Hashemite University

Department of Architecture

Wood and Timber

Building Materials

By : tahani alkailani
www.niftyhomestead.com
 Earth Construction
• Statistics from UNCHS(United Nations Commission on Human Settlements)
show that:
I. 40 % of the world population lives in earthen dwellings.
II. 25 % of the world population does not have access to decent housing.

• Statistics from the heritage lists of UNESCO show that:

I. 15 % of the “world cultural heritage” is built with earth.
II. 25 % of the “world heritage in danger” is built with earth.
III. 14 % of the “100 most endangered world heritage” is built with earth.

• The oldest earthen building can still be seen in Egypt, near Luxor, which was
built around 1300 BC.
• In Saudi Arabia, people were used to build with earth since very ancient times.
 plant material
Plant material - material derived from plants
plant substance
Material, Stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical.1
"object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread
Cutin - (biochemistry) a waxy transparent material that occurs in the cuticle of.2
plants and consists of highly polymerized esters of fatty acids
Chaff, Husk, Shuck, Stalk, Stubble, Straw - material consisting of seed coverings.3
and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
.Cork - outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.4
Plant Product - a product made from plant material.5
Vegetable Tallow - a waxy fat obtained from certain plants and used as tallow.6
Wood - the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees.7

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plant+material
• Chaff The dry bracts enclosing mature grains of wheat and some other cereal
grasses, removed during threshing

• Husk The outer membranous or green envelope of some fruits or seeds, as that of
a walnut or an ear of corn

• Shuck A husk, pod, or shell of a seed, nut, or fruit, such as a pecan or an ear of
corn

• Stalk A stem or main axis of a herbaceous plant

• Stubble The short, stiff stalks of grain or hay remaining on a field after harvesting.
• Straw Stalks of threshed grain, used as bedding and food for animals, for
thatching, and for weaving or braiding, as into baskets.
Chaff
.earthen brick

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/dry_chaff.html?mediapopup=49114154
Husk
Rice Husk Ash Concrete

http://www.ecoideaz.com/innovative-green-ideas/innovative-green-building-materials-india
Corn Chuck
Corn Palace -Murals

http://www.salenalettera.com/2014_06_01_archive.html
Hemp stalk
Composite wall

http://www.hemparchitecture.com/#/hemp-lime-with-hemp-stalk-frame/
Stubble
The shells boxes

www.art-girot.com
Straw
Straw Bale Building

http://inhabitat.com/learn-green-building-techniques-in-workshops-around-the-us/straw-bale-workshop/
 Wood-Timber-Lumber
Wood
a. The secondary xylem of trees and shrubs, lying beneath the bark and consisting largely
of cellulose and lignin.
b. This tissue when cut and dried, used especially for building material and fuel.
Wood as a building material falls in two major classes—natural and man-made

Timber
Refers to rough stock wood that hasn't been shaped or may even refer to whole trees.
(Sometimes you'll hear about heavy timber construction, which falls somewhere in
between the two situations. These are very heavy duty beams and columns that are
roughly cut and shaped and used to construct a distinct style of building).

lumber
is wood material that has been rough sawn and cut to length, typically in standard
increments.
wood is very widely used in buildings as doors,
windows, frames, temporary partition walls, etc.
and in roof trusses and ceilings apart from
formwork.
 Basis Wood Lumber
Definition The hard fibrous material that Timber or logs especially when
forms the main substance of the dressed for use.
trunk or branches of a tree or (www.merriam-webster.com)
shrub, used for fuel or timber.
(www.oxforddictionaries.com)
Synonyms Timber, woodland, thicket, grove, Waddle, slog, plod, trudge,
trees shuffle
Types • Its types are: • Its types are:
1. Hardwoods 1. Furring
2. Softwoods 2. Finished lumber
3. Tongue and Groove
4. Shiplap
5. Glue laminate
6. Micro-laminate

