LECTURE – 5

WOOD, PLASTIC AND COMPOSITES

CE141 – CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS AND TESTING
 WOOD
 Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found
in many trees. It has been used for
hundreds of thousands of years for
both fuel and as a construction
material. It is an organic material, a
natural composite of cellulose fibers
(which are strong in tension)
embedded in a matrix of ligning
which resists compression
 Benefits of wood
Environmental benefits:
•
Wood is more environmentally friendly
raw material
•
Wood needs less energy to transform
that other materials
•
Wood is recyclable
•
Wood is biodegradable
•
Wood helps to reduce the climate change
 The Construction Sector

•
Wood is resistant to weather and meteorology
•
Wood can be used both indoors and outdoors
•
Maintenance of Wood is not particularly expensive
•
Wood is a brittle material, not easily attacked
by insects or pests
•
The wood is very pliable and adaptable to the architect
•
Wood is not a particularly expensive material
Selecting Wood
 There are two main
types of wood we use
for wood projects;
hardwood and
softwood. The actual
hardness or softness of
the wood has more to
do with the type of tree
it comes from than the
actual strength of the
wood.
 Hardwoods
 Hardwood come from
deciduous trees. These
are trees that lose their
leaves in the winter.
They come in a wider
variety of colours and
textures than
softwoods. These
woods are typically the
choice of woodworkers
for furniture, cabinetery
and flooring projects.
Softwoods
 These woods come
from coniferous or
evergreen trees.
These woods are
primarily used for
construction
purposes (homes,
sheds, barns etc.).
These types of
wood are abundant
in North America.
Softwoods

 Softwoods use for

general construction are
usually Spruce (s) ,
Pine (p) or Fir (f) trees.
Construction lumber is
labelled as SPF and
can be any of these
three types of lumber.
Softwoods are also used in
the manufacture of
fiberboard and paper.
 Hard wood—Soft woods
 All native species of trees are
divided into two classes.
– Hard wood have broad leaves and are deciduous
– Soft woods are conifers

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Heartwood and sapwood
• Sapwood is the outer portion
Sap wood
that conducts sap and has the Bark
living cells.
– The thickness will vary, but
usually from 1-1/2 to 2
inches on a mature tree.
• Heartwood is the inactive cells
in the inner portion.
– Mineral deposits may causeHeart wood
darker color.
– Deposits make wood more
durable.

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 Growth rings
• Because the rate a tree grows
Summerwood
change with the seasons, a cross
section will show distinctive
rings.
• Springwood
– Inner part of the growth ring
– Usually larger cavities and
thin walls
• Summerwood
– Outer part of growth ring
– Smaller cells and thicker
walls.
Springwood
• A tree grows one springwood
and one summerwood ring each
year.
– Used to age trees 11
 Sawing Direction
• Plain sawn (Flat sawn)
– Board is sawed “parallel” to growth rings
– Most common boards.

• Quarter sawn
– Log is first quartered
– Boards are cut
Were have you seen “perpendicular” to the grain.
quarter sawn boards
– Usually must be special
used?
ordered.

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Nominal sizing

 Dimensioned finished lumber is

sized using what is called an
nominal sizing.
 The nominal size is not the finished
size of the lumber—it is the rough
cut size.
 The finished size, what you buy, is
always less than the rough cut
size.
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 Cut Size — Actual Size
Lumber Sizes

Rough Size (in) Actual Size (in) Board Feet per

Foot of Length

1x4 3/4 x 3-1/2 1/3

1x6 3/4 x 5-1/2 1/2
1x8 3/4 x 7-1/4 2/3
1 x 10 3/4 x 9-1/4 5/6
1 x 12 3/4 x 11-1/4 1
2x4 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 2/3
2x6 1-1/2 x 5-1/2 1
2x8 1-1/2 x 7-1/4 1-1/3
2 x 10 1-1/2 x 9-1/4 1-2/3
2 x 12 1-1/2 x 11-1/4 2
4x4 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 1-1/3
6x6 5-1/2 x 5-1/2 3 14
Softwood Construction Lumber
Standard Dimensions
Thickness (inches) Width (inches)

Nominal Dry
1 3/4
1-1/4 1
1-1/2 1-1/4
2 1-1/2
2-1/2 2
3 2-1/2
3-1/2 3
4 3-1/2
1/2 4
5+ 1/2 “ less
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 Board Foot
• In a store lumber, boards
and timbers are usually sold
as Ph/piece, but the listed
price is based on a Ph/bf.
• Large volumes of lumber
can also be purchased on a
Ph/bf bases.
• Board foot is a volume
measurement.
• Board foot is calculated
using the nominal size, not
the actual size.
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 Board Foot

• A board foot is a volume of lumber for a board that is one (1) inch thick,
twelve (12) inches wide and twelve (12) inches long.
• One board foot = 144 in3
• Nominal sizes are used to calculate board feet when calculating costs.
• Actual sizes are used when calculating loads or strength.

length (ft) x width (in) x depth (in)

Equations: Bf =
12

or

length (in) x width (in) x depth (in)

Bf = 17
144
 Board Foot Example
 Determine the number of board feet for the
following list of dimensioned lumber.
 2 - 2 x 4 x 12 Bf =
length (ft) x width (in) x depth (in)
 3 - 1 x 4 x 10 12
12 x 4 x 2
= 2 x  16 Bf
2 - 4 x 4 x 8 12
10 x 4 x 1
= 3 x  10 Bf
12
8 x 4 x 4
= 2 x  21.33 Bf
12

