BS EN 350:2016 BSl Standards Publication Durability of wood and wood- based products Testing and classification of the durability to biological agents of wood and wood-based materials bsi. BS EN 350:2016 BRITISH STANDARD National foreword This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 350:2016. It supersedes BS EN 350-1:1994 and BS EN 350-2:1994 which are withdrawn BSl, as a member of CEN, is obliged to publish EN 350 as a British Standard. However, attention is drawn to the fact that during the development of this European Standard, the UK committee voted against its approval as a European Standard. Changes from the previous version of EN 350 mean that field testing is no longer a requirement to measure durability class. Laboratory testing may now be used but ageing procedures are not required for these. Consequently durability classes can be assigned to wood with no consideration of ageing. Annex F of this standard correctly states that field tests and ageing procedures are required where performance is a consideration. The UK committee's opinion is that durability class is not a useful measure unless it is used in the context of how a material may perform in use. Durability classes calculated using the normative text of this standard may therefore not be useful when considering how a wood species or wood-based material might perform. It is also the UK committee's opinion that testing in accordance with informative Annex F (section F.2 paragraph 2) is essential to deliver a useful durability measure. Committee B/515, Wood preservation. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary. This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application. @ The British Standards Institution 2016. Published by BSI Standards Limited 2016 ISBN9780580878954 ICS 79.040 Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations. This British Standard was published under the authority of theStandards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 October 2016. Amendments/corrigenda issued since publication Date Text affected