UNIT 3

TIMBER AND TIMBER PRODUCTS

 TIMBER
• The wood which is suitable or fit for engineering
construction
• or engineering purpose is called timber.
 SOURCES OF TIMBER
• Different trees species provide timber with varying
strength, durability, resonance, colour and scent.
• Only certain species are suitable for a given purpose or
end use, whether it be for building materials, veneers,
furniture, musical instruments, etc.
• Southeast Asia has become dominant in this trade
because its forests are very rich in commercial timber
species.
CLASSIFICATION
 CLASSIFICATION
• Trees are classified into two groups depending upon
• growth pattern.

• Endogenous trees:
• The trees which grow
• in longitudinal
• fibrous mass are called
• endogenous trees.
 CLASSIFICATION
• Exogenous tress :
• The trees which grow
•out wards across
•vertical section of stem
•are called exogenous trees.
• These trees are only fit
•for engineering
•construction.
• Exogenous trees are
•again subdivided into
•two types.
CrOSS SECTION of an exogenous tree
 CLASSIFICATION
• Exogenous tress :
• Conifers or Evergreen:

Examples:
•Deodar
•Pine
•Chir
•Kail,etc
 CLASSIFICATION
• Exogenous tress :
• Deciduous: Examples:
•Teak
• These have hard wood. •Sal
• These have broad leaves. •Shisham, etc.
 CHARACTERISTICS
• Appearance: A freshly cut surface of timber should exhibit
• hard and of shining appearance.
• Color: A color should preferably be dark
• Defects: A good timber should be free from series defects
• such as knots, flaws, shakes etc
• Durability: A good timber should be durable and capable of
• resisting the action of fungi, insects, chemicals, physical
• agencies, and mechanical agencies.
• Elasticity: The timber returns to its original shape when load
• causing its deformation is removed.
• Fire resistance: A dense wood offers good resistance to fire.
 CHARACTERISTICS
• Hardness: A good timber should be hard.
• Mechanical wear: A good timber should not deteriorate
easily
• due to mechanical wear or abrasion.
• Shape: A good timber should be capable of retaining its
shape
• during conversion or seasoning
• Smell: A good timber should have sweet smell. Unpleasant
• smell indicates decayed timber
• Sound: A good timber should give a clear ringing sound when
• struck
• Toughness: A good timber should be tough (i.e.) capable of
• offering resistance to shocks due to vibration.
 CHARACTERISTICS
• Strength: A good timber should be sufficiently strong for
• working as structural member such as joist, beam, rafter etc.
• Structure: The structure should be uniform.
• Water permeability: A good timber should have low water
• permeability, which is measured by the quantity of water
• filtered through unit surface area of specimen of wood.
• Weight: The timber with heavy weight is considered to be
• sound and strong.
• Working conditions: Timber should be easily workable. It
• should not clog the teeth of saw.
 DEFECTS - Knots
• As a tree grows, lower branches often die, and their bases
may become overgrown and enclosed by subsequent layers
of trunk wood, forming a type of imperfection known as a
knot.
• Knots affect the technical properties of the wood, usually
reducing the local strength and increasing the tendency for
splitting along the wood grain. 
 DEFECTS
• Heart Shakes:
• These are splits occurring in the centre of the tree and
•running from the pith (inner most part) to wards the sap wood
•from the medullary (vascular tissues) rays.
• In some timbers, these splits are hardly visible and in some
•timbers these are quite permanent.
• Heart shakes are caused due to
•shrinkage of interior parts due to
•age. A heart shake straight across
•the trunk is not a serious defect.
 DEFECTS
• Star Shakes:
• These are splits which radiate from the centre of the timber
or
• from the bark (outer side), running in the planes of medullary
• rays. These occur due to severe frost or scorching heat of the
• sun.
 DEFECTS
• Cup Shakes:
• These are curved splits which separate the whole or part of
• one annual ring from an other. These are caused due to the
• unequal growth of the timber.

• Rind Galls:
• These are typical enlarged swellings and occur due to
• branches cut-off.
 DEFECTS
• Radial Shakes:
• These are similar to the star shakes and occur in felled timber
• when exposed to the sun during seasoning. Radial shakes are
• generally irregular, fine and numerous. In this many splits are
• appeared.

