CE 201: Engineering Materials
Timber
Dr. Sheikh Mokhlesur Rahman
Assistant Professor, Dept. of CE
Contact: [email protected]
Introduction
➢ Wood is the oldest material used by humans for construction after stone.
➢ All wood is composed of cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses, and minor
amounts (5% to 10%) of extraneous materials contained in a cellular
structure.
➢ Variations in the characteristics and volume of these components and
differences in cellular structure make woods heavy or light, stiff or flexible,
and hard or soft.
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Wood vs Timber
➢ Wood includes all types of wood - burning wood, structural wood, furniture
wood, etc.
➢ But wood used as a structural material is called timber
➢ The word timber derived from an old English word Timbrian which means
“to build”
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Timber
➢ Timber denotes structural wood obtained from tree.
➢ A standing tree is called ‘standing timber.
➢ When a tree has been cut and its stems and branches are roughly
converted into pieces of suitable lengths, it is known as rough timber.
➢ When a roughly converted timber is further sawn and converted into
commercial size, such as: plank, logs, batten, post, beam, etc., it is called
converted timber.
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Forms of Timbers
➢ Standing timber
➢ Rough timber
➢ Converted timber
➢ Green timber
• It is the freshly felled tree which has not lost much of its
moisture or timber which still contains fresh water in its
cells.
➢ Dressed timber:
• It is the timber which has been sawn, placed and worked
to the exact required condition.
➢ Structural timber:
• It is the timber free from defects and Stains
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Use of Timber
➢ Commonly used as- piles, posts, beams, lintels, door-windows frames and
leaves, roof members, e.g. rafters, purlins, trusses etc.
➢ Also used in flooring, ceiling, paneling and constructions of partition walls.
➢ Used for framework for concrete, centering of arch work, scaffolding,
transmission poles and fencing.
➢ Timber is also used in wagon and the coach building, marine installations
and bridges.
➢ It is also used in making furniture, sports goods, motor bodies and
carriages, railway sleepers, packing cases etc.
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Uses of Timber - Example
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Suitable Timber for Various Uses
Application Timber
1. Sports goods and baskets Ash, Oak mulberry
2. Match industry Pine and Simul
3. Bullock carts Babul
4. Musical instruments Jack
5. Railway sleepers Deodar, Kail, Sal, Ash
6. Well curbs Mango, Jack, Jarul and Simul
7. Doors and windows Sal, Deodar, Mehgoni, Teak
8. Packing cases Deodar(heavy packing), Mango and Fir (light packing)
9. Scaffolding Bamboo, Sal
10. Agricultural implements and tool handles Babu, Ash, Mulberry
11. High class joinery and furniture Teak, Shishum, Walnut
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Advantages of Using Timber
➢ Can be planed, sawn and jointed easily
➢ Easily available and can be quickly transported by simple means.
➢ Light in weight yet strong.
➢ A good insulator of heat and electricity.
➢ Good sound absorbing material
➢ Can stand shocks and bumps, often better than iron and concrete.
➢ On the account of its light weight, timber is generally preferred for building works in
earthquake regions.
➢ Repairs, additions and alternations construction are easy.
➢ Can resists oxidation, acid, saltwater, and other corrosive agents, therefore can be used
in marine works
➢ When properly protected, timber structures may give good service for hundreds of
years.
➢ High salvage value
➢ Working with timber (i.e., repairing, alteration, addition, etc.) is easy
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Disadvantages of Using Timber
➢ The greatest disadvantage is its high combustibility
➢ If not properly seasoned timber get destroyed by decay induced by fungi,
and by insects
➢ Timber swells and undergoes shrinkage with changing atmospheric
humidity.
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Structure of Tree
➢ Crown /canopy
➢ Trunk
➢ Roots
➢ From visibility aspects, structure of tree can
be divided in to two categories –
• Microstructure
• Macrostructure
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A. Microstructure
➢ The structure of wood which is visible through greater magnification which
shows
• Wood is primarily composed of hollow, elongate, spindle-shaped cells that are
arranged parallel to each other along the trunk of a tree.
➢ When lumber and other products are cut from the tree, the characteristics of
these fibrous cells and their arrangement affect properties such as strength and
shrinkage as well as the grain pattern of the wood.
