American hardwoods and their suitability for the indian market

American hardwoods and their suitability for the Indian market

A joint publication by the American Hardwood Export Counciland the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute

63345_AHEC_Cover_Spread.indd 1 26/01/2009 07:26

and growing…and growing.As the world faces up to environmental change, with sustainability the watchword for natural materials, the good news is that the net volume of hardwood growing stock in the USA has increased from 184,090 million cubic feet in 1953 to just under 400,000 million cubic feet in 2007.*

Against this backdrop, AHEC - the global promotion and marketing campaign for American hardwoods - commissioned a major independent research study on the risk of illegal wood entering the supply chain for American hardwood products. A crucial step in AHEC’s determination to set high standards of transparency in the international wood trade, the study is expected to set the standard for other areas of the world which are working towards verified and legal standards for their own resource.

With the forests continuing to grow and the new research study confirming once and for all, the USA is a low risk supplier of hardwood, AHEC is working towards more research initiatives, particularly related to sustainability, to reinforce its position as one of the key, reliable, long-term suppliers of hardwood to the world.

*Resource Planning Act Assessment 2007

The research study (An Assessment of Lawful Harvesting and Sustain-ability of US Hardwood Exports) can be viewed by visiting www.ahec-india.org

American hardwood just keeps on growing

Contacts & further information

STRUCTURAL DESIGN INAMERICAN HARDWOODS

HARDWOODREFERENCES

HARDWOOD REFERENCES

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is theleading international trade association of the UShardwood industry, representing the committedexporters of US hardwood companies and all the majorUS hardwood product trade associations. AHEC’spolicy is to develop worldwide markets for all speciesand thereby balance exports with what is growing inthe forest, now and in the future.

For further detailed technical information on Americanhardwood species, products, grading & applications,please visit www.ahec-india.org, where you can alsoorder free hard copies of the following publications:

The Indian Plywood Industries Research & TrainingInstitute (IPIRTI) is an autonomous body under theMinistry of Environment & Forest, Government of India.The Institute, which was started as a co-operativeresearch association of the plywood Industry and theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in1962, has evolved into a dynamic and creativeorganisation dedicated to developing newenvironmentally friendly technologies for the woodbased industry. It is an internationally recognised centreof expertise, with an exhaustive source of data andinformation in the area of wood science and technology,with particular reference to wood based panels.

American Hardwood Export Council - Europe, Middle East & India3 St Michael’s AlleyLondonEC3V 9DSUnited KingdomTel: +44 20 7626 4111Fax: +44 20 7626 4222www.ahec-india.org

Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training InstituteP.B. #-2273Tumkur roadYeshwanthpurBangalore-560022KarnatakaIndiaTel: +91 80 2839 4341Fax: +91 80 2839 6361www.ipirti.gov.in

Photograph AcknowledgementsFront cover Ian MacDonald • Contents John Aparicio (B) • Foreword Ian MacDonald • Page 4 Northwest Hardwoods (T) • Page 5 Northwest Hardwoods • Page 6 Courtesy of UK WoodAwards (B) • Page 7 John Aparicio (L) Dennis Gilbert (R) • Page 9 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (R)• Page 14 Ian MacDonald (T) Dennis Gilbert (B) • Page 15 RIVA 1920 (L) • Page 16 RichardDavies (T & B) • Page 17 Salamanca Consortium (L) • Page 18 Warren Corporation Photography(T) Johnny Boylan (B) • Page 19 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (L & R) • Page 20 RIVA 1920 (T)Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (B) • Page 21 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (L) • Page 23Courtesy of UK Wood Awards, John Marshall, Dennis Gilbert, Ali Parquet (L to R)

(B) = bottom; (T) = top; (L) = left; (R) = right


Contents2 Foreword

3 Introduction

4 American alder

6 American ash

8 American cherry

10 American hard maple

12 American soft maple

14 American red oak

16 American white oak

18 American tulipwood

20 American black walnut

22 Comparative tables & summary

24 Glossary of terms

25 Contacts and further information

This publication is protected by copyright. The information contained in the publication however, is designed for storage in retrieval systems andmay be reproduced. All other aspects of the publication, including photographs, may not be reproduced without AHEC’s prior permission. AHECtakes no responsibility for the information, which is offered as guidance only, and cannot be held responsible for any consequences.

