Timber

Wood suitable for building or engineering purpose

is called timber.
 Classification of Timber

1. Depending upon growth

• Deciduous, having broad leaves
• Coniferous, having needles and
cone shaped leaves containing
seeds.
2. Commercial
• Hard wood trees
• Soft wood trees
Deciduous Trees
Coniferous Trees
 Hard wood (deciduous) trees

• Broad leaved with narrow well defined growth

rings

• Strong, hard, flexible and capable of resisting

tensile, compressive and shear stresses.

• Sal, Teak, Oak, Shisham, Babul.

 Soft wood (ever green) trees

• Long and pointed leaves.

• Distinct annual rings

• Strong in resisting direct pull

• Weak in thrust or shear

• Pine, deodar, Kail, Chir, walnut etc

 Tree Structure

• Pith
• Heart Wood & Sap wood
• Annual Ring (Summer,& Spring)
• Medullary Ray
• Cambium layer
• Bark or cartex
 Tree Structure

In the center of the wood is a

column of pith around which
annual rings are formed.
The central portion
surrounding the pith is usually
dark colored and is known as
heart wood or duramen
X-Sectional Details

Annual rings represents the layers

of wood added each year during
the life of the tree.
Summer Annual Ring
It is a wooden ring formed during
the summer. Darker in color, dense
and more solid.

Spring Annual Ring

Ring formed during spring is
known as Spring annual ring. Light
in color, comparatively softer.
X-Sectional Details

Sap wood or newly grown part nearer the outer

surface of the tree.

Outside the sap wood, there is a single layer, a

thin ring of soft material known as cambium.

Which is then covered by bark.

Bark protects the growing cells from insects and

is useless as a structural material.
X-Sectional Details

Medullary rays convey

food material from the
sap wood to the interior
of the tree.
 Sawing of Timber

Flat or Ordinary Sawing

Cheapest
Quickest
Most common
Chances of warp or
twist is more
Ordinary Sawing

Twisting
 Sawing of Timber

Quarter sawing
Timber tends to bend
transversely

Quarter Sawing
Tangential sawing
Warping on drying in a cup shape

Tangential Sawing
 Wastage in Timber
During sawing a big part of wood is wasted
and wood used as timber is much lesser
than the actual wood.
We only use 60 to 65 percent of wood and
remaining 35 to 40% is wasted.
Bark = 10%
Side slabs and trimming = 18 %
Saw dust = 12 %
Total wastage = 40 %
Mechanical Properties of woods

Wood strength depends on density

Given a high efficiency when subject to tensile
strength parallel to the fiber direction

Wood species Tensile // fiber Tensile radial Compress // Compress radial

(MN.m-2) (MN.m-2) fiber (MN.m-2) (MN.m-2)

Maple 108 8 54 10
Oak 78 6 43 6
Pine 73 2 33 3
Seasoning of Timber
Seasoning is the controlled process of
reducing the moisture content (MC) of the
timber so that it is suitable for the
environment and intended use.
Seasoning of Timber
We need to reduce the MC of timber for the
following reasons:

Every time the MC reduces the timber

shrinks.
Seasoned timber although lighter will be
stronger and more reliable.
Seasoning of Timber
For construction grade timber the timber
must be below 20% MC to reduce the
chances of Dry Rot and other fungi
infestations.
Dry well seasoned timber is stronger.
Timber with higher moisture content is
difficult to finish i.e. paint, varnish, etc.
Methods of seasoning
There are two main ways of seasoning
timber;
Natural (Air) and
Artificial (Kiln) drying.
Both methods require the timber be stacked
and separated to allow the full circulation
flow of air, etc. around the stack.
Air Seasoning
Stacked stable and safely, with horizontal spacing
of at least 25 mm.
Vertical spacing achieved by using timber battens
(piling sticks) of the same or neutral
species. Today some timber yards are using
plastics.
The stack raised well clear of the ground,
vegetation, etc to provide good air circulation and
free from rising damp, frost, etc.
Over head cover from effects of direct sunlight
and driving weather.
Air Seasoning
Kiln Seasoning
Kiln seasoning require the following factors:
Forced air circulation by using large fans, blowers,
etc.
Heat of some form provided by piped steam.
Humidity control provided by steam jets.

The amount and duration of air, heat and humidity

again depends on species, size, quantity, etc.
 Defects in Timbers

• Knots (live, dead)

• Shakes (radial, star, ring)
• Rind Gall
• Upsets
• Foxiness
• Druxiness
• Twisted fiber
Dead and Live Knots
Shakes
Shakes
 Various Timbers available in Pakistan

• Sisham
• Chir
• Deodar
• Kikar
• Fir
• Teak
• Mulberry or shahtut
• Partal
• Sal
• Walnut
• Kail
• Bamboo