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B. Macrostructure
➢ The structure of wood visible through naked eyes or small scale
magnification
➢ The macrostructure of wood consists of several distinct zones that occur
across a tree trunk,
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B. Macrostructure
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Classification of Trees
➢ According to the growth of annual ring
1. Exogenous tree
2. Endogenous tree
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Exogenous Tree
➢ These trees increase in bulk by the formation of successive annual rings
radially on the outside under the bark.
➢ Every year a new ring is added to the tree section.
➢ Age of tree can be determined from the number of annual rings.
➢ Used for engineering purposes.
➢ Two types:
i. Evergreen trees or conifers
ii. Deciduous trees
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Exogenous Tree
➢ Evergreen trees or conifers:
• Have pointed needle-like or scale-like leaves
• bearing cone-shaped fruits.
• They are generally evergreen trees.
• Yield softwood.
• Ex. Cedar and cypress trees.
➢ Deciduous trees:
• Having flat broad leaves
• Leaves fall in autumn and new leaves appear
in spring.
• Yield hardwood.
• Ex. Oak, Mehogany, teak, etc.
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Endogenous Tree
➢ These trees grow inward by depositing each fresh layer internally.
➢ Thus the older formations/layers of wood material are on the outside.
➢ They grow vertically in a fashion that the links (approx. annual growth)
placed end-to-end with knot connecting two adjacent links.
➢ Example: Bamboo, palm, etc.
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Classification of Trees: According to wood
characteristics
1. Hardwood
➢ Characteristically, broad-leaved trees yield hardwood
➢ These are dense with having narrow and well-defined annual rings.
➢ Hardwoods are used in construction for flooring, architectural woodwork, interior
woodwork, and paneling.
2. Softwood
➢ Conifers (needle-leafed trees) yield softwood
➢ Comparatively less dense, lighter in color. They are not very strong but are soft
with straight grains;
➢ Have more uniformity of structure than hardwoods.
➢ Softwood lumber and plywood are used in construction for forms, scaffolding,
framing, paneling, cabinets, poles and piles, and many other building
components.
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Chemical Composition of Wood
➢ Dry wood is primarily composed of cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses, and
minor amounts (5% to 10%) of extractives e.g. -volatile oils, fatty acids,
waxes, alkaloids, aromatic compounds etc.
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Chemical Composition of Wood
➢ Cellulose, the major component, constitutes approximately 40-50% of
wood substance by weight which is a high-molecular-weight linear polymer
consisting of chains of glucose monomers.
➢ Hemicelluloses are carbohydrate polymers (mostly sugar) that are
associated with cellulose in cell wall. Usually 20 to 30% of cell are
hemicellulose.
➢ Lignin constitutes 15% to 30% of the wood substance in softwoods and
16% to 25% in hardwoods.
➢ Lignin is often called the cementing agent that binds individual cells
together.
➢ On a commercial scale, it is necessary to remove lignin from wood to
make high-grade paper or other paper products.
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Comparison of Materials
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Mechanical Properties
➢ Wood may be described as an orthotropic material
➢ It has unique and independent mechanical properties in the directions of
three mutually perpendicular axes:
• longitudinal: parallel to the fiber (grain)
• radial: normal to the growth rings (perpendicular to the grain in the radial
direction)
• tangential: perpendicular to the grain but tangent to the growth rings
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Mechanical Properties of Wood
➢ Mechanical properties of wood can be subdivided into -
• elastic properties,
• strength properties,
• vibration properties etc.
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Elastic Properties
➢ Twelve constants are needed to describe the elastic behavior of wood:
1. three moduli of elasticity - EL, ER, and ET
2. three moduli of rigidity - GLR, GLT, and GRT
3. six Poisson’s ratios - μLR, μRL, μLT, μTL, μRT, and μTR
➢ The three moduli of elasticity, EL, ER, and ET are the elastic moduli along
the longitudinal, radial, and tangential axes of wood respectively.
➢ These moduli are usually obtained from compression tests or bending
tests; however, data for ER and ET are not obtainable for all species of
wood.
➢ The transverse modulus of elasticity is much less than the longitudinal
value (as little as 1/20)
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Strength Properties
➢ Strength properties of timber which are commonly measured for design
requirement includes-
• modulus of rupture in bending,
• compressive strength parallel to grain,
• compressive strength perpendicular to grain,
• shear strength parallel to grain etc.
➢ Modulus of rupture
• Reflects the maximum load carrying capacity of a member in bending
• Modulus of rupture is an accepted criterion of strength, although it is not a true
stress because the formula by which it is computed is valid only to the elastic
limit.
