TIMBER

Timber classification
Production
Properties
Types of timber used in construction industry

Timber as structure frame

Timber used in cottage house

Usage of timber
(trada.co.uk)

CLASSIFICATION OF TREES AND STRUCTURE OF

WOOD

Trees are classified as :

Endogenous

(growing by addition of tissues inwards

like palms, bamboos, etc.)
Exogenous ( growing by addition of tissues outward)
used in building industry

Softwood
Needle like leaves
Conifers bear cone-shape fruits
E.g. pines and spruces

Hardwood
Broad leafed tress
Deciduous trees shed leaves annually

COMPARISON OF HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD

No.

Property

Hardwood

Softwood

1.

Annual rings

Not distinct

Distinct

2.

Color

Dark

Light

3.

Density

High

Low

4.

Medullar rays

Distinct

Not distinct

5.

Strength

Strong in tension,
compression and shear

Strong in tension, weak in

shear

6.

Examples

Teak, sal

Fir, pines

Annual rings

Medullar rays

STRUCTURE OF WOOD
Outer bark protects tree from extreme
temperature, mechanical damage etc
Inner bark called as bast (softer and moister)

Outer layer sapwood

Inner layer - heartwood
Cambium layer layer between sapwood and
inner bark

SEASONING AND CONVERSION OF TIMBER

Freshly felled wood contains a large amount of

sap and moisture

Seasoning process of drying timber in a

controlled condition to remove all the sap and
to reduce moisture content without introducing
any splits and distortion in the wood

CONVERSION TO TIMBER
Immediately after felling of trees, the branches
are cut off and the trunk is cut into logs
Conversion process if cutting and sawing logs
into suitable sections of timber
Type of timber sawing:

Ordinary

sawing
Quarter sawing
Tangential sawing
Radial sawing

ORDINARY SAWING
Parallel

cuts made throughout the length of the log

Cutting parallel slices of planks
Easiest and economical method
Shrinkage of sapwood more than the heartwood
Causing warp and twisting of planks

QUARTER SAWING
Tendency to cup i.e. to curve in a transverse
direction
When applied to wood, not having distinct
medullar rays this method produces very fine
wood

TANGENTIAL SAWING
Boards or planks sawn tangentially to annual
rings
Not suitable for flooring

RADIAL OR RIFT SAWING

Used for hardwood
Timber cut parallel to medullar rays and
perpendicular to annual rings

least shrinkage but most wasted

limited rift is adopted
Greater decorative effect medullar rays
pronounced

SEASONING OF TIMBER

Natural or air seasoning

The basic principle is to stack the timber so that
plenty of air can circulate around each piece. The
timber is stacked with wide spaces between each
piece horizontally, and with strips of wood between
each layer ensuring that there is a vertical
separation too.
Ends painted to prevent end cracking
Duration : 2 6 months
Log immersed in water fortnight to remove sap

SEASONING OF TIMBER
Kiln
drying

Electrical

Boiling

Artificial
seasoning
Water

Chemical

MARKET FORM OF TIMBER

Battens
50 100 mm thick, 125 -200 mm wide
Planks
Thickness less than 50mm, width exceeding 50mm
Boards
Thickness less than 50mm, width 100mm or more
Baulks
Cross section exceeding 50mm x 50mm
Deals
Softwood from 50mm to 100mm thick, width < 250mm
Scantlings
Miscellaneous size (small width and thickness)
Quartering
Square pieces sizes 50mm x 50mm to 150mm x 150mm

**Door frames are usually made from wood

scantlings of size 25mm in thickness and

100mm in width

LOSS IN CONVERSION

Losses in conversion from logs to time

Planks
Round

logs 40%
Square logs 30%
Scantlings
Round

logs 50%
Square logs 40%

Knots
Cracks,
fissures,
resin
pockets

Sloping
grain

Shakes

Defects
in
timber

Presence
of
sapwood

Twisted
grain or
fibre

Upset /
rupture
Wane

knot

shakes

Twisted fibre

wane
Resin pockets

TREATMENT OF TIMBER BEFORE USING IN

WOODWORK
All woods other than teak should be as far as
possible treated with preservatives before they are
used
They should be maintained against determination
Regular maintenance like painting should be
carried out after construction
Timber can be made fairly fire resistant by soaking
in ammonium phosphate, sodium tetra borate or
sodium arsenate

PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT OF TIMBER

Charring
Surface

is burnt burnt part acts as a protective

coat

Painting with tar or creosote

Tar

or creosote has wood preservative oil in them

TREATMENT WITH PRESERVATIVES

Brush and sprat treatment

Immersion

Materials immersed in the preservative solution for

penetration

Hot & cold open tank treatment

Using solvents or emulsion

Timber is placed in a steel tank immersed in

preservative and heated, then the tank is allowed to
cool slowly with timber immersed in the solution

Pressure and vacuum treatment

TREATMENT BY DIFFUSION
Carried out on green timber (moisture content
> 50%) just after conversion to green timber
Very soluble boron compounds are applied on
the surface of the timber
Pieces are the stacked together and covered
with impermeable cover to prevent exaporation
Over a period of 1 month or more, the boron
diffuses into the wet timber and acts as a
preservative

CAUSES OF DECAY OF WOODWORK

Fungal decay (dry rot and wet rot)
Attack by beetles and borers
Attack by termites

PRESERVATION OF WOODWORK
Maintenance by painting etc as a mean of
preservation
Timberwork in a building should be preserved by
oiling, painting, varnishing etc. at regular intervals
Woodwork should have proper ventilation around it
Should not be placed in corrosive condition as in
lime or cement mortar or subjected to alternate
wetting and drying

CLASSIFICATION OF TIMBER IN BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION

Specification for timber used in building

construction purposes are required to be one of
the following four:
Hardwood

like teak wood for permanent structure

Softwood like deodar for permanent structures
Hardwood like sal other than teak for permanent
structure
Softwood other than deodar used only for
temporary structures

PERMISSIBLE MOISTURE

Following values for beams, rafters and posts

not less than 50mm in thickness
Zone

I : Dry zone 12%

Zone II : Moderate dry zone 14%
Zone III : Moist zone 17%
Zone IV : Moist zone 20%

Moisture content must be lesser for door and

window shutter and well as furniture and
thinner section

SELECTION OF WOOD FOR BUILDING

Teak ideal wood for use in building
Columns, beams, door, frames etc must have
following qualities:

Class to which the wood belongs. Teak for superior

class or other types of wood of class I for important
works
Closeness of grains
Hardness and durability
Pleasing colour
Easiness of working
The way it can take polish

TESTING OF WOOD
Not generally tested in the lab.
Classified more only by its species and by
visual examination for defects
However, following tests are prescribed for
important works:

Determination

of moisture content
Tensile strength parallel to grains
Tensile strength perpendicular to grains
Charpy test for brittleness

Presence of high moisture in timber produce

shrinkage in woodwork
Moist wood also more prone to attack by
organism
Shrinkage produce cracking, warping and lack
of fit of woodwork in doors and windows

END OF TIMBER CHAPTER

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR TEST 2 AND FINAL EXAM!