• Dead Wood:
• It is the deficient in strength and weight and is the result of
• trees being felled after maturity.
 DEFECTS
• Wind Cracks:
• These are shakes or splits on the sides of a bark of timber
• due to shrinkage of exterior surface exposed to atmospheric
• influence.
•
CONVERSION
The process of sawing and cutting of timber into suitable sections is
• known as the conversion of timber. Following are types of sawing

• Ordinary or flat or slab sawing

• Quarter sawing
• Tangential sawing
• Radial sawing
•
CONVERSION
Ordinary or flat or slab sawing
• - saw cuts are tangential to the annual rings
•Quarter sawing
CONVERSION
• - saw cuts are at right angles to each other
•Radial sawing
• - saw cuts are made radially in a parallel direction to the
medullary rays
•Tangential sawing
CONVERSION
• - Tangential boards are strong boards, used for beams and
joists.
 SEASONING
• As fresh timber which is obtained from trees contains about
• 30 to 40 % sap or moisture. This sap is very harmful for the
• life of a timber. Therefore, it is necessary to remove that sap
• by applying some special methods. All those methods which
• are used for removing the sap from timber are collectively
• termed as seasoning of timber.
 SEASONING
• Advantages of seasoned timber:
• It has reduced weight
• It is strong and durable
• It has resistance to decay or rot
• It takes high polish
• It is easier to work
• Its life is more
 TYPES OF SEASONING
•Natural Seasoning:
• In the air seasoning or natural
•Seasoning, timber is dried by direct
action of air, wind and sun.
• In this method, the timber logs are
•arranged one over the other, keeping
•some space or distance between
•them for air circulation of fresh air.
• Generally this type of seasoning
•requires few months to over a year,
•this is very slow process.
 TYPES OF SEASONING
• Kiln Seasoning:
• In kiln seasoning timber is
placed in a chamber with
some special heating
arrangement.
• In this process one thing
should be kept in mind that
heating system should be
under control, other wise
timber will be crack or wrap .
• The time required for this
seasoning is 3 to 12 days. This
is quick process.
• Hard wood – below 800 C
• Soft wood – below 1150 C
 TYPES OF SEASONING
• Chemical Seasoning:
• In chemical seasoning carbon dioxide, ammonium carbonate
• or urea are used as agents for seasoning, those are applied
• in dry state, the inner surface of timber dries first than outer
• side. This ensures uniform seasoning. The time required for
• this seasoning is 30 to 40 days.
 TYPES OF SEASONING
• Electric Seasoning:
• In this method electric current is passed through the timber
• logs. The time required for this seasoning is 05 to 08 hours.
 TYPES OF SEASONING
• Water Seasoning:
• In water seasoning, timber logs are kept immersed whole in
the flowing water.
• The sap present in timber is washed away.
• After that logs are taken out from water and are kept in open
air, so water present in timber would be dried by air.
• The time required for this type of seasoning is 2 to 4 weeks.
•
StORAGE
The sawn timber should properly be stacked so as to protect it
from any further development defects.
• The material is arranged in layers and sufficient space is left to
ensure free circulation of air.
• The stack should be protected from direct sun, dry wind and rain.
• If necessary a sloping roof may be provided over the stack.
 USES OF TIMBER
•Timber is used in:
• Building construction,
• Construction of house posts,
• Construction of beams,
• Construction of rafters,
• Construction of bridges,
• Construction of piles, poles and railway sleepers,
• For furniture making,
• For light packing cases,
• For high packing cases (for machinery and similar stores),
• For manufacturing of veneers and ply woods.
 PRESERVATION
• Before applying preservatives, the timber should be completely
•seasoned.
• By protecting from fungi and insects so that its life is increased.
The following are the widely used:

• 1.Tar
• 2.Paints
• 3.Chemical salt
• 4.Creosote
• 5.ASCU
• Tar Treatment:
PRESERVATION
• Hot coal tar is applied to timber with brush. The coating of tar
• protects the timber from the attack of fungi and insects. It is a
• cheapest way of protecting timber.
• Disadvantage
• Appearance is not good after tar is applied.

