Lecture 8b

WOOD
02/02/21 Properties of Wood 1
 Physical Structure
• Cellular (organic)
• Principally Cellulose
• Non-homogeneous. Wood is not the
same throughout a specimen.
• Non-isotropic. Wood has different
strength properties in different
directions.
• Since wood is of botanical origin, its
constitution, molecular species, and
cellular geometry is fixed by nature.

02/02/21 Properties of Wood 2

 Timber growth
•Heartwood is more
resistant to decay than
the sap wood.
•Ring growth is
temperature dependent.
•Growth generally stops
at temperatures below
40o F.

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 Principal Directions
• Longitudinal: Parallel to grain.
• Radial: Perpendicular to rings.
• Tangential: Tangential to rings.

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 Imperfections

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 Fiber Saturation Point
• Water in cell
cavities is called
Free Water.
• Water in cell walls
is called Bound
Water.
• Fiber Saturation
Point: a moisture
content at which
the bound water is
maximum but the
free water is zero.
02/02/21 Properties of Wood 6
 Moisture Content and
Shrinkage
• Why is the Fiber No
Saturation Point volumetric
important? changes Fiber
Saturation
• Volumetric changes Point

only occur as the Zero

moisture content Volumetric Moisture
Content
changes
varies below the
Fiber Saturation
Point (FSP).

02/02/21 Properties of Wood 7

 Dimensional Instability
• Varies in each principal direction.
• Longitudinal direction is least
effected.
• Radial and Tangential are fairly
comparable though Tangential is
generally greater than Radial.
• Timbers are cut longitudinally.
Shrinkage and Swelling is of greatest
concern in the short dimensions.
• Thermal Coefficients
– Long. ~ .0000017 - .0000025
– R & T ~ .0000025 - .0000045
– units: in/in/deg F
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 Why Shrinkage is Important?
• The moisture content
loss between
construction and
equilibrium may be
significant.
• Equilibrium moisture
content fluctuates
seasonally so
structures will go
through seasonal
shrinkage and
swelling cycles.

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 Moisture Effects on Wood
• Effects most pronounced perpendicular
to grain.
• Shrinkage and Swelling.
• Decreases Strength.

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 Directional Strength Properties
• Wood is nonisotropic.
• Longitudinal (parallel
with grain) properties
are generally stronger
than either radial or
tangential.
• Radial and Tangential
are different but
sufficiently close that in
practice a single set of
values is used for
perpendicular to grain
strengths.
Ref 2, pg 267
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 Strengths Vary

Strengths vary greatly. Note the anisotropic behavior of

wood types classified by grain pattern and load type.
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 Tensile & Compressive
Strengths
Tensile Tensile Compressive Compressive
Strength Strength Strength Strength
Longitudinal Radial Longitudinal Radial
(psi) (psi) (psi) (psi)
Beech 12,500 1,010 7,300 1,010
Elm 17,500 660 5,520 690
Maple 15,700 1,100 7,830 1,470
Oak 11,300 940 6,200 810
Cedar 6,600 320 6,020 920
Fir 11,300 390 5,460 610
Pine 10,600 310 4,800 440
Spruce 8,600 370 5,610 580
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 Modulus of Elasticity
Density Modulus of
Wood (for 12% water) Elasticity
(g/cm3) (psi)
Cedar 0.32 1,100,000
Pine 0.35 1,200,000
Fir 0.48 2,000,000
Maple 0.48 1,500,000
Birch 0.62 2,000,000
Oak 0.68 1,800,000
E Varies a lot between wood types and between
individual samples within the same type, due to
variations in grain pattern and knot size and quality.
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 Load Duration Effects
• Wood can support larger loads
that are of short duration.
• Wood tends to creep under long
term loading.
• Design codes allow consideration
of design load.

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 Axial Stress-Strain
parallel to grain
12 stress 11 ksi
(ksi) 10 ksi

8
Tension

0 strain
-0.006 -0.003 0.003 0.006

-4

Compression
6.4 ksi
7 ksi
02/02/21 -8Wood
Properties of 16
 Axial Stress-Strain
perpendicular to grain
stress
(ksi)
12

Tension
4

-0.04 -0.03 -0.02 -0.01 0

strain
0.01
Compression
-4
//
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-8
 Mold, Stains, Decay
• In order to have molds, stains, or decay the following
must be present:
– Food
– Suitable temperature (40o - 50o F)
– Sufficient Air
– Adequate Moisture
• Molds and Stains normally only affect shock resistance
and toughness and are limited to sapwood.
• Decay producing fungi attack both sapwood
and heartwood.
• Decay reduces strength.

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 Control of Molds, Stains,
and Decay
• Positive site drainage.
• Adequate separation from known moisture.
• Ventilation and moisture control.
• Chemicals.

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 Other Properties
• Thermal Conductivity
– Not as great as metallic and concrete materials
• Acoustical Properties
– Wood absorbs sound better
than other structural materials
– Needs to be combined with other
materials to get best sound insulation effect.
• Electrical Properties
– any electrical transmission is
through the moisture in the wood.
– Some moisture meters use this property
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