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Strength Properties
➢ Compressive strength parallel to grain
• Maximum stress sustained by a compression parallel-to-grain specimen
having a ratio of length to least dimension <11
➢ Compressive strength perpendicular to grain
• Reported as stress at proportional limit.
• There is no clearly defined ultimate stress for this property.
➢ Shear strength parallel to grain
• Ability to resist internal slipping of one part upon another along the grain.
• Average strength in radial and tangential shear planes represents the value of
this strength.
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Physical Properties of Wood
➢ The most common physical characteristics which affect the strength of
wood includes-
• Density
• Specific Gravity
• Shrinkage
• Moisture content
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Shrinkage
➢ Wood shrinks when losing moisture from the cell walls and swells when
gaining moisture in the cell walls thus changes dimension
➢ This shrinking and swelling can result in warping, cracking, splitting and
other performance problems and consequently reduce usefulness of the
wood product.
➢ With respect to shrinkage characteristics, wood is an anisotropic material.
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Shrinkage
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Moisture Content
➢ Itis defined as the weight of water in wood expressed as a fraction, usually
a percentage, of the weight of oven-dry wood.
➢ In all common applications, timber contains moisture.
➢ Moisture can exist in wood as –
• liquid water (free water / unbound water) or water vapor in cell lumens and
cavities
• water held chemically (bound water) within cell walls.
➢ Up to 25%–30% MC -chemically bound to the wood fibers.
➢ When wood dries, this unbound water is lost first.
➢ Loss of unbound water does not change its dimensions.
➢ As MC continues to reduce further, the bound water is lost from the wood
fibers, causing the wood to shrink.
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Felling of Trees
➢ Cutting of trees in order to get timber from them is called felling of trees.
➢ The following facts should be carefully considered while felling trees:
• Season of felling: Trees should be cut only when sap is not active, i.e., in
mid-summer and mid-winter. In autumn and spring sap is in vigorous motion,
hence felling should be avoided. For hilly region, mid-summer and for plain
areas, mid-winter are proper seasons for felling trees.
• Age of trees: Trees should be felled only when it has just attained maturity.
Under-aged trees would yield more of sapwood, while over-aged trees
develop certain defects in heartwood.
• Method of felling trees: Felling should be entrusted to an experienced
person. Before felling, slope of the tree is assessed and cut is given to the
stem on the side of the slope of the tree, as near to the ground as possible.
Then cut is made on the opposite side of the slope to fell the tree. If tree is to
be felled against the direction of the slope, ropes are tied to the tree and
pulled to the direction of felling by giving suitable cut to the stem.
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Felling of Trees
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Seasoning of Timber
➢ Seasoning of timber is the process of removing surplus moisture (in
excess of equilibrium moisture content) from freshly converted timber.
➢ Freshly felled timber contains a large quantity of moisture roughly from 100
to 250%, based on dry weight of wood.
➢ Seasoning should be the first step for the efficient utilization of timber.
➢ If the timber is used without seasoning, it is liable to shrink, warp and
crack, if used, and may even rot and decay. Hence, all timbers should be
used after proper seasoning.
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Advantages of Seasoning
➢ Seasoned timber is light.
➢ Improves strength properties.
➢ Easy to transport and handle.
➢ It makes the timber less liable to attack by insects and fungus.
➢ Reduces the tendency to shrink and warp.
➢ Can easily be worked with.
➢ A seasoned timber maintains the shape of timber product unchanged.
➢ Seasoning increases the power in timber to hold metal fasteners
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Types of Seasoning
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Air Seasoning
➢ As natural air remains circulating around each piece of the stack, this
method is known as air seasoning.
➢ In this method of seasoning timber, the sawn timber is stacked in dry place
about 30 cm above floor level with longitudinal and crosspieces arranged
one upon another, leaving a space of a few cm between, for free
circulation of air.
➢ To keep wood clear of the ground, a suitable foundation is provided.
➢ To protect the stacks of wood from direct sunlight stacks are kept under a
shade.
➢ Wood seasoned by this method is generally fit for carpenter’s work after
two years and for pointer’s work after nearly four years.
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Air Seasoning
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Advantages of Air seasoning
➢ Good quality of seasoned wood.
➢ No skilled supervision is required;
➢ Simple and cheap method of seasoning;
➢ Thick section can be successfully seasoned.
➢ A large amount is convenient in this process.
➢ Well-seasoned timber is formed.
