MECHANICAL METHODS OF PREVENTING TERMITE ATTACK IN BUILDINGS

K.A. Solomon-Ayeh Building and Road Research Institute, Kumasi

Abstract Mechanical methods of preventing termite infestation are a complement to the first line of defence in anti-termite treatment, which is chemical poisoning. Thus chemical poisoning is a pre and co-requisite of mechanical methods. Careful attention to building design and construction which ensures a complete barrier to the sub-soil (where subterranean termites come from) reduces the need for more expensive post-construction treatment. This paper summaries the methods available for creating a mechanical barrier to termite infestation mainly in new building. It is reiterated that these methods work best after a chemical treatment of the soil and they are based on measures that act as an antidote to the known behaviour of termites. Ultimately good and sound construction practices at onset of buildings are the best antidotes to more costly future remedial measures.

May, 1999

ii

1.0 INTRODUCTION The menace of termite attack on buildings especially in tropical, humid, countries includes substantial economic loses. These loses show up in terms of making good infested buildings and other structures, the cost of providing preventive measures in new buildings and remedial measures in existing buildings and the cost of constant vigilance (by way of maintenance) to prevent infestation. Various measures exist for the provision of mechanical barriers to termite attack, based mainly on knowledge of the behaviour termites. These measures however are complementary of the various chemical methods of providing anti-termite protection, which are a pre- and co-requisite of the mechanical measures. Ultimately the cost of providing anti-termite treatment can be substantially reduced by paying attention to good architectural design and detailing and good construction methods. This paper presents a summary of methods for providing mechanical barriers to subterranean termite attack in buildings, using technologies available in Ghana as well within the technical expertise of practitioners of building trade in Ghana. 2.0 Why a Mechanical Barrier to Termite Attack It is common knowledge that termites that cause most damage to buildings are subterranean termites and drywood termites. These two types of termites are common to coastal and very damp inland areas as they require high relative humidity. In seeking to prevent attack by these termites, the first line of defence is to treat the media of infestation of these termites - poisoning of soil, the use of naturally resistant timber and application of preservatives to timber prior to installation in the case of subterranean termites and drywood termites respectively. In the case of the former, appropriate preservative treatment of timber is also a must, if the timber is to be in contact with soil. The second line of defence is to provide a mechanical barrier to termite infestation. The methods used are chosen with the knowledge of the behaviour of termites and the need to prevent the environment conducive to their thriving. The behaviour or properties of termites that inform the use of mechanical barriers are: i) termites cannot manoeuvre round sharp angles; ii) termites used dark environment for building of passage ways; iii) termites can use any break in a poisoned barrier to build mounds as a means of bridging the defence;

iv) termites thrive in humid, damp conditions and these conditions also provide ideal environment for fungi and other attack of timber.

Whilst a chemical treatment (soil poisoning) should provide a good barrier to subterranean termite attack, mechanical barriers must complement these and they are satisfied by providing measures that answer the behaviour or properties of termites as enumerated above. 3.0 PRE-REQUISITES TO MECHANICAL METHODS OF TREATMENT Mechanical barriers to termite attack in buildings are best installed in new buildings because of the relative ease of putting in the measures when buildings are going up. However, some measures can still be put into existing buildings. Prior to these measures however, some chemical treatment of soil is required. These can be put into new buildings and existing buildings. 3.1 New Buildings Chemical poisoning of soil for new buildings generally involve the treatment of soil at the base of, and sides of trenches for perimeter walls and partition walls at the foundation stage and over the floor area prior to casting of floor slab. The poisons should be applied as 0.5 per cent emulsion in water. Generally, the rate of treatment is 5 litres/m2 over the whole area to be covered by the slab of the building, if the backfilling material is sand, or 7.5 litres/m2.if the backfilling material is gravel. The application rate inside the trenches is 6 litres/metre run (BRE 170). After the area covered by the slab of the building has been secured, the perimeter of the building is also secured by poising the soil beneath the apron slab at a rate of 5 litres/m2 of area. Traditionally the form of construction used in Ghana is the slab on ground construction; and this can range between the reinforced monolithic type (Fig. 1), the suspended slab type (Fig. 2) and the floating slab type (Fig.3). In terms of the effectiveness, the monolithic slab is best, though most expensive. The worst is the floating slab type, which results in cracks/gaps between foundation/superstructure because the slab does not extend completely across the foundation wall or due to envitable shrinkage cracks between the new slab concrete and the existing sub and superstructure walls. There is also the suspended floor, mainly made up of timber flooring on concrete brick or blockwork sleeper walls or piers (Fig.4). In addition to the treatment of the foundation soil as in slab-on-soil constructions, the suspended floor must have a minimum crawling space between ground and soffit of floor joists of 450mm and preferably 1000mm. This space allows both room for inspection of the suspended floor and airing of the floor to keep it dry and thus remove the ideal environment for