63345_AHEC_Brochure:63345_AHEC_Brochure 22/1/09 19:48 Page 1

Foreword by Dr PandeyWhile demand for timber and timber products in the housing sector is increasing in India, the gapbetween demand and supply is widening due, in part, to the Forest Conservation Act. In contrast,American hardwoods, which are managed sustainably, are in surplus in the US domestic market andare exported all over the world. With the Indian government’s liberalization policy on the import ofwood products, the American hardwood industry has great potential and products to developmarkets for American hardwood species in India for joinery, furniture and flooring applications.

In order to help increase theknowledge and acceptance ofAmerican hardwood species in India,the American Hardwood ExportCouncil (AHEC) identified the need fora competent authority to exhaustivelytest the suitability of US hardwoodspecies in accordance with therelevant Indian Standards for differentend use applications. As a first step inthis direction, AHEC asked the IndianPlywood Industries Research &Training Institute (IPIRTI), which hasthe necessary infrastructure andexpertise, to examine the suitability ofnine US hardwood species and submitthe results with recommendations.

This joint AHEC/IPIRTI publicationsummarises the physicalcharacteristics and potentialapplications for nine key commercialUS hardwood species. The resultsclearly demonstrate that these speciescan offer Indian designers andmanufacturers new opportunities todevelop sustainable hardwoodproducts, that are fashionable and canperform to the highest standards

C N PandeyDirector, IPIRTI

American hardwoodsand their suitability for theIndian market


IntroductionThe hardwood forests of the eastern United States contain a wide range of temperatehardwood species, that have been managed for commercial and non-commercial purposessince the turn of the 20th Century.

The hardwood sawmilling and processing industry, which depends upon this resource, is the largestproducer of sawn hardwood in the world. In recent years the USA has substantially increased exportsand through careful management of its forests, the United States is growing more hardwood eachyear than it harvests, ensuring reliable and long term supplies. In fact, as the world faces up toenvironmental change, with sustainability the watchword for natural materials, the good news is thatthe net volume of hardwood growing stock in the USA has increased from 184,090 million cubic feetin 1953 to just under 400,000 million cubic feet in 2007*.

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is the leading international trade association of theUS hardwood industry, representing the committed exporters of US hardwood companies and all themajor US hardwood product trade associations. AHEC’s policy is to develop worldwide markets forall species and thereby balance exports with what is growing in the forest, now and in the future.

The American hardwood industry is now seeking to develop a market for US hardwoods in India. Withthis in mind, AHEC decided to sponsor the testing of the most commercially available Americanhardwood species at the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPIRTI) in Bangaloreand to produce a publication of test results and their suitability for end use applications. Thispublication is designed to help specifiers and manufacturers to understand the physical andmechanical properties and potential applications of American hardwoods, thereby giving them thenecessary tools to make an informed choice.

Nine species were chosen out of a possible twenty-two or so commercial hardwoods and this choicewas made on the basis of their wide availability for export. The nine were as follows:

American alder (Alnus rubra), American ash (Fraxinus spp), American cherry (Prunus serotina),American hard maple (Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum), American soft maple (Acer rubrum, Acersaccharinum), American red oak (Quercus spp), American white oak (Quercus spp), Americantulipwood (Liriodendron tulipifera), American black walnut (Juglans nigra)

All nine species underwent a series of rigorous testing under strict IPIRTI laboratory conditions.These were designed to evaluate both their physical and mechanical properties, as well as theirdurability, sound absorption and working properties. A minimum number of 20 samples of eachhardwood species were tested. Physical properties, such as specific gravity, average weight andshrinkage were carried out in accordance with Indian Standard IS 1708:1986. Mechanical properties,such as bending, compression, tension and hardness were also carried out in accordance with IndianStandard IS 1708:1986. The sound absorption coefficients for each of the nine species wereevaluated according to Indian Standard IS 10420:1982.

