Longitudinal shrinkage behaviour of compression wood in radiata pine

The behaviour of longitudinal shrinkage was investigated in the corewood of a swept, 17-year-old New Zealand radiata pine stem. Wood categories in terms of normal wood, mild compression wood and severe compression wood were identified microscopically using autofluorescence of lignin. Average longitudinal shrinkage was collated according to corewood location and wood category within corewood in the leaning and the vertical parts of the stem, and then maximum radial difference of longitudinal shrinkage within growth ring was examined. The results show that the average longitudinal shrinkage is significant (2.4%) in the corewood of the leaning part of the stem. Among wood categories, severer compression wood displays the highest (2.9%) average longitudinal shrinkage. In the context of this study, growth rings may consist of one of three types of wood: (1) only normal wood; (2) a single compression wood type; and (3) mixed-type wood. Where multiple compression woods co-existed with normal wood, the maximum radial difference of longitudinal shrinkage within the growth ring was found to be 4.0%. A strong correlation (R ² = 0.90) between average MFA and average longitudinal shrinkage suggests a significant influence of the average MFA on average longitudinal shrinkage across the three growth ring types.     

Transverse shrinkage in maritime pine juvenile wood

Summary This paper reports experimental results concerning the transverse shrinkage variability within and between trees of two samples composed of 17 eleven-year-old and 20 twenty-year-old maritime pine trees harvested in two stands at the Forest Research Centre of INRA Pierroton in Aquitaine. The within tree variations are divided into a height effect and a radial effect, both related to the occurrence of juvenile wood. It is shown that the tangential shrinkage and the anisotropic ratio between radial and tangential dimensional variations are increasing from the top to the base of the stems (+14.9% and +16.9%, respectively), and that this effect is independent of the tree. The variations from the pith outward are also significant for these parameters (+25.0% for at and –9.5% for the ratio) and for the radial shrinkage (+37.2% ), but in this case, the amplitude of the effect is depending on a tree effect. The relationship between shrinkage and density is also studied, showing poorly significant correlation when considering each sampling positions independently.     

Flexural strength and stiffness of southern pine plywood

Summary New information is presented that concerns flexural strength and stiffness of southern pine plywood and verification of a method developed by the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory for predicting properties of plywood. This method can predict, with sufficient accuracy, properties of southern pine plywood despite the large natural variability of veneer of this species and other variables. Strength and stiffness between 3-ply and 5-ply plywood with face grain parallel to span are compared. In addition, strength and stiffness between plywood and unidirectionally laminated veneer with same number of plies and total thickness are compared.This research was supported jointly by Federal funds under the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Reserach Act (P.L. 87-788), Alabama Project No. 910 and Alabama State appropriated research funds.     

Efficiency of early selection for rotation-aged wood quality traits in radiata pine

A total of 360 bark-to-bark-through-pith wood strips were sampled at breast height from 180 trees in 30 open-pollinated families from two rotation-aged genetic trials to study inheritance, age-age genetic correlation, and early selection efficiency for wood quality traits in radiata pine. Wood strips were evaluated by SilviScan® and annual pattern and genetic parameters for growth, wood density, microfibril angle (MFA), and stiffness (modulus of elasticity: MOE) for early to rotation ages were estimated. Annual ring growth was the largest between ages 2–5 years from pith, and decreased linearly to ages 9–10. Annual growth was similar and consistent at later ages. Wood density was the lowest near the pith, increased steadily to age 11–15 years, then was relatively stable after these ages. MFA was highest (35°) near the pith and reduced to about 10° at age 10–15 years. MFA was almost unchanged at later ages. MOE increased from about 2.5 GPa near the pith to about 20 GPa at ages 11–15 years. MOE was relatively unchanged at later ages. Wood density and MOE were inversely related to MFA. Heritability increased from zero near the pith and stabilised at ages 4 or 5 for all four growth and wood quality traits (DBH, density, MFA and MOE). Across age classes, heritability was the highest for area-weighted density and MFA, lowest for DBH, and intermediate for MOE. Age-age genetic correlations were high for the four traits studied. The genetic correlation reached 0.8 after age 7 for most traits. Early selection for density, MFA and MOE were very effective. Selection at age 7–8 has similar effectiveness as selection conducted at rotation age for MFA and MOE and at least 80% effective for wood density.     

