Wood in Transverse Compression: Influence of Some Anatomical Variables and Density on Behavior

Douglas-fir, western redcedar, sugar pine, white oak, chestnut, white elm, yellow birch, beech, and black willow at moisture contents of 4 to 5.5 percent were tested in transverse compression to determine the proportional limit stress and modulus of elasticity variation existing with ring orientation, specific gravity, ray volume, percentage latewood, and density differences within a single growth ring. Ring orientation and specific gravity were shown to influence strongly both mechanical properties. Within a species, specimens loaded radially usually were stronger than those loaded tangentially. The ratio between radially and tangentially loaded specimens increased with higher ray volumes and decreased with latewood percentage and differential density within an increment. It is not sound to generalize on the mechanical properties of softwood and hardwood species without consideration of earlywood-latewood differences and ray volume. The data were analyzed statistically.

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