• Paints Treatment:
• Two to three coats of oil paints are applied on clean surface of
• wood. The paint protects the timber from moisture. The paint is to
• be applied from time to time. Paint improves the appearance of
the
• timber.
• •Solignum paint is a special paint which protects the timber.
•
PRESERVATION
Chemical salt Treatment:
• These are the preservatives made by dissolving salts in water. The
• salts used are copper sulphate, masonry chloride, zinc chloride
• and sodium fluoride. After treating the timber with these chemical
• salt paints and varnishes can be applied to get good appearance.

• Creosote oil treatment:

• Creosote oil is obtained by distillation of coal tar. The seasoned
• timber is kept in an air tight chamber and air is exhausted. Then
• creosote oil is pumped into the chamber at a pressure of 0.8 to
• 1.0 N/mm2 at a temperature of 50°C. After 1 to 2 hours timber is
• taken out of the chamber.
•
PRESERVATION
ASCU Treatment:
• This preservative is developed by the Forest Research Institute,
• Dehradun. It consists of 1 part by weight of hydrated arsenic pent-
• oxide (As2O5, 2 H2O), 3 parts by weight of copper
• sulphate(CuSO4⋅5 H2O) and 4 parts by weight of potassium
• dichromate (K2Cr2O7) or sodium dichromate (Na2Cr2O7⋅2 H2O).

• This preservative is available in powder form. By mixing six parts of

• this powder with 100 parts of water, the solution is prepared. The
• solution is then sprayed over the surface of timber. This treatment
• prevents attack from termites. The surface may be painted to get
• desired appearance.
 Veneers
• Veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than
3 mm that typically are glued onto core panels to produce doors,
tops and panels for cabinets, floors and parts of furniture.
• Plywood consists of three or more layers of veneer.
•
MARKET FORMS
The timber is converted into suitable commercial sizes.
• Batten :
• It is a roughly squared timber and is obtained by removing bark
• and sap wood, one of the cross sectional dimensional exceeds
• 50 mm while the other exceeds 200mm.

• Board :
• It is a plank having parallel sides. Its thickness is less than 50mm
• and width exceeds 150 mm.

• Plank :
• It is just like board. Its thickness is less than 50 mm and width
• exceeds 50mm.
• Pole :
MARKET FORMS
• It is also known as spar. It is a square long log whose diameter
• does not exceed 200mm.

• Log :
• It is the trunk of tree obtained after removal of branches.

• Scantling :
• Its breadth and thickness exceed 50mm, but are less than 200mm
• in length. These are pieces of miscellaneous sizes of timber sawn
• out of a log.
MARKET FORMS
 PLYWOOD
• Panels comprising of at least three layers of thin wood
bonded together with an adhesive.
•• Each ply is usually orientated at a right angle to the
• adjacent layer in order to improve strength and reduce the
• probability of shrinkage.
•• It is one of the mostly used wood products.
 PLYWOOD
• Manufacturing process:

• Firstly log is selected and wood chips are removed and layers
are stacked.
• • Then face and core are alternatively glued with the help of
phenolic resin and urea.
• • They are pressed at 1200 ⁰ c .
• Properties :
PLYWOOD
• has face veneers of a higher grade.
• where the bending stresses are higher, thus there is an
increase in the panel's resistance to bending
• thicker panels can span greater distances under the same
loads
• Application:
PLYWOOD
• Regular grade plywood
• Used for temporary use
• Structural Plywood
• Suitable for construction applications where structural stability is
required
• Commercial plywood
• Also known as Interior grade or MR (Moisture resistant) grade plywood
• Used for making furniture that is unlikely to get wet
• Water proof plywood
• Also know as Exterior grade or BWR (Boiling water resistant) grade
plywood.
• e.g. Kitchen furniture
• Application:
PLYWOOD
• Marine Plywood
• Superior quality and also costs a lot more
• Used for making furniture or products that are subjected to prolonged
water exposure
• Used mainly for industrial purposes and boat building
• Flexible Plywood
• Can easily be rolled up
• Used for creating round and curved shaped furniture
• FR grade: Fire Retardant
• Used in places where fire risks have to be reduced
• Surface is treated with fire resisting chemicals
 PARTICLE BOARD
• made from very small particles of wood (sawdust and small
wood flakes)
• wood particles are mixed with glue (Urea formaldehyde
resin)
• mixture is firmly pressed together using a hot-press machine
• Properties
PARTICLE BOARD
• Age usually not more than 5yrs
• Very sensitive to water and even moisture
• Very light weight
• Eco-friendly as it is made up to waste wood particles
• The Indian Standards quality specification:
• IS:3087 and IS:12823

• Uses
• Used to make ready-made furniture, kitchen cabinets,
• false ceiling, wall panels, and partitions
 PARTICLE BOARD
• Classification:

• OSL: One sided lamination.

