The sustainable use of wood for rail ties depends on preservative treatment. Rail tie treatment is dependent on a lengthy air-drying process that leaves wood vulnerable to fungal attack for a period of several months to a year. A critical aspect of air-drying system is the bottom sill (or footing) of tie stacks, normally set to 12 inches.

Storing and handling the massive amount of creosoted wood used to make sills has led to worker injury and environmental concerns that could both be alleviated by reducing footing heights. This study uses classic fungal culturing methods and DNA analysis followed by 4 point bending to assesses the effect of height and sill height on decay. The outcome is a correlation of height, fungal communities, and flexural properties of ties during air-seasoning.

Leon Rogers is a mycologist completing their Master's degree in Wood Science  at Oregon State University. Besides a strong interest in fungal degradation and bioremediation Leon has a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from OSU. Their past presentations include American Wood Preservation Association conferences and privately hosted community science seminars.