used to rebuild Long Beach’s 2.2-mile long oceanfront walkway.

Long Beach was the largest single board-walk reconstruction following Superstorm Sandy. Although local authorities opted to use Ipe for the project, Long Beach’s boardwalk is stronger, safer and more durable than the original 1907 seaside platform and it does not require the constant maintenance and upkeep that the old boardwalk required.

Some of the Atlantic beachfront communi-ties employed lumber salvaged from damaged boardwalks in their reconstruction programs. The reclaimed boards included a hardwood hodgepodge of Angelique (Dicorynia guianensis), Teak (Tectona grandis), Ipe, Cumaru, Greenheart, along with pine and fir. New amenities including seating and hand-rails on Coney Island’s 1000-foot long Steeplechase Pier were fashioned from reclaimed Ipe. Boards from the 5.5-mile long Rockaway Boardwalk, originally built in the 1920s, were incorporated into new deck-ing, seating among other applications.

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Ipe vs. coMPosite DecKingAs rebuilding of so many miles of boardwalk started, so did the debate about whether to use composite decking or Ipe. The truth of the matter is that no material is perfect. In many instances, the debate was not based on science and research but rather on emotion and assumptions.

Many activists protested local municipalities who proposed rebuild-ing with Ipe, arguing that the use of this wood was causing deforestation in developing countries. This is just not so. Another popular argument was that composite decking is more environmentally friendly because it is from recycled materials. While this is in fact true, that statement does not tell the whole story.

USING WOODS LIKE IPE HELPS DEVELOPING NATIONS

Imagine living off of the land in the area where you were born. You’re a farmer but the soil can be fickle and often you have to clear trees from new tracts of land by burning them to plant crops in a new area. Thankfully, this is not the only choice for many now. With markets developed for wood species such as Ipe, these same lands can support sustainable for-estry. These communities now have the choice to cut some of the trees on the land, but in a way that continues to keep forests intact while offering an alternative resource of income. Strong markets for wood products have helped to preserve forests in developing nations, not take them down.

There are several certification schemes that allow producers to prove that harvesting is carried out in a sustainable manner.

RECYCLED DOESN’T MEAN NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

No life cycle analysis has ever been completed specifically comparing Ipe decking to composite decking. When an analysis was completed in 2012, looking at the environmental impacts of composite decking for the entire time of use, the picture was not as perfect as some would have you believe.

Yes, composite decking is made out of recycled materials. This makes it seem like an environmentally friendly product. This decking product is made out of recycled plastic shopping bags, wood mill waste and old pallets, which is pretty neat. The problem with composite decking is that all of the environmentally friendly aspects are concentrated in material-sourcing. Once you factor in the high environmental impacts of the fossil fuels required to manufacture composite decking, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, the overall impact of composite decking products is much higher than its supporters would have you to believe. n

NOTE: The research cited can be viewed at: http://www.vhn.org/pdf/LCA-ACQ-terras.pdf

Each individual borough or municipality specified the type of material to be used in the reconstruction of its boardwalk and other seaside structures, according to Lotz. “The decision was usually based primarily on cost,” he said. “But in some communi-ties, there was heated debate about whether to rebuild with wood, some sort of synthetic material, or concrete where the platform would be considered a promenade and not a boardwalk.”

“For most communities, the choice came down to Ipe,” Lotz said. “Ipe is the best of the best. It is price-competitive, fire resis-tant, pest resistant, and it remains extremely stable from green to dry. What’s not to love about Ipe?” he said.

“The only drawback to Ipe is that it comes in random lengths,” Lotz noted. “It is impossible to obtain large volumes of single length pieces of Ipe. It is up to designers to incorporate the ran-dom lengths into their boardwalk designs.” For this reason, some communities chose to use other tropical hardwoods. For instance, Atlantic City specified single length boards and selected Cumaru for their rebuild.

Ravi Francis, from the Army Corps of Engineers explained in a memo why tropical hardwoods in general, and Ipe in par-ticular, are ideal for boardwalks. Francis’ memo stated, “Among the alternatives, none have the density of the Ipe/Bethabara/Cumaru tropical hardwoods from Latin America.”

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A few dAys before the one yeAr AnniversAry of hurricAne sAndy, locAl officiAls cut the ribbon

to open the completed boArdwAlk to the public.

The memo continued: “Ipe has natural oil that keeps bugs and borers out. It is resistant to mildew, decay and unaffected by sea or salt air, making it ideal for coastal construction. In addition, Ipe is easily maintained. Ipe can be easily cleaned with a pressure washer and lightly coated with tropical deck finishes to maintain its natural appearance. Ipe can be left to naturally weather to a consistent light silver appearance. Since it contains no added harmful chemicals, it can be used near any body of water without the risk of contamination.”

Other sources have also validated the superior performance of tropical hardwoods for boardwalk decking and affirmed that the superwood species meet the criteria set forth under the “Buy America Act.”

Clearly, there are many compelling reasons why naturally durable tropical hardwoods are the material of choice for America’s board-walks. In addition, as Lotz points out, “There’s really nothing else that looks, feels or even smells quite like a true wooden boardwalk.” IW

Photo courtesy of feMA/Kenneth Wilsey