• • Only one side of the (the top surface or show surface) is
• laminated,

• BSL: Both sided lamination.

• • Both the top and bottom surfaces are laminated .
• • BSL is costlier than OSL.
 BLOCK BOARD
• A building material consisting of a core of wooden strips
between two layers of plywood.

• Core is made of solid elongated blocks of soft wood and

hardwood veneer for the surfaces
• Properties
BLOCK BOARD
• Lighter in weight (use of softwood)
• Good dimensional stability
• Lesser tendency to sag or bend
• Costs Less
• Better than Particle Board and even MDF
• Not as strong as plywood or good quality solid wood
• The nails may sometimes enter the gaps
• Classification :
BLOCK BOARD
• Exterior Grade
• - Better water resistance
• Interior Grade
• - Suitable for indoor use

• Uses :
• For making long book shelves
• For making tables and benches
• Blockboard Doors and Solid core flush doors
• Single and double beds, and Settees (Diwan) for sitting.
• Lengthy wall panels
 FIBRE BOARD
• Fibreboard is an engineered wood wallboard mainly used in
the construction industry and for making furniture and
cabinets.

• It is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard in order of

increasing density include particle board or (low-density
fiberboard LDF), (medium-density fiberboard MDF),
and hardboard (high-density fiberboard, HDF)
• Manufacture :
FIBRE BOARD
• Fresh or recycled wood material is cut and sorted to small
pieces of similar size.
• Chips are washed to remove things like dirt and sand.
• Chips are then steamed to soften them for defibration.
• Small amount of paraffin wax is added to the steamed chips.
• Fibres are also sprayed with a suitable adhesive before the
next steps.
• They are arranged into an uniform "mat" on a conveyor belt.
This mat is pre-compressed and then hot-pressed.
• Hot-pressing activates the adhesive and glues the fibers or
chips together. Board is then cooled, trimmed, sanded and
maybe veneered or laminated.
• Applications :
FIBRE BOARD
• sound proofing/deadening,
• structural sheathing,
• low-slope roofing,
• sound deadening flooring underlayment,
• It is also used in the automotive industry to create free-form
shapes such as dashboards, rear parcel shelves, and inner
door shells.
• often used in loudspeaker enclosures
• used for custom-made requirements such as for making
wardrobe doors and for the shutters of kitchen cabinets.
CEMENT BONDED PARTICLE BOARD
• A cement bonded particle board is made out of 62% cement
28% wood.
• The wood used is of fast growing species like Eucalyptus and
Casurina.

• Due to adoption of special manufacturing process, the panel

acquires the strength the durability of cement and easy
workability of wood - a combination of qualities absent in
other boards.
 CEMENT
• Production :
BONDED PARTICLE BOARD
• During the process of production a cement-bonded particle carpet
is formed out of four layers: exterior layers of small-sized, interior
– out of bigger chip fractions. Then the carpet is subjected to
pressing.

• Applications :
•  Frame partitions (trimming)
• Facing of columns, cross-beams
• Outer frame walls (trimmings)
• Sheet-backing coat for plane roof
• Attic floor
• Basement for floors
• Window sill slab
 CEMENT
• Properties :
BONDED PARTICLE BOARD

• FIRE SAFETY
• Cement-bonded particle board is referred to the group of substances
which are difficult to ignite and do not spread fire. Being exposed to fire
the boards do not emit toxic gases and vapour.

• RELIABILITY
• a constructional material that gives hardness to frame constructions.

•MOISTURE RESISTANCE
• The plates not only enhance wooden frames with additional stiffness,
but also serve as defense from atmospheric actions.