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Timber Lecture 2020 Modified XX

The document discusses timber as a construction material. It begins by outlining the learning objectives which are to understand the microstructural and macrostructural properties of timber, appreciate its characteristics and properties, be able to select timber as a construction material, and identify defects found in timber. It then discusses timber's introduction as man's oldest building material obtained from tree trunks. The forms, performance, structural applications, macro and micro structures, composition and functions, engineering characteristics, defects, selection, properties, strength, and deterioration of timber are described over multiple pages. Advantages include availability, workability, strength to weight ratio and aesthetics while disadvantages are biological deterioration and flammability.

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35 views

Timber Lecture 2020 Modified XX

The document discusses timber as a construction material. It begins by outlining the learning objectives which are to understand the microstructural and macrostructural properties of timber, appreciate its characteristics and properties, be able to select timber as a construction material, and identify defects found in timber. It then discusses timber's introduction as man's oldest building material obtained from tree trunks. The forms, performance, structural applications, macro and micro structures, composition and functions, engineering characteristics, defects, selection, properties, strength, and deterioration of timber are described over multiple pages. Advantages include availability, workability, strength to weight ratio and aesthetics while disadvantages are biological deterioration and flammability.

Uploaded by

azap
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Timber as construction

material
Mwasha Abrahams
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of this lecture the
students would be able to:
Understand the microstructural and
macrostructural properties of timber
Appreciate the properties and
characteristics of timber
To be able to select timber as
construction material
Defects found in timber
Introduction
Timber is natural, renewable material
which occurs in trees
man's oldest building material,.
Timber is obtained from the trunk of
trees after felling
also known as wood and lumber
when converted or sawn into smaller
sections.
INTRODUCTION (cont’d)
Use of timber in construction ranges from
small pole huts to residential houses,
commercial, industrial buildings to large
public and sports facilities.
To design effectively with timber
knowledge of the nature of the material
and engineering characteristics are
essential
http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/
softwoods-list.html
FORMS OF TIMBER FOR
CONSTRUCTION
Logs, Poles

Sawn lumber, planks boards, timbers -


beams, posts, stringers,

Reconstituted timber products –


plywood, particleboard, fibreboard
(MDF), flakeboard, laminated vinyl
lumber (LVL), waferboard, and
oriented strand board (OSB).
Wood performance
Wood performance is dependent on a
wide range of characteristics during
the service life
Wood performance
Strength

Stiffness*

Hardness

Finish Retention
Treatability with Preservatives
*A material’s stiffness indicates its ability to return to its original shape or
form after an applied load is removed
STRUCTRAL APPLICATIONS
BUILDINGS USE CATEGORIES/ SUITABLE WOOD
MEMBERS SPECIES

Frame Construction Structural framing, Greenheart, mora, locust,


Studs, plates cedar, oak, locust

Flooring Structural joists, Greenheart, mora,


planks purpleheart, shibaban,
Douglas fir, mohagany
Exterior siding, decking Greenheart, mora, kabukalli
decking

Ceiling, roofing, Plywood, MDF, OSB Mora, purpleheart,


shear walls, silverballi, pine (southern
diaphragms yellow), Caribbean pitch
pine
Shingles wallaba, cedar
STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS
HEAVY USE CATEGORIES/ SUITABLE WOOD
CONSTRUCTION MEMBERS SPECIES

Bridges, Wharves Beams & Stringers, Greenheart, Mora,


(superstructure) Posts & Timbers locust oak, Douglas
Fir-Larch
Retaining walls / Beams & Stringers, Greenheart, mora,
Revetments, Posts & Timbers, joists locust, kakaralli
Piling & planks, piles
Utility Poles Posts & Timbers wallaba, Greenheart
Fencing Posts & Timbers greenheart, wallaba,
Trusses Structural light Southern pine, pitch
framing, pine , kabukalli, locust,
cedar, Douglas Fir-
Larch
Glued-laminated Structural light framing Southern pine, pitch
Members pine , kabukalli, locust,
MACRO-STRUCTURE
MACRO-STRUCTURE
(cont’d)
GROWTH RINGS - ring of cells formed
during annual growth season,
comprising:
 Earlywood – cells formed during the
early part of the growth season

 Latewood - cells formed during the


later part of the growth season ,
usually less dense than earlywood cells
HARDWOODS and
SOFTWOODS
confusing
Mostly softwoods are softer than
hardwoods, but

Douglas fir and YEW , are softwood, which


are harder and stronger than many hardwoods, while

Balsa, hardwood, is much softer than even most


softwoods.
Typical hardwood and softwood
MACRO-STRUCTURE (cont’d)
Sapwood
the outer section of the tree trunk which
contains the most active cells. plant nutrients
are conveyed and food is stored by the tree.

