. ---

PRESERVATION OF TIMBER

INTRODUCTION OF TREE GROWTH AND WOOD STRUCTURE.

posted 3 hours ago in general

logs

Sawn timber

Wood product

Woodbased product

bamboo

 

Teak

Door

Plywood

 

 

Wood is our most valuable natural resource

Throughout recorded history, the unique characteristics and relative abundance of wood have made it one of mankind’s most valuable and useful natural resources. Today literally thousands of products that we take for granted come from solid wood, wood pulp and chemicals derived from wood. Why is wood man’s most important building material? First, only wood is a renewable resource. Nootherbuilding material- steel, aluminum, brick, concrete, plastics, glass, ceramics—can be regenerated as we raised trees. And trees also provide wildlife habitat and recreational areas and environmental protection measures while they grow.

Advantages of wood

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.

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 wood

Biological deterioration and fire are two obvious threats or disadvantages to wood use.

TBiological 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. Given the right circumstances, they can break down and consume the cellulose, lignin and other components of wood and damage the wood members of a structure. Wood preservation is used to prevent this kind of damage

 Fire. Wood is combustible when provided with adequate heat and oxygen. In fact, wood is the most widely used fuel in many parts of the world. Wood’s combustibility often limits the use of lumber products to light-frame construction such as housing and similar structures. However, some commercial building designs call for and permit the use of heavy timber construction. Untreated large wooden beams are often safer in a fire than unprotected steel beams. When subjected to high temperatures, steel rapidly loses its strength and rigidity. This can lead to the sudden collapse of a building with great risk to life and property. Large cross-sectional timbers, on the other hand, bum 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.

¬ read more