SAMUEL ARHIN
BC/CVE/24/126
CIVIL ENGINEERING MATL
DEFECT IN TIMBER
Defect is taken to be any irregularity occurring in or on the timber which may
lower its strength, durability, utility value or diminish its appearance. Defects may
be 'natural' which occur whilst the tree is growing, or 'artificial' as a result of poor
conversion, seasoning or handling after felling.
Types of Defects in timber are grouped into the following divisions.
1. Defects due to conversion
During the process of converting timber to commercial form, the
following defects may occur.
Chip mark: mark or sign placed by chip on finished surface of
timber
Diagonal grain: Due to improper sawing of timber
Torn grain: Due to falling of tool small impression is formed
Wane: Presence of original rounded surface on the manufactured
piece of timber
2. Defects due to fungi
The attack of timber by fungi when moisture content of timber is above
20% and presence of air and warmth for the growth of fungi the following
defects are caused
Blue stain: Sap of wood is stained to bluish colour
Brown rot: Decay or disease of timber by removal of cellulose
compounds from wood and wood assumes the brown colour
Dry rot: Convert the wood into dry powder form
Heart rot: This is formed when branch has come out of a tree and
the tree becomes weak and gives out hallow sound when struck with a
hammer
Sap stain: The sap wood looses its colour because of feed on cell
contents of sap wood.
Wet rot: Caused chemical decomposition of wood of the timber
and timber converts to greyish brown powder known as wet rot.
White rot: Attack lignin of wood and wood assumes the
appearance of white mass.
3. Defects due to insects
Beetles: Small insects form holes of size about 2mm diameter and
attack sap wood of all species of hard woods. Tunnels are formed in all
directions in sapwood by the larvae of these beetles and converted into
fine flour like powder. They do not disturb outer cover and looks sound.
Marine borers: These make holes or bore tunnels in wood for
taking shelter. The wood attacked by marine borers loses colour and
strength
Termites: White ants are very fast in eating away the wood from
the core of the cross section. They make tunnels inside in different
directions and usually donot disturb the outer shell or cover
4. Defects due to natural forces
The main natural forces responsible for causing defects in timber are
abnormal growth and rapture of tissues
Burls: Irregular projections appear on the body of timber because
of shock at younger age
Callus: Soft tissue or skin which covers the wound of tree.
Chemical stain: Discoloured due to the chemical action caused
Coarse grain: Annual rings are widened, tree grows rapidly hence
timber possesses less strength
Dead wood: Timber obtained from dead standing tree
Druxiness: White decayed spots by fungi
Foxiness: Due to poor ventilation during storage or by
commencement of decay due to over maturity indicated by red or yellow
tinge in wood
Knots: Bases of branches or limbs which are broken or cut off from
the tree.
Knot
Rind galls: Rind means bark and gall indicates abnormal growth
and peculiar curved swellings found on the body of a tree.
Shakes: These are cracks which partly or completely separate the
fibres of wood
Different types of shakes
Twisted fibres/Wandering hearts: caused by twisting of young
trees by fast blowing wind
Fig-3 Twisted fibres
Upsets or ruptures: Indicate wood fibres which are injured by
crushing or compression
Upset
