Wood is an organic, hygroscopic and anisotropic material.
Its thermal, acoustic, electrical,
mechanical, aesthetic, working, etc. properties are very suitable to use it is possible to build a
comfortable house using only wooden products. With other materials, it is almost impossible.
But wood has some disadvantages too. Following is some very short information about this
subject.
1. Definition of Wood
-a dense growth of trees usually greater in extent than a grove and smaller than
a forest —often used in pl. but singular or plural in construction
-the hard fibrous substance consisting basically of xylem that makes up the
greater part of the stems, branches, and roots of trees or shrubs beneath the
bark and is found to a limited extent in herbaceous plants
-the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a
tree or shrub.
2. Properties of Wood as Building Material
Thermal Properties:
As we know, many, materials change in size and volume as the temperature changes. They
expand with increasing of the temperature. This means linear and volumetric expansion. The
expansion. The expansion causes decrease in the strength of materials. Steel, which is
inorganic and non-combustible and therefore has an advantage against fire, but when used in
buildings, it expands and collapses as a result of increase in heat.
Wood does not practically expand against heat. On the contrary, by the effect of heat, it dries
out and gains strength. The only time wood expands a little is when the humidity level is
below 0%, and this is only scientifically significant. In practice, the humidity level of wood
does not drop under 5% even in the driest climate.
The coefficient of thermal conductivity of the wood is very low. Aluminium transmits heat
7000 times, steal 1650 times, marble 90 times and glass 23 times faster than wood. For this
reason, wood is used for making matches, handles of hardware equipment, ceilings and wall
coverings.
Specific heat of wood is high. That means high amount of energy is needed to increase and
decrease the temperature of one-kilogram of wood. Wood requires almost twice amount of
heat energy than stones and concrete; similarly, three times of energy is needed for heating or
cooling steel.
Acoustic Properties:
Sound isolation is based on the mass of the surface. Wood, as a light material, is not very
perfect for sound isolation; But it is ideal for sound absorption. Wood prevents echo and
noise by absorbing sound. For this reason it is extensively used in concert halls.
Sound velocity is faster in woods than gases and liquids, and it is close to that of metals.
Sound energy loss as a result of friction is also significantly low in woods due to its lightness
and structure. Because of such properties, wood is extensively used in musical instruments.
Electrical Properties:
Resistance to electrical current of a completely dry wood is equal to that of phenol
formaldehyde. An oven dried wood is a very good electrical insulator. To some extent air
dried wood is the same. Unfortunately electrical resistance of wood is lowered by increasing
the moisture content. The resistance of wood saturated with water. Static electricity that is
dangerous for human health is not observed in wood unlike metal, plastic and other
materials. For this reason wood is preferred as a healthy material.
Mechanical Properties:
Although wood is a light material, its strength is quite high. For instance, while the tensile
strength of wood with 0,6/cm3 specific gravity is 100 N/mm2, the tensile strength of steel
with 7,89/cm3 specific gravity is 500 N/mm2. Dividing tensile strength by specific gravity
gives the breaking length and quality of material. This figure means the breaking length of
the material, when hung as a result of its own weight. While the breaking length of steel is
used for construction is 5.4 km, chrome mobile steel is 6.8 km, hardened bow steel is 17.5
km, breaking length of spruce wood is 19.8 km, and laminated wood made of beech is 28.3
km. For this kind of properties, wood and laminated wood is used in wide-gap constructions
like health centers and sport halls.
Aesthetic Properties:
Wood is a decorative material when considered as an aesthetic material. Each tree has its
own color, design and smell the design of a tree does change according to the way it is sliced.
It is possible to find different wooden materials according to color and design preference. It
can be painted to darker colors of varnished, and can be given bright or mat touches.
Oxidation Properties:
Although wood has oxidation characteristics in some way, it is not the kind of oxidation seen
in metals. Metals get rust, wood doesn’t. For such characteristics, use of wood is preferred to
avoid rust when necessary.
Working Properties:
It is easy to repair and maintain wood. While old woods can be renewed by special touches
other materials are highly difficult and costly to maintain and to repair. Therefore they are
usually disposed of.
Wood’s Characteristics
Tensile strength – For being a relatively lightweight building material, wood outperforms even
steel when it comes to breaking length (or self-support length). Simply put, it can support its
own weight better, which allows for larger spaces and fewer necessary supports in some
building designs.
Electrical and heat resistance – Wood has a natural resistance to electrical conduction when
dried to standard moisture content (MC) levels, usually between 7%-12% for most wood
species. (This conductivity is, in fact, the basis for one type of moisture measurement system.)
Its strength and dimensions are also not significantly affected by heat, providing stability to the
finished building and even safety implications for certain fire situations.
Sound absorption – Wood’s acoustic properties make it ideal for minimizing echo in living or
office spaces. Wood absorbs sound, rather than reflecting or amplifying it, and can help
significantly reduce noise levels for additional comfort.
Beauty – With the wide variety of species available, wood presents an incredible range of
aesthetic options, as well as provides varied mechanical, acoustic, thermal properties along
with others that can be selected based on the need of the building project.
