WOOD AS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

WOOD
 -Is one of the most used natural building materials in the world. A number of valuable properties
such as low heat conductivity small bulk density relatively high strength, amenability to
mechanical working etc. makes wood as famous building material.

TIMBER
 Can be used in most economical way without wasting any derivative of it. Even the saw dust
obtained during wood sawing can also be used to make fiber boards, paper etc.

TYPES OF TREES FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION

EXOGENEOUS
Are outward growing trees. Horizontal section of such tree contains several rings which are nothing but
annual rings. These rings can be used to predict the age of tree.

ENDOGENEOUS
Are inward growing trees which contain fibrous mass in their longitudinal section. The timber from these
trees is useful in some limited engineering purposes.

2 TYPES OF EXONOGENEOUS
CONIFERS

• Are nothing but soft wood producing trees which are also called as ever green trees. The timber
of these trees is light in weight, low dense and poor against fire.

• Example: Pine, Fir, redwood, spruce, deodar, cedar etc.

DECIDUOUS

• Are hard wood producing trees the leaves of this type of trees are generally broad in size and
they fall in autumn and grow in spring. It is also the most suitable for constructional purposes.
Timber of deciduous trees is dark colored, dense, heaviest and good against fire

• Example: Maple, Mahogany, Oak, teak, walnut, babul etc.

 STRUCTURE OF A TREE
MACROSTRUCTURE
-the structure of a tree which is to naked eye is called macro structure of tree.

 Pith
-the core part or innermost part of the tree is called as pith. It contains cellulose tissues which are
helpful for growth of plant during its young age.

 Heartwood
-Is the portion around the pitch which is dark in color and contains some annual rings in
it. It is very hard and provides rigidity to the tree. Heart wood is used for several
engineering purposes because of its strength and durability.

 Slap Wood
-It contains outer annual rings. This indicates the recent growth of tree and is light color.
It contains sap which helps in growth of trees.

 Cambium Layer
-It contains sap which turns into sap wood after some time. It should not expose to
atmosphere otherwise the tree may dead.

 Inner Bark
-the protecting layer of cambium layer.

 Outer Bark
-the outermost layer of the tree section is called outer bark or cortex. It contains cells of
wood fiber.

 Medullary rays
-the rays extending from pitch to cambium layer known as medullary rays. These rays
hold the annual rings of sap wood and heart wood together.

PROCESSING OF TIMBER
1. FELLING OF TREES
-Felling trees is nothing but cutting of trees which are suitable for engineering purposes.
Felling should be done when the tree is matured. Then only it contains more amount of
heart wood than sap wood. The perfect age of trees for felling varies from 50 to 100
years. The best season for felling of trees is Mid-winter for plain areas and Mid-summer
for hilly areas.
 2. SEASONING OF TIMBER

 Seasoning of timber means removal of moister content from timber. A newly fell
tree contains water up to 50% of its dry weight. The timber contains free moisture
and bound moisture.

 NATURAL SEASONING

 ARTIFICIAL SEASONING

3. CONVERSION OF TIMBER
-Is the process of cutting of timber into required sections. This can be done by using power
machines. Skilled persons should be required for economic conversion of timber. The
conversion can be done by four types as follows:

Ordinary sawing

Tangential sawing

Quarter sawing

Radial sawing

ORDINARY SAWING

- It is the most used and easy method of sawing. The cutting is done through the section of
timber piece at perpendicular to the annual rings. Wastage of timber is minimum in this
case.
TAGENTIAL SAWING

- In this type of sawing the cuts are tangential to annual rings and they meet each other at
right angles. This method is suitable when the annual rings are very distinct with each other.
QUARTER SAWING

- In quarter sawing, the cuts are made right angles to each other. This is suitable when the
timber have no distinct medullary rays.
RADIAL SAWING

- In this type of sawing, the cuts are made parallel to the medullary rays radially. In this
method wastage f timber is maximum.
PRESERVATION OF TIMBER
- The final stage of timber processing is preservation which is carried out to increase the
durability of timber and also to resist the attacks of fungi, insects etc. on timber. In general
ASCU, Coal tar, Oil paints, Solignum paints etc. are used as preservatives.
 WOOD AS
MATERIAL
CONSTRUCTION

SUBMITTED BY:
BAYO, RANDEVEN
BAYNAS, CARMIE
SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. ANGELIKA MCKINNON
INSTRUCTOR