Durability analysis was carried out using accelerated tests against fungus, borers and termites.American hardwood species are more widely used for interior applications, as most species havelimited levels of natural durability. However, many of them can be treated with preservatives forexternal use, although further research will be needed to assess this potential with the Indian market.

The results of the tests for each of the nine US hardwood species, are shown in the following pages.

N.B. All values shown in this publication are based on the results of the IPIRTI testing programmeand should be taken as a guide only, due to the limited number of samples used and the diversitywithin and geographical size of the US hardwood forest resource.

*Resource Planning Act Accessment 2007


4

American alder Alnus rubra

Other names: Red alder, Western red alder, Western alder

Specific gravity (12% MC) 0.52

Average weight (8-10% MC) 557 Kg/m3

Average volumetric shrinkage 4.91%

Modulus of Rupture 75.81 MPa

Modulus of Elasticity 9477 MPa

Compressive strength (parallel to grain) 62.4 MPa

Tensile strength (parallel to grain) 71.0 MPa

Hardness (tangential) 2816 N

Poor Fair Good Excellent

Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

Working PropertiesRed alder machines well andis excellent for turning andpolishing. It nails, screws andglues well, and can besanded, painted, or stainedto a very good finish. It drieseasily with little degrade andhas good dimensionalstability after drying.

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesRed alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density thathas low bending strength, shock resistance and stiffness.

Distribution & AvailabilityWest coast USA, principally the Pacific North West, where it is the most common commercialhardwood. Available in a range of grades and specifications as both rough lumber and dimensionstock, although veneer production is more limited.

General DescriptionRed alder is almost white when freshly cut but quicklychanges on exposure to air to light brown with a yellow orreddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees ofadvanced age and there is no visible boundary between sapand heartwood. The wood is fairly straight grained with auniform texture.


5

Coefficients at frequency (Hz)

125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.02 0.04 0.07 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.09 0.08 0.10 0.12

End use application Suitability

Tool handles �

Joinery & furniture �

Doors & shutters �

Sports goods �

Kitchen cabinets �

Panelling �

Heavy duty block flooring �

Parquet flooring �

Strip or plank flooring �

Sound Absorption

DurabilityThe wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay, liable to attack by the common furniture beetle butis permeable for preservation treatment.

Suitability for EndUsesFurniture, kitchen cabinets, doors,interior mouldings, turning, carvingand kitchen utensils.


6

American ash Fraxinus spp

Other names: Northern ash, Southern ash

Working PropertiesAsh machines well, is goodin nailing, screwing andgluing, and can be stainedand polished to a very goodfinish. It dries fairly easily with minimal degrade, andthere is little movement inperformance.

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesAsh has very good overall strength properties relative to its weight. It hasexcellent shock resistance and is good for steam bending.

General DescriptionAmerican ash is similar in appearance to European ash. Thesapwood is light coloured to nearly white and the heartwoodvaries from greyish brown to light brown, to pale yellowstreaked with brown. The wood is generally straight grainedwith a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability oflight coloured sapwood, and other properties, will varyaccording to the growing regions.


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

Distribution & AvailabilityDistributed throughout Eastern USA. Good availability as lumber and veneer. The lumber is oftenclassified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern ash and Southern ash. It issometimes separated for colour and sold as white ash (sapwood) or brown ash (heartwood). Fraxinusnigra, black ash, may also be sold as brown ash. Available in a wide range of grades andspecifications as lumber and veneer.










7


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.04 0.09 0.11 0.09 0.14 0.10 0.10 0.13 0.16


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityNon-resistant to heartwood decay. The sapwood is liable to attack by powder post and the commonfurniture beetle. The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment, and the sapwoodis permeable.

Suitability for EndUsesFurniture, flooring, doors,architectural interiors, high classjoinery and moulding, kitchencabinets, panelling, tool handles,sports goods and turning.


