CE 443 - Timber

Design
(Wood Design)

Wood is the most widely used

construction material in use world-wide.
It is used not only for residential frame
construction but also as formwork,
scaffolding and temporary support
framing for commercial and large scale
construction as well.

Advantages of Wood

Availability Wood is available almost every

place in the world
Local labor Semi-skilled labor is all that is
usually necessary
Easy to work with Light weight and easy to cut
and fasten
Aesthetics Nothing compares to word for the
aesthetic warmthwith insulation
Relatively inexpensive Dimension lumber is
relatively cheap compared to other construction
materials, particularly for small members
however, heavy timber members tend to
somewhat pricey
Heavy Timber is relatively fire-resistant (charred
exterior of timber insulates interior of timber)

Disadvantages of Wood

Can decay, needs care with use, treating

or coating
Is flammable needs covering or treating
in many uses
Quality and availability have decreased
Poor insulation characteristics need to
coordinate with insulation

Background

Like all living things trees have a life cycle:

Birth
Growth
Aging
Death

As trees grow, their physical form changes

as does their role in the forest ecosystem

LIFECYCLE OF
TREES
Seedling

Seed

Sapling

Snag

Mature Oak

Seeds

Which came first the tree, or the

seed?

Seeds come in a variety of shapes,

weights, colors, and sizes, depending on the
species.
Seeds develop from male and female parts of
the trees producing fruits.
Some seeds are in a protective nut like an acorn

Others are in fleshy fruits, like the black cherry.

The fruit of a pine is a cone and the seed is winged
and resembles a miniature helicopter when falling.

Wind, water, animals, and people disperse

seeds to the forest floor, open fields, yards and
roadsides.
Where conditions are favorable for germination,
seeds will germinate and grow.

Seedling

The seedling grows and begins to

develop woody characteristics.
The stems harden, change color, and
develop a thin protective bark.
The stem may bend or develop
branches that reach toward light.
Leaves or needles that develop are
adapted to shade, but lean or tilt
toward light.
Most roots are in the upper soil to
absorb water, nutrients and air.
Seedlings compete for nutrients,
water, sunlight, and space.
Threats include fire, flood, drought,
disease, insect attacks, and animals.
At this stage the tree is most
susceptible to being killed.

Sapling

When the tree is about 1-4 inches

in diameter at 4.5 feet, it is
considered a sapling.

standard height where trees

diameter is measured diameter at
breast height (DBH).

As the tree starts to get taller the

trunk thickens and branches
develop.
A sapling is the size of a tree
growing in a nursery.
In this juvenile state, the tree is not
mature enough to reproduce.
Growing rapidly, the sapling has
the same competition and threats
as seedlings.

Mature

With favorable conditions, a sapling will

grow into a mature tree.
During this stage, each tree will grow as
much as its species and site conditions will
permit.
In addition, flowers develop, reproduction
ensues, fruits form, and seed dispersal can
now occur.
Trees provide the maximum environmental
benefits to people during this stage.

What plant in the

picture would you
say is a mature
tree?

Decline

The life span of a tree is a wide-range,

yet death is inevitable.
A combination of factors overcome a
tree and causes it to die.

Injury, drought stress, followed by

disease, rot, root dieback, coupled with a
lightning strike or insect infestation
contribute to tree decline.

Sometimes a single factor is serious

enough to cause mortality.

Dead Tree

Standing dead trees, called snags,

play vital roles in the life cycle of
many organisms.
A snag slowly breaks down and
returns nutrients as limbs, bark, and
branches fall. It provides habitat and
food for wildlife and insects.
Animals, insects, and fungi help break
down the tree.

Eventually, the snag will fall and return

nutrients to the soil where they are
taken up by other trees.

And, the cycle begins anew.

What stage of the

lifecycle are these
trees in currently?

SEEDLING

What stage of the

lifecycle are these
trees in currently?

SNAG

What stage of the

lifecycle are these
trees in currently?

SAPLING

Why would we want to

measure trees?

Plan harvesting
Make forest management decisions
Monitor forest health

DBH

Tree diameter is an important forestry measure and is

used to indicate how well a tree is growing over time.
It is also one of the standard measures of timber volume
used to estimate the commercial value of a forest stand.
By convention, the diameter is measured at a height on
the trunk that is 1.35 m (4.5 ft) above ground level.
This height above the ground is used because uneven
swelling and irregular growth at the base of the tree and
upper roots could mask the true growth of the trunk.

What would happen

if people measured
tree circumference
at different heights?

Trees Crown Spread

What is the
crown spread of
this tree?

This is a horizontal
measurement:
leaf tip to leaf tip of the shortest
spread
leaf tip to leaf tip of the longest
spread
through the main mass of the
tree canopy
Add the two numbers together,
and divide by two for the
average crown spread

Crown spread is difficult to

measure when branches are
high. Have 2 people stand
where the tips of the farthest
branches are directly overhead.
A 3rd person can measure the
distance at ground level.

2.5 feet
3 .5
feet

1 .5
feet

What is the
crown spread of
this tree?

11 feet

8 feet

9.5 feet

Leaf Shape
Differ in many ways and help identify trees
Tips may be pointed, rounded, tapered
Bases may be squared, rounded, heart-shaped

What are the

shapes of these
3 leaves?

PALMATE!

HEART-SHAPED!
2

3
ROUND OR
OVAL!

Margins

Edges or margins of leaves give clues to

tree identity

Teeth (serrated)
Lobed
Smooth (toothless)

Bark

Identify with the color and texture

Shaggy, smooth , rough or deep furrows
Example: Paper Birch white, paper-like
Use bark on trunk, not branches

Paper Birch

Needles or Broad Leaves

In the simplest sense we have 2 types of trees:

Conifers (coniferous) : Softwoods

seeds

develop in cones, have needle shaped

leaves
dont lose leaves each year so stay green =
evergreens
Pines, spruces, hemlocks and firs

Broad-leaf (deciduous) : Hardwoods

broad,

flat leaves that they lose each year

Oaks, maples, beeches and aspens

Tree Species

Tree Species

Tree Species

Tree Species

Tree Species

Cross Section of a Tree Trunk

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

History of Wood
Structures

MODERN TIMBER STRUCTURES

Wood Defects

Wood Defects

Wood Defects

Wood Defects