http://www.differenceall.com/difference-between-wood-and-lumber/
Advantages/Benefits • Its advantages are: • Its advantages
1. Stores carbon are:
2. Tackle climate change 1. Longevity
3. Good for health and well being 2. Economy
4. Produces less carbon dioxide 3. Environment
5. Renewable friendly
6. Durable 4. Low
7. Very strong maintenance
8. Natural insulator 5. Copper
9. Cheaper micronizing
10. Provides local green jobs
Disadvantages • Its disadvantages are: • Its disadvantages
1. wood destroying pests are:
2. durability 1. Costly
3. moisture 2. Not immune to
4. warping fade, scratch,
5. burning stain resistant
3. Burns

http://www.differenceall.com/difference-between-wood-and-lumber/
 Drying Techniques For Timber

objects of seasoning wood are as follows:

1. Reduce the shrinkage and warping after placement in structure.
2. Increase strength, durability and workability.
3. Reduce its tendency to split and decay.
4. Make it suitable for painting.
5. Reduce its weight. http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
 Timber Cuts

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Timber Cuts
 Timber Cuts

• When choosing timber for an aesthetic qualities, the general rule is that knots and
cracks tend to increase toward the center of tree.
• When choosing timber for structural qualities, the general rule is that the growth rings
which have a higher degree to the surface of the board, tend to warp more when
affected by water
http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Timber Cutting Finishes
Timber Cutting Finishes
Timber Cutting Finishes

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Timber Finish Or Stain

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Timber Grading System

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Recycled timber Terminology

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
Hardwoods vs. Softwoods

http://lohasau.com/blog/2015/7/27/10-steps-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-recycled-timber
 Hardwoods vs. Softwoods

• Hardwoods are derived from deciduous trees and include mahogany,

oak, birch, and walnut.

• Softwoods come from evergreen conifer trees and include pine, cedar,
fir, and spruce.

http://www.quiet-corner.com/diy/11-things-know-visiting-lumber-yard/
Types Of Hardwood
 Hardwood Grades

• The National Hardwood Lumber Association established standards for

grading lumber that are based on the number of defects in a board. The
highest grade is FAS (or Firsts and Seconds), followed by lower
designations that include, in order, Select, No. 1 Common, and No. 2
Common.

http://www.quiet-corner.com/diy/11-things-know-visiting-lumber-yard/
 Bamboo
Bamboo grows across vast areas of the
earth in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, north
Australia and the Americas.
1. Bamboo is light and strong.
2. Its grows very fast, so can be naturally sustainable.
3. It’s used for furniture and floors, scaffolding, fences, bridges
and even bricks.
4. Bamboo has about 1500 species it’s very adaptable and
harvestable in 3-5 years compared with 10-20 years for most
softwoods.
5. A billion people depend on bamboo for their living and if it’s
harvested unwisely they suffer. As do the wild creatures who
also depend on it, including giant pandas and west African
mountain gorillas.
 1.Classifications of trees
Trees are classified according to the mode of growth.
1. endogenous Trees grow end wards, e.g. palm, bamboo, etc.
2. exogenous Trees grow outwards and are used for making structural
elements.
They are further subdivided :
3. conifers are evergreen trees having pointed needle like leaves, e.g.
deodar, chir, fir, kail, pineland larch. They show distinct annual rings, have
straight fibers and are soft with pine as an exception, light in colour,
resinous and light weight.
4. deciduous trees have flat board leaves, e.g. oak, teak, shishum, poplar
and maple. The annual rings are indistinct with exception of poplar and
bass wood, they yield hard wood and are no resinous, dark in colour and
heavy weight.
 2. Growth of trees
2.1 How do the trees grow?
“In spring the roots of the tree suck sap as food from the soil which reaches
the branches and the leaves. Sap contains moisture which gets evaporated. It
absorbs carbon from air in presence of sunlight and becomes denser. In
autumn, the sap descends and deposits in the form of a layer below the bark.
This layer, referred to as the cambium layer, hardens and adds a layer of wood
to the outside of tree every year in the form of concentric rings. These annual
rings furnish valuable information regarding the age of the log, the rapidity
and the uniformity of its growth.”
2.2 When Timber should be felled (cut-down)?
as soon as it is matured. The best time is midsummer or midwinter, when the
sap is at rest. If it is felled, when the sap is vigorous in movement, the timber
decays. If the tree is cut young, it yields soft wood and if it stands too long,
the decay starts.
The composition of wood, illustrating the
structure of lignocellulosic biomass.
 2. Growth of trees
2.3 What are the differences between Sot-Wood and Hard
Wood?
 3.Classifications of Timber
I. On the basis of its Position
1. Standing Timber: implies a living tree.
2. Rough Timber: forms a part of the felled tree.
3. Converted Timber or Lumber: are logs of timber sawn into planks, posts, etc.
II. On the basis of Grading
III. On the basis of Modulus of Elasticity
The species of timber recommended for constructional purpose are classified as
1. Group A: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 12.5 kN/mm2
2. Group B: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 9.8 kN/mm2 and below 12.5
kN/mm2
3. Group C: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 5.6 kN/mm2 and below 9.8
kN/mm2