8

American cherry Prunus serotina

Other names: American black cherry

WorkingPropertiesCherry is easy to machine,nails and glues well andwhen sanded, stained andpolished, it produces anexcellent smooth finish. Itdries fairly quickly withmoderately large shrinkage,but is dimensionally stableafter kilning.

Distribution & AvailabilityThroughout Eastern USA. Main commercial areas are Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and NewYork State. Widely available in a full range of specifications and grades as both lumber and veneer.


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing









General DescriptionThe heartwood of American cherry varies from rich red toreddish brown and will darken on exposure to light. Incontrast the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fineuniform straight grain, smooth texture, and may naturallycontain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesThe wood is of medium density with good wood bending properties, ithas low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.


9


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.13


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityRated as resistant to heartwood decay. The sapwood is liable to attack by common furniture beetle,and the heartwood moderately resistant to preservative treatment.

Suitability for EndUsesFurniture and cabinet making, highclass joinery, kitchen cabinets,mouldings, panelling, flooring,doors, boat interiors, musicalinstruments, turning and carving.


10

American hard maple Other names: Sugar maple, black maple

WorkingPropertiesHard maple dries slowly witha large shrinkage, so it canbe susceptible to movementin performance. Pre-boring isrecommended when nailingand screwing. With care itmachines well, turns well,glues satisfactorily, and canbe stained and polished toan outstanding finish.

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesThe wood is hard and heavy with good strength properties, in particular itshigh resistance to abrasion and wear. It also has good steam bendingproperties.

General DescriptionThe sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish browntinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddishbrown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can varysignificantly according to growing region. Both sapwoodand heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a closefine texture and is generally straight grained, but it can alsooccur as “curly”, “fiddleback”, and “birds-eye” figure.


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum

Distribution & AvailabilityEastern USA, principally Mid-Atlantic and Lake States. A cold weather tree favouring a moreNortherly climate. Widely available as lumber and veneer. The higher quality grades of lumber areavailable selected for white colour (sapwood) although this can limit availability. Figured maple (birds-eye, curly, fiddleback) is generally only available in commercial volumes as veneer.










11


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.07 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.13


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityRated as slightly or non-resistant to heartwood decay. Sapwood is liable to attack by furniture beetle.The heartwood is resistant to preservative treatment but the sapwood is permeable.

Suitability for EndUsesFlooring (including high trafficapplications such as gymnasiumsand basketball courts), furniture,panelling, kitchen cabinets,worktops and table tops, interiorjoinery: stairs, handrails, mouldings,and doors.


12

American soft maple Other names: Red maple, silver maple

WorkingPropertiesSoft maple machines welland can be stained andpolished to an excellentfinish. It glues, screws, andnails satisfactorily. It driesslowly with minimal degradeand there is little movementin performance.

Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing









Physical & Mechanical PropertiesSoft maple is about 25% less hard than hard maple, has medium bendingand crushing strength, and is low in stiffness and shock resistance. It hasgood steam bending properties.

Distribution & AvailabilityThroughout Eastern USA, and to a lesser extent on the West coast (bigleaf maple or Acermacrophyllum). Availability is improving as demand increases.

General DescriptionIn most respects the wood of soft maple is very similar tothat of hard maple. Although due to its widespread growthit may be more susceptible to regional colour variations.Generally the sapwood is greyish white, sometimes withdarker coloured pith flecks. The heartwood varies from lightto dark reddish brown. The wood is usually straight grained.The lumber is generally sold unselected for colour.


13


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.03 0.05 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.06 0.07 0.09 0.11


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityNon-resistant to decay and insect attack. The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservativetreatment but the sapwood is permeable.

Suitability for EndUsesFurniture, panelling, interior joinery,kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors,musical instruments, and turning.Soft maple is often used as asubstitute for hard maple or stainedto resemble other species such ascherry. Its physical and workingproperties also make it a possiblesubstitute for beech.


14

WorkingPropertiesRed oak machines well,nailing and screwing is goodalthough pre-boring isrecommended, and it can bestained and polished to avery good finish. It driesslowly with a tendency tosplit and warp. It has a highshrinkage and can besusceptible to movement inperformance.