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Disadvantages of Air seasoning
➢ It’sa slow process.
➢ It depends on climatic conditions, size and shape of the timber;
➢ Moisture cannot be brought to the desired level; Only dries to 20-22%
➢ Even under favorable conditions, it is difficult to reduce the moisture
content to suit the requirements of certain jobs.
➢ Timber may get damaged by insects and fungi during the seasoning
period.
➢ Splitting of exposed ends often occur
➢ Seasoning is non-uniform and uneven
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Water seasoning
➢ This method of seasoning timber consists in keeping logs of wood
completely immersed in a running stream of water.
➢ The thicker ends of the logs are kept pointing up-stream.
➢ By this process, the sap, sugar, gum etc., are leached out of the wood and
replaced by water.
➢ The logs are then taken out and left out to dry in an open place.
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Advantages and disadvantages of Water
seasoning
Advantages of Water seasoning:
➢ It is a quick process.
➢ Immersion in water causes more rapid and regular drying, thus the
tendency of wood to shrink or warp is reduced.
➢ As all the organic food materials present in the sap wood are washed off,
the wood is rendered less liable to be eaten away by worm or to decay by
dry rot.
Disadvantages
➢ The process reduces the elasticity and durability of the timber.
➢ The timber is rendered brittle.
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Artificial Seasoning
➢ The artificial methods of seasoning are quick, and the moisture contents
can be kept under control, which may vary from 4-12% depending upon
the tropical conditions of the region where the product is to be used.
➢ For dry region the water contents may be 4-6%, whereas in humid areas it
may be around 10%.
➢ The most common method of artificial seasoning is kiln seasoning method.
Drying rates in a kiln can be carefully controlled and defect losses reduced
to a minimum. Length of drying time is also greatly reduced and is
predictable so that dry lumber inventories can often be reduced. Where
staining is a problem, kiln drying is often the only reasonable method that
can be used unless chemical dips are employed.
➢ Other methods are chemical seasoning and electrical seasoning.
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Kiln Seasoning
➢ Kilnis a like large oven
➢ Timber is stacked on a trolley and wheeled in
➢ Steam is pumped in to heat the wood and maintain moisture levels
➢ The steam heats the timber but does not dry it out.
➢ Once heated, the relative humidity of the timber is reduced but the
heat maintained.
➢ Fans keep the air circulating
➢ This allows moisture in wood to evaporate until required moisture
content is reached.
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Kiln Seasoning
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Advantages and disadvantages of Kiln
Seasoning
Advantages of Kiln Seasoning
➢ Dries more quickly
➢ Final moisture content is lower
➢ Can be properly controlled.
➢ Defects associated with seasoning are minimized
Disadvantages of Kiln Seasoning
➢ Heating the kiln uses a lot of energy
➢ An expensive method
➢ Requires a skilled operator
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Seasoning by Boiling
➢ Seasoning by boiling wood logs in hot water is called seasoning by boiling.
➢ Drying is done after proper boiling.
➢ For a large amount of wood, it is done in an enclosed place where hot
steam is passed.
Advantages
➢ It takes a short amount of time (generally, 3-4 hours).
➢ Develops the strength and elasticity.
Disadvantages
➢ It is serviceable basically for a small quantity of wood, not convenient for a
large amount.
➢ The cost is high.
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Chemical seasoning
➢ Reduction of moisture using salt solution is called chemical
seasoning.
➢ After the absorption of water by the solution, logs are let to dry.
Advantage
➢ It increases the strength of the timber.
➢ It is less time-consuming.
Disadvantage
➢ Chemical reagents can sometimes reduce strength.
➢ It can cause a problem in gluing or finishing or corrosion while using.
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Electrical seasoning
➢ Dry wood is non-conductor of electricity while green timber is a conductor,
so, it can pass alternating current.
➢ In this method high powered AC is passed through timber. Timber gets
heated and dries out.
Advantage:
➢ Using this method quick drying is obtained.
➢ Used in manufacturing of plywood
Disadvantages:
➢ The equipment required is very costly.
➢ During heating the cells of wood or timber they lose their strength and become
weak.
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Natural Defects in Timber
➢ Several natural defects can be seen in Timber.
➢ This depends on the nature of soil upon which the tree grew and also on
the changes in nature to which it was subjected while growing.
➢ As far as possible, timber with these defects should be avoided or
removed during conversion for use.