Effects of strain-rate on the transverse strength of Pinus radiata wood

Summary The effects of strain-rate, moisture content, and bulk density on the transverse fracture properties of Pinus radiata wood are described. As the strain-rate is increased from 2×10^-6 sec^-1 to 10² sec^-1, the strengths of both wet and airdry woods increase, with the greater increase occuring in wet wood. At the same time, the failure strain tends to decrease. The energy absorbed by airdry wood decreases, and that absorbed by wet wood increases. An explanation of the variation of strength with strain-rate is developed. Initially the measured strength of latewood is related to the strength of the compound middle lamella matrix connecting adjacent tracheids, and then by making the assumption that wood failure occurs when a certain proportion of the load bearing hydrogen bonds in the matrix have failed, and by applying reaction rate theory to the formation and rupture of the stressed hydrogen bonds, a strength versus time to failure relationship that is in good agreement with the experimental data is derived.The work described below was carried out at the Physics and Engineering Laboratory as part of a PhD research program at the Victoria University of Wellington.     

油松株内幼龄材与成熟材材性的比较研究

本文就中条山油松株内幼龄材与成熟材材性差异的比较研究,讨论对幼龄期划分的依据。根据木材解剖特征、物理力学性质的径向变异规律,确定其幼龄期为14年。随着树干高度的增加,油松木材幼龄期逐渐缩短、株内幼龄材范围及所占断面上的比例变小。株内幼龄材与成熟材材性差异显著。幼龄材管胞长度短、直径小,胞壁薄,微纤丝角度大,生长轮较宽,晚材率低,浸提物含量高,基本密度较大。幼龄材的力学强度远远小于成熟材。     

Impregnation of radiata pine wood by vacuum treatment II: effect of pre-steaming on wood structure and resin content

Radiata pine sapwood and heartwood were dried using high-temperature, conventional-temperature, and air drying schedules with and without pre-steaming. They were then impregnated by vacuum treatment with double-distilled water, toluidine blue, and fluorescein dye. For sapwood, there were only minor differences in uptake between drying methods and when pre-steaming was used. Using microscopy, the primary flow pathways in sapwood were found to be the resin canal network and ray parenchyma cells, which provided conduction without large resistance. In heartwood, uptake was strongly influenced by pre-steaming the green lumber. After pre-steaming heart-wood, there was an increase in uptake from all surfaces but especially from the radial surfaces. Lower extractive contents, disruption of epithelial and ray parenchyma cells, and alteration of the condition of bordered pits were also associated with pre-steaming. It was therefore possible to classify flow paths in radiata pine heartwood five ways, according to uptake values and wood anatomical features.This research was presented in part at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998.     

Physiological responses of radiata pine roots to soil strength and soil water deficit

We investigated physiological responses of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) roots to soil strength and soil water deficit by measuring the osmotic potential (Psi(pi)) and yield turgor (Y) in the elongation zone of root segments of seedlings growing (i) in polyethylene glycol 4000-containing rooting solution of different water potentials (Psi(s)) and (ii) in soil of different soil strengths (Q) at the same soil matric potential (Psi(m)). Root elongation rate (Deltal/Deltat) decreased progressively with decreasing Psi(s) and was associated with decreased Psi(pi) and decreased turgor pressure (P). Osmotic adjustment occurred at Psi(s) < -0.2 MPa. Over a range in Psi(s) of -0.01 to -1.0 MPa, Psi(pi) fell 0.3 MPa whereas P fell 0.7 MPa. Mean Psi in the solution experiment was 0.37 MPa and did not differ significantly with Psi(s) (P = 0.10). Root elongation rate decreased exponentially as Q increased from 0 to 3.0 MPa, and was associated with an increase in P of 0.11 MPa as a consequence of Psi(pi) decreasing by the same amount. Mean Y in the soil experiment was 0.49 MPa and did not change significantly with Q (P = 0.87).     