both termite infestation and fungi attack. With timbered floors also, ventilation openings must be provided to allow ventilation of the whole under floor space. To prevent entry of rodents, 10mm mesh screen (chicken wire) is used to cover the ventilation openings. 3.2 Existing Buildings Where existing buildings are infested, chemical treatments prior to the creation of the mechanical barrier involve: i) the digging out of soil from a 300mm wide and 300mm deep trench outside the periphery of the building; ii) further digging of holes at 300mm centres within the trenches in (i), to the foundation trench; iii) treating the holes in (ii) and the backfill soil in (ii) with poison at a rate of 6 litres/metre run and backfilling of trench and holes with the treated soil; iv) compacting of backfilled soil and poisoning of surface at a rate of 5 litres/m2 of space prior to covering with concrete apron; v) the drilling of holes, 300mm deep and 300mm apart along the junction of walls and slab within rooms and applying poison under pressure and filling of holes with poisoned cement-sand mortar. (Fig.5) 4.0 MECHANICAL BARRIERS TO TERMITE INFESTATION As noted earlier, to complement the chemical treatment of soils against termite attack mechanical methods are used, which take advantage of the known behaviour of termites - difficulty in going round sharp objects, preference to manoeuvre in the dark, ability to bridge barriers by going through cracks in the barriers or going across services where these abut walls or slabs, with no poisoned material in the small spaces between services and walls/slabs (Fig. 7). 4.1 New Construction Mechanical barriers are most effective if installed in new construction. The range of barriers are briefly described. 4.1.1 Closing and Poisoning of Likely gaps and Cracks For floating slab-on-ground construction, shrinkage cracks and other gaps between the concrete slab and walls and floor slabs with construction joints, the holes and joints should be cleaned and chased out initially. Subsequently the joints/holes must

be sealed with poisoned mortar or a coal-tar-pitch based sealing compound (Fig. 6). To reduce the gap between slab and wall (or to improve bonding of slab to existing wall), the bottom of wall could be chased-out to the depth of the incoming slab and cleaned out prior to the casting of the floor slab. (Fig. 9)

4.1.2 Walls For non load bearing walls and in humid countries it is advisable that blockwork walls are constructed with hollow blocks. However, the cavities in the walls can provide access to susceptible materials for termites that are able to penetrate ground floor defences. In such situations it is recommended to build the bottom two or three courses with solid blockwork, using poisoned mortar if possible (Fig.8). For this, 0.5 percent Dusban may be used in the sand-cement mortar instead of water. There is no effect on the amount of water required, workability, curing or strength of the resultant mortar. It is also recommended that the outsides of foundation (periphery) walls or walls/piers supporting suspended floors be painted white with whitewash. This discourages the building of termite colonies since it does not present a dark environment, ideal for termite infestation. 4.1.3 Termite shields Termite shields (made of metal, concrete or precast concrete units) can be fitted to the top of foundation and sleeper walls and piers. In the tropics the metal sheets should be made of 0.475mm thick (26 SWG) copper weighing 4.25 kg/m2. The copper sheets act as a damp-proof course as well as a termite barrier. Galvanised iron or zinc sheeting tend to corrode in the tropical environment and are not recommended (Figs. 4, 10). The shield should be made completely continuous around the foundations irrespective of change in level. All joints in the shield should be doubly-locked and properly sealed by soldering or brazing. The edge of the shield should extend 50mm beyond the wall then should bend downwards at 45 o (or 1:1) for another 50mm. The shields should be at least 200mm above the ground on the outside foundation wall or piers. An alternative termite shield is one made by a 45 o Vee or wedge in the ground floor slab in monolithic and suspend slab construction (Figs. 7, 11, 12, 13). The shield outside the periphery foundation wall could be build later in the construction, but a provision is made for it (and the periphery concrete apron) by inserting a dry brick at the construction of foundation wall stage (Fig. 11). Often where timber floors and joists are suspended from the ground through holdingdown bolts to supporting walls and piers, metal termite shields are placed between the walls/piers and suspended floors/joists. Under no circumstances should the holding down bolt by-pass the shield and make a direct contact with the wall/pier, as this will provide an access to termites. (Fig.15)