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesThe wood is hard and heavy, with medium bending strength and stiffness andhigh crushing strength. It is very good for steam bending.

American red oak Quercus spp

Other names: Northern red oak, Southern red oak


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

General DescriptionThe sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and theheartwood is a pinkish reddish brown. The wood is similarin general appearance to white oak, but with a slightly lesspronounced figure due to the smaller rays. The wood ismostly straight grained, with a coarse texture.

Distribution & AvailabilityWidespread throughout Eastern USA. The oaks are by far the largest species group growing in theeastern hardwood forests. Red oaks grow more abundantly than the white oaks. The red oak groupcomprises many species, of which about eight are commercial. Good availability as lumber andveneer in a wide range of grades and specifications. Red oak is often classified according to growingregions and marketed as Northern red oak, and Southern red oak.










15


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.03 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.15


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityRated slightly non-resistant to heartwood decay, moderately easy to treat with preservatives.

Suitability for EndUsesConstruction, furniture, flooring,architectural interiors, internaljoinery and mouldings, doors,kitchen cabinets, panelling, coffinsand caskets. Not suitable for tightcooperage. Red oak can vary incolour, texture, characteristics andproperties according to the growingregion. It is therefore recommendedthat users and specifiers workclosely with their suppliers to makesure the wood they order is suited totheir specific needs.


16

WorkingPropertiesWhite oak machines well,nails and screws well althoughpre-boring is advised. As itreacts with iron, galvanisednails are recommended. Itsadhesive properties arevariable, but it stains andpolishes to a good finish. Thewood dries slowly and care isneeded to avoid checking.Due to its high shrinkage, itcan be susceptible tomovement in performance.

American white oak Quercus spp

Other names: Northern white oak, Southern white oak


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing









Physical & Mechanical PropertiesA hard and heavy wood with medium bending and crushing strength, lowin stiffness, but very good in steam bending.

General DescriptionWhite oak is similar in colour and appearance to Europeanoak. The sapwood of American white oak is light colouredand the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak ismostly straight grained with a medium to coarse texture,with longer rays than red oak. White oak therefore has morefigure.

Distribution & AvailabilityWidespread throughout Eastern USA. The white oak group comprises many species, of which abouteight are commercial. Very widely available in lumber and veneer, in a full range of grades andspecifications.


17


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.11


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityThe heartwood is resistant to decay, extremely resistant to preservative treatment, and the sapwoodis moderately resistant to treatment. Its natural durability means that white oak heartwood can beused externally without preservative treatment.

Suitability for EndUsesConstruction, furniture, flooring,architectural joinery, exterior joinery,mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets,panelling, railway sleepers, timberbridges, barrel staves, coffins andcaskets. White oak can vary incolour, texture, characteristics andproperties according to the growingregion. It is therefore recommendedthat users and specifiers workclosely with their suppliers to makesure the wood they order is suited totheir specific needs. Northern andSouthern may be sold separately.


18

American tulipwood Liriodendron tulipifera

Other names: Yellow poplar, tulip poplar

WorkingPropertiesA versatile timber that is easyto machine, plane, turn, glueand bore. It dries easily withminimal movement inperformance and has littletendency to split whennailed. It takes and holdspaint, enamel and stainexceptionally well.


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesA medium density wood with low bending, shock resistance, stiffness andcompression values, with a medium steam bending classification.

Distribution & AvailabilityWidespread throughout Eastern USA. Widely available in a full range of standard thicknesses andspecifications in lumber and veneer form. Tulipwood is one of the larger trees in the US forest andcan produce wider and longer specifications that are relatively knot free.

General DescriptionThe sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked with theheartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. Thegreen colour in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposureto light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine textureand is straight grained. The size of the sapwood and somephysical characteristics will vary according to growing regions.The wood has many desirable characteristics and is suitable fora wide variety of important uses. Tulipwood is not a poplar andhas many superior properties. However the tree resembles theshape of the European poplar, hence its name in the USA.