➢ Following are the most common defects in timber:
• Shakes
• Knots
• Twisted fibers
• Rind gall
• Chemical stain etc.
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Shakes
➢ These are longitudinal separations in wood between the annual rings.
➢ These are cracks which partly or completely separate fibers of wood
➢ The separations make the wood undesirable when appearance is
important
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Knots
➢ These are the bases of branches or limbs which are broken or cut off from
the tree.
➢ The portion from which the branch is removed receives nourishment from
the stem for a pretty long time and it ultimately forms a dark hard rings
which are known as knots.
➢ As continuity of wood fibers are broken by knots, they form a source of
weakness
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Twisted Fibers
➢ These are known as wandering hearts and caused by twisting of young
trees by fast blowing wind.
➢ The timbers with twisted fibers is unsuitable for sawing
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Rind galls
➢ The rind means bark and gall indicates abnormal growth.
➢ Hence peculiar curved swelling found on the body of tree are known as
rind gall.
➢ They develop at points from where branches are improperly cut off or
removed.
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Chemical Stain
➢ The wood is sometimes discolored by the chemical action caused by some
external agency. This is known as chemical stain.
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Decay or Disease of Timber
➢ Occurs due to fungal action or insects; the fungi feeds on softwood and
converts it into powder;
➢ However, decay does not occur either due to any chemical action or due to
fermentation of sap.
➢ The main causes of timber decay are:
• Alternate dry and wet conditions;
• Defective seasoning of timber;
• Presence of fungi and insects such as beetles, termite, etc.
• Lack of ventilation;
• Dark and damp environmental condition.
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Timber Rot
➢ Itis a sort of timber decay. During rotting, disintegration of timber takes
place and gases like H2S, and CO2 are generated.
➢ The two most common forms of fungal decay are-
• dry rot and
• wet rot.
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Dry Rot
➢ Disintegration of converted timber by the harmful effects of certain fungi,
which feeds on timber and converts it into dry powder.
➢ If some timbers are affected by dry rot, the best way is to cut the affected
portion.
➢ Dry rot may be preserved by properly seasoning the timber and by
providing timber adequate ventilation.
➢ Detection: by tapping or scratching at one end and placing the ear at the
other end of log.
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Wet Rot
➢ It is the decomposition of timber caused by moisture;
➢ It is caused if alternate dry and wet conditions prevail around the timber;
➢ It is not caused by fungal attack;
➢ When unseasoned timbers are exposed to rain and wind, they are liable to
be attacked by wet rot.
➢ It is basically the timber decaying naturally in the presence of high levels of
moisture.
➢ In wet rot, the timbers get converted into grayish brown powder;
➢ Can be prevented by using well-seasoned timber; also using tarred or
painted timbers exposing to rain or water.
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Wet Rot
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Decay due to Insects
➢ Certain insects such as termites, larva etc. causes decay of timber.
➢ They build up mud tunnels to keep their movements covered and continue
their activity of eating into the wood under the surface.
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Preservation of Timber
➢ Preservation indicates an increase in life by developing resistance to
insect attack, fungal infection and disease of timbers;
➢ A preservative acts like a disinfectant;
➢ A seasoned timber, since dried, is hygroscopic and to prevent reabsorption
of moisture and to impart immunity, the tissues of dry/seasoned wood have
to be soaked with some type of a preservative;
➢ Seasoning, therefore, prepares a timber for preservative treatment by
driving away moisture and sap.
➢ A few preservatives are:
• charring, tarring, painting, creosoting, Wolman’s salt, ascu-treatment, vaccum-
pressure process, hot and cold process, Boucherie process etc.
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Factors Affect the Selection of Preservatives
➢ Theirtoxicity and poisonous effects;
➢ Permanency in their effect in treated wood;
➢ Should not be injurious to wood tissues;
➢ Cheaply available and safe to handle;
➢ Should allow a decorative treatment;
➢ Should not disfigure exposed surface of timber;
➢ Non-inflammable;
➢ Should have a good covering quality.
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Preservatives
Charring:
➢ Crude method; No special preservative is used;
➢ Timber kept wet for 0.5~1.0 hour and then burnt to a depth of 15-mm and
cooled with water;
➢ A coal layer is formed on the surface which performs preservative
functions;
➢ Layer is not affected by fungi, moisture or white ant;
➢ Used at lower ends of posts of timber.
Tarring:
➢ Application of a layer of hot tar on the surface;
➢ Generally applied to embedded ends of posts.