16 + 10 + 21.33 = 47.33 Bf




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Wood Characteristics

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Eight (8) Characteristics of
wood

1 Defects
2 Grain orientation
a) Stiffness
b) Load bearing capabilities
c) Fastener holding ability
3 Ease of working
4 Paint holding ability
5 Decay resistance

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Characteristics—Defects--
Structural
Wane (Bark)
Knot

Shake

Split

Cross grain crack

Sloping grain

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 Bow

A bow is a defect in a board that bends along the grain lines. If the board
were laid across a flat surface both ends would be in the air. There is no
warp across the grain. This can be caused by uneven air circulation
during as the wood dries. Any bowing causes internal stresses that will
make the board difficult to cut. Ripping a board that is bowed can be
dangerous. Crosscutting should be done with the bow facing upwards.
 Checking

A check is a term used to describe a crack that runs through a board,

usually running lengthwise. It is usually caused when lumber dries out
too quickly. Adding a UV protective stain can help protect decking and
rails. Checking often affects pressure treated framing materials as they
are usually sold very green and are put under a lot of stress as they dry
out in the sun. Thicker members like 6x6 posts tend to dry out unevenly
and are especially susceptible to extreme checking.
 Crook

A crook is a defect found in a board that is bent end to end in

the direction of the tall ends of a board as it continues down
the length of the board. It can occur from uneven drying or if
the trees pith (soft core at the center of the tree) is at the edge
of the board. You may be able to rip the board to recover a
narrower straight board, or make multiple passes through a
jointer.
 Cupping

Cupping occurs when the board bends edge to edge

across the face of a board and where the ends of the
boards will look like the letter U. It is common in boards
that are cut close to the pith. Cupped boards can be ripped
into smaller boards and planed. Trying to force it flat can
cause cracking.
 Split

A check is a term used to describe a crack that runs through a board,

usually running lengthwise. It is usually caused when lumber dries out
too quickly. Adding a UV protective stain can help protect decking and
rails. Checking often affects pressure treated framing materials as they
are usually sold very green and are put under a lot of stress as they dry
out in the sun. Thicker members like 6x6 posts tend to dry out unevenly
and are especially susceptible to extreme checking.
Twist

Twisting is a general term for a board that that bends

in any variety of directions and cannot maintain a
straight line. Sometimes one corner doesn’t line up
with the others. It usually occurs when the wood
grain pattern is not parallel to the edge.
 Wane

The presence of bark or the absence of wood on

the corners of a board is called wane. This
defect will only be found in lower grade lumber.
You may be able to turn the board over to
conceal this kind of defect in some applications.
Characteristics—Grain Orientation

 Grain orientation is important for

three reasons.
1 The direction of the grain affects
the amount of deflection that
occurs when loads are applied.
2 Load bearing ability.
3 The orientation of fasters with the
gain can increase or decrease
splitting when installing fasteners.

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 Characteristics - Grain Orientation -
Stiffness
 Stiffness is a measure of the amount of deflection that occurs
when a load is applied.
 The amount of deflection for a load is determined by the
dimensions of the member and the grain orientation.
 Amount of acceptable deflection is different for each building
member.

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 Characteristics - Grain Orientation --
Load Bearing
Wood is stronger
when forces are
applied parallel to the
grain than when force
is applied
perpendicular to the
grain.

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Selecting Wood For Common Home
and Farm Use
Poles and Posts for Pole High stiffness and strength, free of
Barn Construction crook, minimum taper, good nail
holding qualities, decay resistance.
Pressure treat poles and posts in
direct ground contact.
Posts and Beams for Post High stiffness and strength, easy to
and Beam Barn work, moderate weight, and free of
Construction crook.
Roof Boards Good nail or screw holding
properties, easy work, low shrinkage,
high stiffness and free of warp, free of
splits.
Scaffolding High bending strength, high stiffness,
high nail holding, medium weight, and
free of compression failures and
cross grain.

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Selecting Wood For Common Home
and Farm Use
Shelving Good stiffness and free of warp
with good finishing properties.
Siding Good paintability, good
weathering qualities, decay
resistant and resistant to warp
and shrinkage.
Storage Bins, Tanks, Vats, High decay resistance and low
etc. shrinkage.
Studs and Plates Medium stiffness and strength,
good nail holding, medium free
of warp, and moderately easy
to work.

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 Pressure Treated Wood
 Pressure treating is a process that forces a
chemical preservative deep into the wood.
 Chemicals
 Until 2004, the preservative most commonly
used in residential pressure-treated lumber
was chromated copper arsenate (CCA).
 Lumber or poles light green in color
 Now limited to commercial uses.

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Uses of Wood in Engineering
Uses of Wood in Engineering
Uses of Wood in Engineering
 Particle Board
Manufactured from wood
particles and chips, sawmill
shavings and saw dust.
Loose particles are glued
together, pressed, and
extruded to make a composite
material.
Cheaper, denser, and the most
uniform compared with other
conventional woods .
More expensive than
plywood.
 Redwood
Widely recognized for resistance
to shrinking, warping and
checking as well as durability.
Open-celled structure and little
or no resin. Able to absorb and
retain all types of finishes
extremely well.
Less volumetric and tangential
shrinkage than other common
domestic softwoods. In exterior
use, redwood stays flat and
straight with minimal warping,
cupping or checking.
 Plywood
Includes various different
types of wood.
An engineered product made
from sheets of wood glued
together at 90-degree angles
in relation to grain direction.
Generally includes an odd
number of sheets to protect
the wood from warping.
Most beneficial for uses
requiring resistance to
cracking, shrinking, twisting,
warping, and strength.