19


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.03 0.08 0.13 0.11 0.12 0.15 0.14 0.17 0.21 0.27


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityNon-resistant to decay, heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment, sapwood ispermeable. The absorptive properties of tulipwood means that it is potentially ideal for preservativetreatment.

Suitability for EndUsesLight construction, furniture, interiorjoinery, kitchen cabinets, doors,panelling, mouldings, edged-gluedpanels, plywood (USA), turning andcarving.


20

American black walnut Juglans nigra

Other names: Black walnut, American walnut

WorkingPropertiesWalnut works easily withhand and machine tools, andnails, screws and glues well.It holds paint and stain verywell and can be polished toan exceptional finish. It driesslowly, and care is needed toavoid kilning degrade.Walnut has gooddimensional stability.


Sawing

Planing

Drilling

Boring

Turning

Carving

Moulding

Nailing

Screwing

Gluing

Finishing

Physical & Mechanical PropertiesWalnut is a tough hard timber of medium density, with moderate bendingand crushing strengths and low stiffness. It has a good steam bendingclassification.

Distribution & AvailabilityThroughout eastern USA, but principal commercial region is the central United States. One of thefew American species planted as well as naturally regenerated. Reasonable availability in bothlumber and veneer.

General DescriptionThe sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while theheartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown,occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnutcan be supplied steamed, to darken sapwood or leftunsteamed. The wood is generally straight grained, butsometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces anattractive and decorative figure. The dark heartwood willlighten in colour as it ages with exposure to light.










21


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

0.01 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.11


Tool handles �



Sports goods �


Panelling �




Sound Absorption

DurabilityRated as very resistant to heartwood decay, it is one of the most durable woods even underconditions favourable to decay. Sapwood liable to attack by powder post beetles.

Suitability for EndUsesFurniture, cabinet making,architectural interiors, high classjoinery, doors, flooring, andpanelling. A favoured wood for usingin contrast with lighter colouredtimbers.


Hard Soft Red White Alder Ash Cherry maple maple oak oak Tulipwood Walnut

Specific gravity(12% MC) 0.52 0.62 0.48 0.65 0.55 0.66 0.59 0.53 0.53

Average weight(8-10% MC),Kg/m3 557 672 521 700 599 730 634 547 569

Average volumetricshrinkage, % 4.91 4.62 3.57 4.20 3.71 5.2 3.55 4.31 3.89

Modulus ofRupture, MPa 75.81 121.55 85.73 111.58 102.64 101.65 114.47 97.67 111.45

Modulus ofElasticity, MPa 9477 12169 8848 11111 9883 10808 10582 11226 11508

Compressivestrength, MPa (parallel to grain) 62.4 67.3 55.6 64.8 53.9 58.8 54.1 51.7 53.8

Tensile strength,MPa (parallel tograin) 71.0 152.9 71.5 124.8 111.3 139.03 108.4 99.1 101.6

Hardness(tangential), N 2816 6388 3073 7002 5250 5845 5660 3366 3283

22

Comparative tablesFor comparison, the physical, mechanical, working and sound absorption properties of the ninetested species are shown in the following tables:

Physical & mechanical properties

Working properties

Hard Soft White Alder Ash Cherry maple maple Red oak oak Tulipwood Walnut

Sawing Good Fair Good Excellent Excellent Good Good Good Fair

Planing Good Fair Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Good Good Good

Drilling Good Fair Excellent Good Good Excellent Excellent Good Good

Boring Good Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good Good Fair

Turning Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Good Good Good Fair Excellent

Carving Good Good Excellent Good Good Good Good Good Good

Moulding Good Good Excellent Good Good Good Good Good Good

Nailing Good Good Good Fair Good Good Good Good Good

Screwing Good Good Good Fair Good Good Good Good Good

Gluing Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good

Finishing Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent


23

Sound absorption properties

SummaryBased upon the tests carried out by IPIRTI, the suitability of the nine American hardwood speciesfor various end use applications is as follows:


125 250 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

Alder 0.02 0.04 0.07 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.09 0.08 0.10 0.12

