TIMBER

Timber classification
Production

Properties

Types of timber used in construction industry

Dr. Salmia Beddu

BN-3-027
Timber as structure frame

Timber used in cottage house

Usage of timber
(trada.co.uk)
TIMBER:
The wood which is
suitable or fit for
engineering construction
or engineering purpose is
called timber.

4
WOOD:
The organic matter
obtained from trees is
called wood.

5
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, Strong in tension, weak in
compression and shear 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
Parallelcuts 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

As fresh timber which is obtained from trees

contains about 30 to 40 % sap or moisture.
This sap is very harmful for the life of a timber.
Therefore, it is necessary to remove that sap by
applying some special methods. All those
methods which are used for removing the sap
from timber are collectively termed as
seasoning of timber.
SEASONING OF TIMBER

Kiln
drying

Electrical Boiling
Artificial
seasoning

Water Chemical
Advantages of seasoned timber:
o It has reduced weight,
o It is strong and durable,
o It has resistance to decay or rot,
o It takes high polish,
o It is easier to work,
o Its life is more.
Types of Timber Seasoning:
The main types of timber seasoning are as under.

(1)Natural Seasoning

(2)Artificial Seasoning
(a)Kiln Seasoning, (b) Chemical Seasoning,
(c) Electric Seasoning,
&

(3) Water Seasoning

(1)Natural Seasoning:

In the air seasoning or natural seasoning or

natural drying, seasoning of timber, timber is
dried by direct action of air, wind and sun. In
this method, the timber logs are arranged
one over the other, keeping some space or
distance between them for air circulation of
fresh air. Generally this type of seasoning
requires few months to over a year, this is
very slow process.
(2) ARTIFICIAL SEASONING:

(a) Kiln Seasoning,

(b) Chemical Seasoning,

(c) Electric Seasoning,

(a) Kiln Seasoning:

In kiln seasoning timber is placed in

a chamber with some special heating
arrangement. In this process one
thing should be kept in mind that
heating system should be under
control, other wise timber will be
crack or wrap . The time required for
this seasoning is 3 to 12 days. This is
quick process.
(b) Chemical Seasoning:

In chemical seasoning carbon dioxide,

ammonium carbonate or urea are
used as agents for seasoning, those
are applied in dry state, the inter
surface of timber dries first than outer
side. This ensures uniform seasoning.
The time required for this seasoning is
30 to 40 days.
(c) Electric Seasoning:

In this method electric current is

passed through the timber logs.
The time required for this
seasoning is 05 to 08 hours.
(3) Water Seasoning:

In water seasoning, timber logs are

kept immersed whole in the flowing
water. The sap present in timber is
washed away. After that logs are taken
out from water and are kept in open
air, so water present in timber would
be dried by air. The time required for
this type of seasoning is 2 to 4 weeks.
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,
Shakes
resin
pockets

Defects Twisted
Sloping
grain in grain or
timber fibre

Presence
Upset /
of
rupture
sapwood
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 spray treatment
Using solvents or emulsion
Immersion
Materials immersed in the preservative solution for
penetration
Hot & cold open tank treatment
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
 Characteristics of good timbers

Appearance: A freshly cut surface of timber

should exhibit hard and of shining appearance.

Color: A color should preferably be dark

Defects: A good timber should be free from

series defects such as knots, flaws, shakes etc

Durability: A good timber should be durable and

capable of resisting the action of fungi, insects,
chemicals, physical agencies, and mechanical
agencies.
Elasticity: The timber returns to its original
shape when load causing its deformation is
removed.

Fire resistance: A dense wood offers good

resistance to fire.

Hardness: A good timber should be hard.

Mechanical wear: A good timber should not

deteriorate easily due to mechanical wear or
abrasion.
Shape: A good timber should be capable of
retaining its shape during conversion or
seasoning

Smell: A good timber should have sweet

smell. Unpleasant smell indicates decayed
timber

Sound: A good timber should give a clear

ringing sound when struck

Strength: A good timber should be

sufficiently strong for working as structural
member such as joist, beam, rafter etc.
Structure: The structure should be uniform.

Toughness: A good timber should be tough

(i.e.) capable of offering resistance to shocks
due to vibration.

Water permeability: A good timber should

have low water permeability, which is
measured by the quantity of water filtered
through unit surface area of specimen of
wood.
Weight: The timber with heavy weight is
considered to be sound and strong.

Working conditions: Timber should be easily

workable. It should not clog the teeth of saw.
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
ENGINEERED TIMBER
also called composite wood, man-made wood, or
manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood
products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the
strands, particles, fibers, or veneers or boards of wood,
together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form
composite materials.
These products are engineered to precise design
specifications which are tested to meet national or
international standards.
Engineered wood products are used in a variety of
applications, from home construction to commercial
buildings to industrial products.
The products can be used for joists and beams that replace
steel in many building projects.
 Typically, engineered wood products are made
from the same hardwoods and softwoods used to
manufacture lumber.
Sawmill scraps and other wood waste can be used
for engineered wood composed of wood particles
or fibers, but whole logs are usually used for
veneers, such as plywood, MDF or particle board.
Some engineered wood products, like oriented
strand board (OSB), can use trees from the poplar
family, a common but non-structural species.
 Alternatively, it is also possible to manufacture
similar engineered bamboo from bamboo; and
similar engineered cellulosic products from
other lignin-containing materials such as rye
straw, wheat straw, rice straw, hemp stalks,
kenaf stalks, or sugar cane residue, in which
case they contain no actual wood but rather
vegetable fibers.
TYPES OF TIMBER PRODUCTS

Timber

Natural solid timber Engineered timber products

Fiber Particle Block

Plywood boards Laminates Veneers
boards board
END OF TIMBER CHAPTER