98-12: Creosote Revisited

The ten-year field study by CTI to evaluate the best lumber and chemical pressure preservative pretreatment for cooling tower construction, conclusively proved that creosote redwood was essentially the same as Acid Copper Chromate (ACC) treated redwood, and better than another lumber and preservative treatment such as Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA). However, premium labor costs for handling creosote caused it to fall from favor. This paper reviews this situation in view of the continuing difficulty in obtaining proper penetration of the recommended salt treatments. It includes two specific case studies of creosote cooling towers in the Gulf Coast area.