Exponsioni

Will Be Able to Treqt Douglcrs Fir for All Exposure

With the completion early this fall of a quarter million dollar expansion program begun in 1952, the pressure treating plant of Pope & Talbot, Inc., at St. Helens, Oregon, will become one of the largest wood preservative plants in the United States, supplying three types of treatment for Dougias Fir to meet all degrees of exposure from moderate and paintable to severe marine.

First step in expansion of the plant, located on the Columbia river at St. Helens, near Portland, was the dredging of a new pole pond, the building of a pole ancl truck-handling yard with the dredged material, and instailation of pole-peeling equipment. Final phase is consolidation with Pope & Talbot facilities of the treating plant formerly operated by the \\rest Oregon Lumber Company at Linnton, Oregon. This consolidation includes moving all equipment, and of technical key personnel.

Pope & Talbot will norv have six pressure retorts, fotrr of ivhich will be used for standard creosote (and creosote petroleum) treatments, the other two for the newly developed Penta (common name for Pentachlorophenol) and the long-tested Wolman salts processes. The retorts are big enough to handle the largest orders expeditiously, including poles and piiing up to 135 feet in length.

Douglas Fir for every type of construction and installation may bc pressure treated. Treatments covering a rvide rvill be available : creosote for maximum protection of installations in salt rvater and other critical locations; creosote-petroleum mixtures and Penia for fresh water and inland strtlctures rvhere exposure conditions are not so severe : and Wolman salts for struc- range of requirements