Estimating the influence of knots on the local longitudinal stiffness in radiata pine structural timber

A theoretical model is developed to evaluate the negative effect of knots on the local longitudinal stiffness (elastic modulus) in radiata pine structural timber. The parameters in the compliance matrices for knotwood in branches are estimated by extending the mechanical formula for clearwood also to knotwood, assuming a structural similarity for stem and branch. The stiffness of knots in the longitudinal direction of sawn boards is then obtained by coordinate transformation. The effective local longitudinal stiffness in a mixture of wood (a combination of knotwood and stem wood) is estimated in terms of the elastic moduli and volume fractions of all phases using a modified rule of mixtures. The effects of branch angle and volume fraction of a knot on the local longitudinal stiffness of structural timber are simulated under different scenarios. Experimental observations also demonstrate similar trends to those shown in the simulations. Received 5 December 2000 The author is grateful to Prof. John Walker (The New Zealand School of Forestry), Dr. Huawu Liu (Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand), Dr. Ian Cave (Department of Chemistry, Canterbury University) and Dr. Dave Cown (New Zealand Forest Research) for their comments and advice during the preparation of this paper.     

Stiffness gradients in radiata pine trees

A mill study of 62 trees, in which boards were reassembled into their original logs, permitted the construction of wood quality maps. In this instance stiffness profiles were obtained from butt to upper-top logs, based on machine stress grading of all boards and then averaging values from the 62 trees. Traditionally the butt log has been perceived to be the most valuable log in a tree, because it is bigger and gives a higher recovery of lumber. However, it is shown to contain a wide cone of very low stiffness wood that is confined to the first 2.4–2.7 m above ground level. Above this point stiffness gradients become cylindrical with no noticeable decrease in stiffness up the tree stem. Stiffness in all logs increased radially from pith to cambium with the greatest change being associated with the wood nearest the pith. The low stiffness at the base of the tree suggests that an alternative log bucking strategy should be considered, namely cutting a short 2.4–2.7 m butt log for plywood/LVL or for bolter sawing and only cutting standard length logs above this point.The least stiff logs (lowest 20%) yielded lumber that had an average stiffness that was over 1 GPa less than the average for the population. A case can be made for separating these logs and processing them differently.     

Shear strength and perpendicular-to-grain tensile strength of defect-free Scots pine wood from mature stands in Finland and Sweden

Variations in parallel-to-grain static shear strength and perpendicular-to-grain tensile strength of Scots pine wood from mature stands in Finland and Sweden were studied by means of linear mixed model analyses. Approximately 35% of the total variation in shear strength could be described with readily available independent background variables; if the basic density was included, approximately two-thirds of the total variation could be controlled. In tensile strength perpendicular to grain, only approximately one-fourth of the total variation could be described with the respective background variables; the property was found to be independent on wood density, and the reasons for the absence of strength–density relationship are discussed.     

Basic density,longitudinal shrinkage and tracheid length of juvenile wood of Picea abies (L.) Karst

Variation in the growth ring width, basic density, longitudinal shrinkage and tracheid length was investigated in the juvenile wood of Norway spruce samples taken from different heights in the stem. Annual height increments were cut from the ten youngest shoots from trees of three different heights. By this method the properties of an individual growth ring could be analysed without taking samples from each ring. Sixteen tree tops of an average stem height of 8, 15 and 25 m were analysed. Basic density was low in the first shoot, highest in the second or third one and decreased gradually thereafter. Longitudinal shrinkage was highest close to the pith and decreased to about 0.2% in the outer rings. Tracheids were only ca. 1 mm long close to the pith and their length increased sharply towards the tenth shoot. The properties of juvenile wood varied with the height in the stem. Longitudinal shrinkage around the pith seemed to increase with increasing height and basic density was highest at 25 m stem height. The applicability of the method for the calculation of basic density and tracheid length in individual growth rings close to the pith is discussed.     