Ash 0.01 0.04 0.09 0.11 0.09 0.14 0.10 0.10 0.13 0.16

Cherry 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.13

Hard maple 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.07 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.13

Soft maple 0.01 0.03 0.05 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.06 0.07 0.09 0.11

Red oak 0.01 0.03 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.11 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.15

White oak 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.05 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.11

Tulipwood 0.03 0.08 0.13 0.11 0.12 0.15 0.14 0.17 0.21 0.27

Walnut 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.11

Heavy Strip orTool Joinery Doors & Sports Kitchen duty block Parquet Plank

Species handles & furniture shutters goods cabinets Panelling flooring flooring flooring

Alder � � � � � � � � �

Ash � � � � � � � � �

Cherry � � � � � � � � �

Hard maple � � � � � � � � �

Soft maple � � � � � � � � �

Red oak � � � � � � � � �

White oak � � � � � � � � �

Tulipwood � � � � � � � � �

Walnut � � � � � � � � �


Glossary of terms

24

Checks: Longitudinal separation of the fibres inwood that do not go through thewhole cross section. Checks resultfrom tension stresses during thedrying process.

Compressive The ability to resist a force tendingStrength: to shorten a structural member by

crushing the fibres longitudinally.Decay: The decomposition of wood

substance by fungi (other terms: rot,dote)

Density: Weight per unit volume. Density ofwood is influenced by rate of growth,percentage of late wood and inindividual pieces, the proportion of theheartwood.

Durability: The resistance of wood to attack bydecay fungi, insects and marineborers.

Dimensional A term that describes whether aStability: section of wood will resist changes in

volume with variation in moisturecontent (other term: movement inperformance).

Figure: The pattern produced in a woodsurface by annual growth rings, rays,knots, deviations from regular grain,such as interlocked and wavy, andirregular colouration.

Grain: The direction, size, arrangement,appearance, or quality of the fibres insawn wood. Straight grain is used todescribe lumber where the fibres andother longitudinal elements run parallelto the axis of the piece.

Gum Pocket: An excessive local accumulation ofresin or gum in the wood.

Hardness: The resistance of the wood againstindentation and abrasion. Values aregiven in Newtons (N) and are ameasure of the load required toembed a 11.3mm ball to one half itsdiameter in the wood.

Hardwood: A description applied to woods fromdeciduous and evergreen broad-leaved trees (Angiosperms). The termhas no reference to the actualhardness of the wood.

Heartwood: The inner layers of wood in growingtrees that have ceased to containliving cells. Heartwood is generallydarker than sapwood, but the two arenot always clearly differentiated.

Modulus of An imaginary stress necessary toElasticity: stretch a piece of material to twice its

length or compress it to half its length.

Values for the individual species aregiven in megapascals (MPa -equivalentto N/mm2), and are based on testingsmall clear pieces of dry wood.

Modulus of The equivalent fibre stress atRupture: maximum load. A constant used in

structural design and obtained byloading pieces of wood to destruction.

Moisture The weight of water contained inContent (MC): wood expressed as a percentage of

the weight of the oven dry wood.Pith Flecks: Pith-like irregular discoloured streaks

of tissue in wood, due to insect attackon the growing tree.

Sapwood: The outer zone of wood in a tree, nextto the bark. Sapwood is generallylighter than heartwood, and lacksresistance to decay.

Shrinkage: The contraction of wood fibres causedby drying below the fibre saturationpoint (usually around 25- 27% MC).Valves are expressed as a percentageof the dimension of the wood whengreen.

Specific The relative weight of a substance Gravity: compared with that of an equal

volume of water. S.G. values given arebased on wood volume at 12% M.C.and oven dry weight.

Split: Separation of the fibres in a piece ofwood from face to face (other term:end-split).

Stain: A variation from the natural colourofthe wood or a discolouration that maybe caused by microorganisms, metalor chemicals. The term also applies tomaterials used to impart colour towood.

Tensile The ability to resist a force acting onStrength: a member and tending to lengthen the

member or pull the fibres apartlengthwise.

Texture: Determined by relative size anddistribution of the wood elements.Described as coarse (large elements),fine (small elementor even (uniformsize of elements).