Modulus of elasticity (MOE) testing

 3.Classifications of Timber
IV. On the basis of Availability
According to availability, timber can be of three grades, namely X, Y and Z.
1. X—Most common, 1415 m3 or more per year
2. Y—Common, 355 m3 to 1415 m3 per year
3. Z—Less common, below 355 m3 per year
This is based upon the figures supplied by the forest departments
V. On the basis of Durability
Test specimens of size 600 × 50 × 50 mm are buried in the ground to half their
lengths. The condition of the specimen at various intervals of time are noted and
from these observations their average life is calculated. Timbers are classified
based upon such observations as of:
1. High durability average life of 120 months and over.
2. Moderate durability average life of less than 120 months but of 60 months or
more.
3. Low durability average life of less than 60 months.
 3.Classifications of Timber
VI. On the basis of Seasoning characteristics
Timbers are classified depending upon their behavior to cracking
and splitting during normal air-seasoning practice under three
categories.
1. Highly refractory (class A):are slow and difficult to season-free from defects
2. Moderately refractory (class B):may be seasoned free from surface defects,
etc. if some
3. Non-refractory(class C):protection is given against rapid drying." These can be
rapidly seasoned free from defects.
 3.Classifications of Timber
VII. On the basis of Seasoning Treatability
This classification is based upon the resistance offered by the heartwood of a
types to preservatives under a working pressure of 1.05 N/mm2 as
(a) Easily treatable.
(b) Treatable but complete preservation not easily obtained.
(c) Only partially treatable.
(d) Refractory to treatment.
(e) Very refractory to treatment, penetration of preservative being practically nil
from the sides and ends.
 4.Charactaristics of Good Timber
The principal characteristics of timber of concern are strength, durability and
finished appearance.
1. Narrow annual rings, closer the rings greater is the strength.
2. Compact medullary rays.
3. Dark colour.
4. Uniform texture.
5. Sweet smell and a shining fresh cut surface.
6. When struck sonorous sound is produced.
7. Free from the defects in timber.
8. Heavy weight.
9. No woolliness at fresh cut surface.
5.Defects in Timber
 5.Defects in Timber
• Defects due to Abnormal Grow
1. Checks: are a longitudinal crack
2. Shakes: are longitudinal separation (Heart Shake, Cup Shakes, Star Shake)
3. Rind gall: is characterized by swelling caused by the growth of layers of
sapwood over wounds after the branch has been cut off in an irregular
manner
4. Knots: are bases of twigs or branches buried by cambial activity of the mother
branch.
5. End split: are caused by greater evaporation of sap at the end grains of log
6. Twisted fibers: are caused by wind constantly turning the trunk of young tree
in one direction.
7. Upsets: are caused by the crushing of fibers running transversely during the
growth of the tree
 5.Defects in Timber
8. Foxiness: is a sign of decay appearing in the form of yellow or red tinge or dis-
colouration of over-matured trees.
9. Rupture: is caused due to injury or impact.

