Equilibrium Moisture Content of Wood in a Utah Building

Moisture content measurements were made at 2-week intervals over a 7-month period from July through January on each floor of a four-story office building in Ogden. Moisture contents were determined by weighing fuel moisture sticks ordinarily used to evaluate local forest fire danger. The average for all measurements was 6.5 percent; the maximum was 9.2 and the minimum was 4.4 percent. The maximum was measured during early fall rains and the minimum was measured in both October and January. Average by floor was 7.3, 6.5, 6.0, and 6.4 percent for the first, second, third, and fourth floors, respectively. The first and third floor locations had a west exposure; the second and fourth an east exposure. This study suggests that the wood-in-use moisture content level of 6 percent recommended by the Wood Handbook for the southwestern states is a reasonable value.

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