There is some native but rare wood in AZ that might hold up well but it 
will be a little hard to work with (i.e. traditional carpentry tools 
will be of little use).  Some is located in a National Park there so is 
probably off limits but you may be able to find a supply locally outside 
the park.  Other sources can be found in Northern Canada, Australia, 
etc. but the best is suppose to be found in Argentina.  Other countries 
(India e.g.) have protected their supplies as they are from 
non-renewable forests (at least in the next few generations).   Ask the 
local supplier if they can get any what is commonly know as "PW" or 
"petrified wood".

If you can't get any natural product there is suppose to be a lab in 
Washington that has produced an artificial form.  The process involves 
soaking wood (pine and poplar for the experiment) in a hydrochloric acid 
bath for two days then in a silica solution for another two. The product 
was then cooked at 1400 °C in an argon atmosphere for two hours. The 
result was silicon carbide ceramic which preserves the intricate cell 
structure of the wood.  They have been using small cubes in the 
experiment so I'm not sure they are set up to do large scale pieces. 
Perhaps they can advise how you might go about making it yourself.
See: http://www.livescience.com/technology/050127_petrified_wood.html


Wouldn't dare post this on that other humorless list for fear of being 
expelled.
;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)  ;^)

D. Ense



Jim Hicks wrote:

> On 3/15/07 1:08 PM, "Hammarberg, Eric" 
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>     Okay folks I have a tough one. Some architect has called us for
>     advice on using wood sunshields in the desert outside Phoenix AZ. He
>     wants it exposed and untreated for a super high end project. Some
>     runs will be over 200 feet long. Got any suggestions???
> 
> 
>     Eric Hammarberg, Assoc. AIA
>     Vice President
>     Thornton Tomasetti
>     51 Madison Avenue
>     New York, NY  10010
>     T 917.661.7800 F 917.661.7801  
>     D 917.661.8160  
>     [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> 
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>     -- To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
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> 
> 
> What kind of ‘sun shade’? What is a sun shade anyhow. The weather there 
> is very hot and dry so untreated wood would probably have to come from 
> the Sahara where those kind of woods have developed over millennia.
> 
> -- 
> JIM HICKS
> QUALITY RESTORATION WORKS, LLC
> V-212-929-6474
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> C-917-575-8545
> 
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