• Defects due to Conversion

Conversion is the term used to describe the process whereby the felled tree is
converted into marketable sizes of timber.
• Defects due to Seasoning
These defects are directly caused by the movement which occurs in timber due to
changes in moisture content.
 6.Proparties of Wood
I. Physical properties
1. Density and specific weight
All the mechanical properties of clear wood are related to its
density,
The percentage of moisture in the wood has a very large effect upon the specific
weight and hence true comparisons of this property can only be made on dry
specimens.
2. Moisture movement.
3. Shrinkage: is the reduction in linear and volumetric dimensions in drying of
wood.
4. Swelling: is the capacity of wood to increase both its linear and volumetric
dimensions when it absorbs water.
 6.Proparties of Wood
Physical properties
5. Heat Conductivity:
is quite low. The coefficient of heat conductivity along the fibres is 1.8 times
greater than that across the fibres and averages
6. Sound Conductivity:
The velocity of sound in wood is 2 to 17 times greater than that in air and
as such wood may be considered to have high sound conductivity.

7. Resistance to Action of Acids and Alkalis:

Wood is not affected by weak alkali solution but decays in an acid medium (pH< 4)
 6.Proparties of Wood
II. Mechanical properties
• Engineers, architects and carpenters must be well versed with the mechanical
properties of timber. In order that the engineer may properly design columns
and beams for various parts of wooden structures, he must be thoroughly
conversant with the strength and stiffness of the available classes of timber.
The mechanical properties of timber that need elaboration are as follows:
1. Stress –strain relationship
2. Compressive strength
3. Tensile Strength
4. Bending Strength
5. Shearing Strength
6. Stiffness
7. Toughness
8. Cleavability
9. Hardness
 Wood Products
• Many wood based products have been developed to economise on the use of
timber. These wood products are manufactured under controlled conditions in
factories. As such,
1. Desired shape and dimensions,
2. Appearance,
3. Strength and
4. Durability.
Wood Products:
I. Veneers
• The primary process in the manufacture of wood based products is veneering
which produces thin sheets of wood known as veneers.
 Wood Products
I. Veneers
• The thickness of veneers varies from 0.4 to 0.6 mm. In no case it should
exceed 1 mm.
• The most suitable wood for this purpose is walnut.
• The logs to be used for this purpose are kept in wet storage to avoid end
splitting and are softened by heating with hot water or steam and the bark is
removed. The log is then cut to veneers.
• Depending on the cutting process.veneers are classified as
1. Rotary veneers and
2. Sliced veneers .
• These are used in the manufacture of plywood and other laminated boards.
• Veneers are classified into two types or surfaces namely, Type A and Type B.
The production process for plywood
Laminates boards
 Wood Products
II. Fiber boards
• These boards built up of felting from wood or vegetable (wood wastes,
waste paper, agricultural wastes, etc.) are classified by the process of
their moulding.
• Fiber boards are manufactured in various densities like soft, medium and
hard.
• They are widely used for wall and ceiling cladding, partitions, doors,
perforated acoustic tiles, railway carriages, bus bodies, etc.

III. Particle boards (Chip boards)

They are manufactured from particles of wood or other lingo cellulose
materials which are agglomerated, formed and pressed together by the use
of an organic binder together in the presence of heat, pressure or moisture.
 Wood Products
IV. Block boards
• The core of black boards is made up of
strips of wood each not exceeding 25 mm
in width, forming a slab, glued between
at least two surface veneers
The grades and types of block boards are
represented as:

• These are extensively used for construction of railways carriages, bodies

of buses,marine and river crafts, partitions, furniture, etc.
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