bpt. No3.

PROCEDURE FOR THE DETERM INATION OF VOLUM ETRIC SHRINKAGE (As per the ISi
standards)
Alm of the experiment: to test t he volumetric shrinkage of test specimens

The test specimen • 15 cm in length and 5 X 5 cm cross section or 2 X 2 cm In cross-section

and 6 cm long. It should be a clear test specimen wh ich is free of defects.

Method
The specimen was initially weighed (W 1 usually In green condition) to an accuracy of 0.001 g
and the volume was determined by immersion method to accuracy of 0.01 cc. A vessel, half
filled with water, is kept on a pan shall be kept on the pan of a weighing balance and weighed
up to an accuracy of 0.001 g. The specimen was completely dipped in water by means of a
needle and weighed again. Care shall be taken to see that no air bubble sticks to the specimen
and the specimen should not touch the vessel. The difference of the two reading is taken as
the volume(V,) of the specimen .

The specimen was taken out from water wiped with dry cloth and end-coated by immersion
in hot paraffin and allowed to air-season under room condit ions and weighed periodically
until of about 12% moistu re content is reached. The volume(½) was again determined as
above

The specimen was again kept In an oven at 103:!: 2•c until an approximately const ant weight
was reached .

After oven-drying, the specimen was weighed and, while still warm, was again immersed in
hot paraffin-wax bath. The volume of the paraffin-coated specimen shall be determined by
immersion as before.

Volumetric shrinkage from green to dry condition .,

= ~ x 100 of the volume in green
condition

Moisture Content = ~xlOO

wO

W 1 and V 1= weight Ing and volume in cc at initial condition (usually green)

w, and V, = weight in g and volume in cc at the initial required dry condition at r percent
moisture content (usually, 12 percent moisture content or oven dry condition)

Oven dry specific gravity= Wo/ Vo

Wo and Vo= weight (g) and volume (cm 3) at the oven dry condition.
hp t. No 2.
s p er the ISi standards)
TH E 0ff iR MI NA TI ON OF SPEOFIC GRAVITY (A
PIIOC£OURE FO R
the tes t specimens
the ex pe rim en t: to tes t specific gra vit y of
Alm of
n
2 X 2 cm in cross- sectio
In len gth an d S X S cm cross section or gu lar
cm rectan
Th e tes t specimen - 15 free of de fec ts. When
It sho uld be a cle ar tes t specimen wh ich Is .
and 6 cm lon g. ou t 10 cc vo lum e can
be taken
cim en s are no t avaJ ab le, a specimen of ab
spe

M eth od
of rectangular
ac curac y of 0.0 01 g(W ,). The dim en sio ns
ighed to an s calculat ed by mu ltip
lyi ng
The specimen was we of 0.0 1 cm and vo lum e wa
d to an ac curac y lum e of
specimen we re measyre mp le for reg ula r shaped sample(V,)
. The vo
ns of the tes t sa nt me tho d.
all the thr ee dimensio me rcu ry vo lum ete r or wa ter disolaceme
be de ter mi ne d by
Irregular specimen can

Specific gravit y (SG) .,

= !'.!
the standard specific gra vit y)
r (w hich is also called
Adjusted specific gravity for green tim be
,v, 100
-x---
11, 10 0 +m

en ,
w, = we igh t in g o f test specimc.imen, and
v, = volume in ems of test spe of the test specim en de termi ne d as pre scribed by ISi
con ten t
m = perc.e ntage moisture
m X 10 00.
3) at a giv en mo ist ure co nte nt m
= SG at mo ist ure co nte nt,
Density (kg /m
 Expt. No 1.

PROCEDURE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT (As per the ISi standards)

Almost all mechanical properties of seasoned t imber vary with moisture content and It is
therefore necessary that the moisture content of timber and Its specific gravity be determined
at the time of other mechanical tests (Immediately after the tests).

Alm of the experiment: to test the moisture content of test specimens

The test specimen- 2.5 cm In length and 2 X 2 cm or 5 X 5 cm in cross-section . It should be a

clear test specimen which Is free of defects.

Method:

I
The sample was be weighed to be an accuracy of 0.001 gin a weighing balance and noted as
W, in grams. It was dried in a well-ventilated oven at temperature of 103 t 2•c. The weight
was recorded at regular intervals. The drying was considered complete when the variation
between last two weighing, did not exceed 0.002 g. The final weight wa< taken as oven dry
weight (Wo). Care was taken to prevent any change in moisture content between the cutting
of the specimen and the first weighing, and between the removal from the oven and
subsequent weighing.

The loss in weight was expressed as a percentage of the oven dry weight and was taken as
the moisture content of the test specimen.
W1-Wo
Percentage of moisture content MC%= - - x 100
Wo
W1 = weight of sample at test Ing, and w. = oven dry weight of sample in g.