Utilization of polar metabolite profiling in the comparison of juvenile wood and compression wood in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Juvenile wood (JW) of conifers is often associated with compression wood (CW), with which it is sometimes believed to be identical. To determine whether JW and CW can be distinguished metabolically, we compared gas chromatographic profiles of 25 polar metabolites from rooted cuttings of a single loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) clone raised in controlled environment chambers and subject to three treatments: (1) grown erect with minimal wind sway (control); (2) swayed by wind from oscillating fans; and (3) with 30-cm growth increments successively bent at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical. Profiles were compared by principal component analysis. Substantial increases in abundances of coniferin and p-glucocoumaryl alcohol separated immature JW-forming xylem tissues of the control trees from the CW-forming xylem of the bent and swayed trees.     

Semi-isostatic densification of heat-treated radiata pine

Semi-isostatic densification is a useful method to increase the density and to improve the mechanical properties of fast-grown softwood species like radiata pine. A major disadvantage of this method is the almost complete recovery of the original dimensions when densified wood is exposed to moisture. Heat treatment improves the dimensional stability of wood and might be a useful method to prevent this shape-recovery after densification. However, no or only a limited effect on the shape-recovery was found when densified radiata pine was exposed to moisture.     

Density and shrinkage of old wood

Summary Density and shrinkage were measured in samples of old wood preserved in a glacier, burial grounds, house settlements, harbour installations and ships sunk in the sea. Time of exposure ranged from about 300 to 100,000 years. Density was found reduced in most cases and shrinkage increased. In oak, density was reduced up to 0.13 gr/cm³ (at 12% m.c.) and a tangential shrinkage value of 62.16% was measured. Irrespective of time of exposure and loss of material, old wood retains its gross structural characteristics as long as it remains waterlogged.We would like to thank the Director of the Norwegian Nautical Museum at Bygdoy near Oslo, Mr. Svein Molaug, and Mr. Thomas Seip Bartholin of Kvartarbiologisk Laboratorium, Lunds Universitet in Sweden for valuable assistance and samples for this research project.We would also like to express our appreciation to Miss K. Corbett for assistance in photography and freeze-microtomy.     

S3 lignin concentration in radiata pine tracheids

Summary Lignin concentration in the S3 layer of the tracheid wall of radiata pine was determined by making porosity measurements of hydrolysed cell walls using interference microscopy, with appropriate corrections for swelling. The mean S3 lignin concentration was approximately 53% v/v. The degree of swelling of different wall layers as a result of hydrolysis was proportional to the lignin concentration in that layer with values of 1.645 for the S2 layer, 1.357 for the S3 layer and 1.053 for the compound middle lamella.     

Theory of the shrinkage of wood

Summary The wood, composed of alternate earlywood and latewood lamellae, forms a statically indeterminate system with two redundants. The redundant forces are the shearing forces arising at the edge of the boundary between earlywood and latewood in the longitudinal and in the tangential directions of wood. By determining the redundant forces according to the theory of statically indeterminate systems, we know the state of stress and the state of detormation of the wood element and thus can determine its shrinkage and stresses in the longitudinal, tangential and radial directions.

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Zusammenfassung Holz ist aus Früh-und Spätholzlamellen aufgebaut und bildet damit ein statisch unbestimmtes System mit zwei statisch unbestimmten Größen. Diese statisch unbestimmten Größen sind die Scherkräfte, die in longitudinaler und tangentialer Richtung an den Kanten der Grenzschicht zwischen Früh-und Spätholz entstehen. Bestimmt man die statisch unbestimmten größen nach der Theorie der statisch unbestimmten Systeme, so kennt man den Spannungs-und Verformungszustand der Gefügeteile des Holzes und ist damit in der Lage, scine Schwindung und Schwindspannungen in longitudinaler, tangentialer und radialer Richtung zu berechnen.