Description

The Use Category System (UCS) of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) designates what preservative systems and retentions have been determined to be effective in protecting wood products under specified exposure conditions.

The strength of the UCS and its focus is that all wood uses can be placed into one of five major Use Categories that clearly describe the exposure conditions that specific wood products can be subjected to in service.

The major Use Categories are further broken down into sub-categories to define the associated degree of biodegradation hazard and product service life expectations for specific products and exposure conditions.

In addition to the five Use Categories for biodeterioration, there is a sixth and separate Use Category for fire retardant applications.