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Preservatives
Painting:
➢ Performs both aesthetic and preservative purposes.
➢ It protects the timber from the attack of white ants certain insecticides.
Creosoting:
➢ Creosotes are obtained by the distillation of coal, petroleum or wood
substances;
➢ Three types: Coal-tar creosote, water gas-tar and wood-tar creosote;
➢ Creosote oil is applied under pressure on wood surface;
➢ Used on piles, poles and railway sleepers, etc.
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Preservatives
Water soluble chemical salts:
➢ Used some chemical salts which are not toxic in nature and are also soluble in water;
➢ They are odorless and can be painted on drying;
➢ When appearance is important in wood, this type is most suitable;
➢ Wood treated with water soluble salts requires to be re-dried;
➢ The effects of these chemicals are lost gradually and so wood requires be painting or varnishing for surface
treatment;
➢ Cheaper than creosote treatment;
➢ Example: Zinc chloride treatment; Creosote oil + NaF known as Wolman’s salt.
Ascu-Treatment:
➢ Mixture of 3 parts of CuSO4.5H2O + 4 parts of K2Cr2O7.2H2O + 1 part of As2O5.2H2O
➢ The solution is prepared by mixing six parts of this powder to 100 parts of water by weight;
➢ The solution is then sprayed on the timber surface;
➢ After drying, the surface needs to be waxed, varnished, polished and painted;
➢ The solution is colorless.
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Artificial Timber
Veneer
➢ Thin sheets of timber of superior quality;
➢ Obtained by rotating wooden logs of the timber against a sharp knife of
rotary cutter;
➢ Thickness 0.4 to 6.0 mm or even more;
➢ After removing from parent logs, they are dried in kiln to remove moisture;
➢ Used for manufacturing of plywood.
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Artificial Timber
Plywood:
➢ Made from multiple veneers;
➢ Veneers are taken in odd numbers and are placed one above the other at
right angles in successive veneers;
➢ All veneers held together with the help of adhesives;
➢ 3-ply, 5-ply, 7-ply, etc. are available
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Artificial Timber
Advantages of plywood
➢ Very strong
➢ Smooth uniform finish
➢ Suffers little expansion or shrinkage due to change in moisture content;
➢ Light and available in large sizes;
➢ Available in decorative designs;
➢ Not liable to split and cracks;
➢ Easy to work with;
➢ Make use of costly timber in most economical manner.
Disadvantages of plywood
➢ Unattractive edge must be covered with a veneer, or a slip of wood
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Artificial Timber
Impreg timber:
➢ Impreg timber is timber fully or partly covered with resin. The impregnation process is
carried out by using autoclave, where chemicals are impregnated into timber using
vacuum and pressure.
➢ Laminates, formica, etc. are the examples of impreg timber.
➢ Impreg timbers are strong, durable, good looking and are not affected by moisture and
weather conditions.
➢ For this purpose, veneers are taken and immersed in resin. The resin fills in the wood
cells and a consolidated mass is developed. The mass is then cured at a temperature of
about 150 to 160°C.
➢ Strong, durable, good looking, weather resistant, electrically insulated and resist acidic
effects.
Compreg timber:
➢ Same as impreg timber; except, they are cured under pressure;
➢ More durable and strong than impreg timber.
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Fiber-board
➢ Manufactured from wood or other vegetable fibers; they are rigid boards of
thickness varying from 6 mm to 25 mm; width 1.2m and length 3.5 m;
➢ The pieces of woods, cane or other vegetable fibers are heated in a hot water
boiler; Due to boiling, the fibers get separated;
➢ These fibers are put in a vessel and steam is admitted in it under a pressure;
➢ The steam is then suddenly increased to 70 kg/cm2 and this pressure is
maintained for a few seconds;
➢ The steam pressure is suddenly dropped down; in doing so, the natural adhesive
contained in fibers is completely separated;
➢ Fibers are taken out of vessel and cleaned off all superfluous gums;
➢ They are spread on wire screen in form of loose sheets and pressed; the
resulting material is called fiberboard;
➢ Depending on their form and composition, they are classified as insulating
boards, medium hardboards, hardboards, super hardboards and laminated
boards.
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Fiber-board
➢ They may be used for following purposes:
• For the construction of walls panels and suspended ceilings;
• Construct partitions;
• Form-works;
• As insulating materials against heat and sound;
• As tabletops and for flush doors.
2/15/2024