4.1.4 Porches, verandas, entrance steps It is recommended that porches, verandas and entrance steps be designed such that the spaces underneath are not filled with soil but with concrete or blockwork and can be inspected periodically. If this is not possible and also due to shrinkage cracking of the concrete of the abutting additional structure, barriers should be constructed to force termites out into the open. (Fig. 14) 4.1.5 Water pipes, drains and services Where water pipes, drains and other services emerge from the soil, the soil surrounding the services should be poisoned. Where these services penetrate walls and concrete floors, the resultant gaps should be filled with poisoned mortar/concrete or a coal-tar pitch-based sealing compound (Fig.10, 16). Electric cables should be enclosed in rigid pvc piping of a termite-resistant quality or should be surrounded by either poisoned soil or poisoned concrete. For buildings with crawl spaces, the plumbing and conduits should be suspended from beams/joists. (Fig.4) Termite shields to conduits should be at least 50mm clear of external walls (Fig. 10). Where small-bore pipes are introduced through ground slab and foundation walls, a metal termite sheet could be run across the external wall, the pipe passed through it and the other end of the shield embedded in the ground floor concrete (fig. 16). The provision of metal termite shields to small-bore pipes could also take the form of a hat shield and a plate shield, both held in place by nuts on both sides of the shield. (Fig. 17, 18). 4.2 Existing Buildings Mechanical barriers to termite infestation in existing buildings is limited to applying poisoned mortar to close holes that have been drilled to enable the application (under pressure) of poison to the subsoil and to cracks in concrete floors at construction joints and edges of floating slabs. Another area of application is the installation of termite sheets at the interface of floor slab and superstructure outside walls. In this, a line of concrete/blockwork (50mm high x 75mm deep) is chased out, cleaned out and a shield (150mm wide) installed. Poisoned mortar is used to hold the sheet in place in the wall. The outer 50mm of shield is bent downwards at 45 o. It is possible also to install a 150mm wide by 50mm deep pre-cast concrete termite shield in the chased hole. (Fig. 19)

5.0 CONLUSION Having traced the range of options of providing mechanical barriers to termite infestation, in line with known behaviour pattern of termites, it can be summarised at this stage that: 1. Mechanical barriers are most effective after a chemical treatment of sub-soil in contact with building structures both in concrete and timber. 2. Mechanical barriers are most effective when applied in new building construction. 3. Cracks and holes in the termite barrier are made good with poisoned mortar/concrete or coal-tar pitch sealant. 4. Metal or concrete termite shields should be installed at the floor level of all outside walls, over wall and piers for suspended floors and around services (being held in place by nuts). 5. Where additional construction is abutted on to main buildings, as in outside staircases, a groove is made at the interface to force any termite into the open. 6. Outsides of foundation periphery walls below the ground slab level and walls/piers supporting suspended floors to be painted with whitewash to discourage the dark environment conducive to termite infestation.

REFERENCE Sperling, R. (1976) Termites and Tropical Buildings. Overseas Building Notes No.170 Building Research Establishment, Watford