Warp: Distortion in lumber causing departurefrom its original plane, usuallydeveloped during drying. Warpincludes cup, bow, crook and twist.

Weight: The weight of dry wood depends uponthe cellular space, ie the proportion ofwood substance to air space. Valuesare given for each species in kg/m3 at12% MC.


and growing…and growing.As the world faces up to environmental change, with sustainability the watchword for natural materials, the good news is that the net volume of hardwood growing stock in the USA has increased from 184,090 million cubic feet in 1953 to just under 400,000 million cubic feet in 2007.*

Against this backdrop, AHEC - the global promotion and marketing campaign for American hardwoods - commissioned a major independent research study on the risk of illegal wood entering the supply chain for American hardwood products. A crucial step in AHEC’s determination to set high standards of transparency in the international wood trade, the study is expected to set the standard for other areas of the world which are working towards verified and legal standards for their own resource.

With the forests continuing to grow and the new research study confirming once and for all, the USA is a low risk supplier of hardwood, AHEC is working towards more research initiatives, particularly related to sustainability, to reinforce its position as one of the key, reliable, long-term suppliers of hardwood to the world.

*Resource Planning Act Assessment 2007

The research study (An Assessment of Lawful Harvesting and Sustain-ability of US Hardwood Exports) can be viewed by visiting www.ahec-india.org

American hardwood just keeps on growing

Contacts & further information

STRUCTURAL DESIGN INAMERICAN HARDWOODS

HARDWOODREFERENCES

HARDWOOD REFERENCES

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is theleading international trade association of the UShardwood industry, representing the committedexporters of US hardwood companies and all the majorUS hardwood product trade associations. AHEC’spolicy is to develop worldwide markets for all speciesand thereby balance exports with what is growing inthe forest, now and in the future.

For further detailed technical information on Americanhardwood species, products, grading & applications,please visit www.ahec-india.org, where you can alsoorder free hard copies of the following publications:

The Indian Plywood Industries Research & TrainingInstitute (IPIRTI) is an autonomous body under theMinistry of Environment & Forest, Government of India.The Institute, which was started as a co-operativeresearch association of the plywood Industry and theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in1962, has evolved into a dynamic and creativeorganisation dedicated to developing newenvironmentally friendly technologies for the woodbased industry. It is an internationally recognised centreof expertise, with an exhaustive source of data andinformation in the area of wood science and technology,with particular reference to wood based panels.

American Hardwood Export Council - Europe, Middle East & India3 St Michael’s AlleyLondonEC3V 9DSUnited KingdomTel: +44 20 7626 4111Fax: +44 20 7626 4222www.ahec-india.org

Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training InstituteP.B. #-2273Tumkur roadYeshwanthpurBangalore-560022KarnatakaIndiaTel: +91 80 2839 4341Fax: +91 80 2839 6361www.ipirti.gov.in

Photograph AcknowledgementsFront cover Ian MacDonald • Contents John Aparicio (B) • Foreword Ian MacDonald • Page 4 Northwest Hardwoods (T) • Page 5 Northwest Hardwoods • Page 6 Courtesy of UK WoodAwards (B) • Page 7 John Aparicio (L) Dennis Gilbert (R) • Page 9 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (R)• Page 14 Ian MacDonald (T) Dennis Gilbert (B) • Page 15 RIVA 1920 (L) • Page 16 RichardDavies (T & B) • Page 17 Salamanca Consortium (L) • Page 18 Warren Corporation Photography(T) Johnny Boylan (B) • Page 19 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (L & R) • Page 20 RIVA 1920 (T)Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (B) • Page 21 Courtesy of UK Wood Awards (L) • Page 23Courtesy of UK Wood Awards, John Marshall, Dennis Gilbert, Ali Parquet (L to R)

(B) = bottom; (T) = top; (L) = left; (R) = right


American hardwoods and their suitability for the Indian market

A joint publication by the American Hardwood Export Counciland the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute


Date post:	11-May-2015
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American hardwoods and their suitability for the indian market

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