Heartwood – The inner section of the tree


trunk. As the tree matures the sapwood cells
die and cease to perform their function. They
become part of an inner core, known as
heartwood, which simply provides structural
support to the growing tree.
WOOD MOLECULAR
STRUCTURE

CELLULOSE - LONG CHAIN GLUCOSE


MOLECULES

HEMI-CELLULOSE - SMALLER CHAIN


POLYMER

LIGNIN - AMORPHOUS, AROMATIC


COMPOUNDS
MICRO-STRUCTURE
Xylem and phloem vessels
WOOD COMPOSITION and
functions
Wood is a composite material made up of:

 Fibres
 Matrix
 extractives

Cellulose and hemicelluloses are held together by lignin


Lignin confer mechanical strength to these cell walls and the
whole plant
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula (C6H10O5)n. It
is a structural polysaccharide derived from beta-glucose and is the
primary structural component of green plants.
 Extractives are produced by trees to provide protection from
predators
extractives
as protective mechanism in wood

SAP from the pine


Engineering Characteristics
Wood is a highly variable material
Strength influenced by the moisture content
and grain direction.
Strength characteristics are usually defined
in terms of a reference moisture content (19
% m.c.) and grain direction (parallel or
perpendicular to the grain).
Characterizing wood
Wood has the following characteristics:

heterogeneous,
hygroscopic,
anisotropic material and
Cellular
HOW DO THEY INFLUENCE THE
ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF
TIMBER?????
VIDEO
https://www.apawood.org/ewp-
training-module-a ACCESSED 2020
https://www.slideshare.net/
jayvant05/defects-in-timber
Timber defects
Defects can be those:

1. Naturally occurring during the growing


period

2. Occurring during conversion and or

3. Seasoning period
Defects occurring naturally
Cracks or fissures
Knots
Fungal decay
Insect damage
Annual ring width
Sapwood
Reaction of wood
Grain defect
Chemical defects
A knot on a tree
Growth defects
Defects due to conversion

During the process of converting


timber to commercial form, the
following defects may occur:
Chip mark
Diagonal grain
Torn grain
Wane
Defects occurring during
seasoning
During seasoning timber to
commercial form, the following
defects may occur:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~woodworkwebsite/matwood/
defects2.html:
Seasoning defects
slide

https://www.slideshare.net/
jayvant05/defects-in-timber
https://www.slideshare.net/
jayvant05/defects-in-timber
SELECTION OF TIMBERS
Selection of timbers depends on these
factors:
Strength
Moisture movements
Dimensional stability
Availability of species
Sizes and sections
Ease of preservation
appearance
Properties of timber
Density
Thermal insulation (0.144 W/mK)
Thermal movement
Behavior in fire
Chemical resistance
strength
Density of timber
The weight of wood tissue is 1506
kg/m3
The density of seasoned timber
varies: 385-835 kg/m3
Compare with stones: 2082-
3204kg/m3
Common metals: 2640-113373
kg/m3
Plastics: 900-1400kg/m3
strength
Strength of timber is affected by:
Density (dense timber has thicker
walls contributing to the strength)
Moisture content (flourishing of
fungi)
Grain structure (growth defects
reduces strength)
Deterioration of Timber

Weathering
Fire
Fungi
Wood destroying insects
Advantages of Timber as
construction material
When compared with competing construction
materials, wood has many other advantages.
Wood is available in many species, sizes,
shapes and conditions and can suit almost
every demand.
Wood is readily available and is a material
most people are familiar with.
In comparison to other raw materials, wood
requires far less energy to process into
products.
Wood has a high strength-to-weight ratio and
therefore performs well as a structural
material.
Wood is easily cut and shaped with tools and
fastened with adhesives, nails, screws, bolts
and dowels.
Advantages contn’d
Wood is lightweight and easy to install.
Wood, when dry, has good insulating
properties against heat, cold, sound and
electricity.
Wood has good shock resistance and
absorbs and dissipates vibrations.
Because of the variety of grain patterns and
colors, wood is an esthetically pleasing
material and its appearance can be
enhanced by many finishes.
Wood is easily repaired and wood structures
are easily remodeled.
Wood combines with almost any other
material for both functional and esthetic
uses.
Wood can be highly durable if properly
protected or treated.
Disadvantages of Timber as
construction material
Biological deterioration and fire are two
obvious threats or disadvantages to wood
use.
Biological deterioration. Because of the sugars and
starch in untreated wood, it is a source of food for a
variety of fungi, insects and other organisms.
Fire. Wood is combustible when provided with
adequate heat and oxygen. Large cross- sectional
timbers, on the other hand, burn slowly from the
outside in, often retaining a good proportion of their
strength during a fire and after it has been
extinguished. For some uses, building codes or
standards require wood to be protected by fire
retardant treatment.
Timber on fire
Heavy Timber Beams

According to  White and Woeste,


(2012)
Grading of softwoods

According to BS 5268:part 2 there are two methods used


for grading structural timber in Britain such as:

Visual inspection by trained observer, who considers the


number of knots, the size and number of fissures and the
general quality of timber before giving it a grade, either SS
or GS
– SS- Special structural grade
– GS-general structural grade
Machine grading by a machine which measures both the
strength and stiffness of a piece of timber without causing
any structural damage. There are four machine grades:
– M75- red (75% free of defects)
– MSS-purple (special structural)
– M50-blue(50% free of defects)
– MGS- green (general structural)

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