Differences Between Timber And Wood

1. RESEARCH ON THE GROWTH, NOMENCLATURE AND CLASSIFICATION ON TIMBER.

Timber and Wood.

Trees are found everywhere around us and they are an important factor in our environment as we use them for various purposes. Normally the term ‘wood’(fig.1) which is a natural composite of cellulose fibers is used for the tree itself, in a fresh state, with its stem and roots. Timber (fig.2) is usually the term used after that the tree has been fell or to refer any stage of the wood while processing it. Timber is believed to be the word that was screamed by axe-welding lumberjacks when felling trees. Below are shown some images or better understanding. Fig. 1

• Hardwoods are more varied than softwoods. There are a hundred times more varieties of hardwoods than softwoods.

• Hardwoods have flat broad leaves compared to softwoods which have needle-like leaves.

• Hardwoods are more expensive than softwoods.

• Soft woods have lesser strength in compression and shear compared to hard wood.

Differences between softwood and hardwood based on their cellular structure.

• As hardwood is denser than softwood, it burns longer and produces more heat whereas, due to its resinous wood, softwood will burn more quickly, making it good for starting a fire. Produces more intense flames than hardwoods, but burn for a short time only.

• Softwoods have a fairly simple anatomy with only a few types of cells while hardwoods have much more cells, mainly ‘pores’ which are not found in softwood.

• Glucomannas is a substance which is found more in softwood than in hardwood. Furthermore, hardwoods contain xylans and they are more resistant to decay which make them ideal for outdoor works.

• In softwoods, water transport within the tree occurs in tracheids only.

GROWTH OF

Each year, a new ring will be formed as a layer on the older one and consequently, the tree grows. However, climatic changes can affect the growth of the tree. We can approximately determine the age of a tree simply by counting the number of growth rings it has. This requires a set of procedures. Growth rings can also reveal the life of a tree. By looking at the thickness and darkness of the tree, we can conclude in what climatic conditions the tree has grown up. The growth rings will normally be formed under the bark and they consist of tube-shaped cells which run upwards, parallel to the trunk and branches. The inner part of the growth ring is known as the Springwood (early wood) while the outer part is called the Summerwood (latewood). As the word states “early”, early wood grows earlier and late wood grows later in the season. As the cells in the latewood are thicker, they are denser in colour. (ASHCROFT, 1985, P.330) Also, the wood produced will consists of two parts, the sapwood and the heartwood. In fact, the heartwood contains dead cells and does not grow but increases as the tree grows. As new cells are formed, dead one will form a layer on the heartwood, consequently, increasing its diameter. The sapwood is the part which will distribute food. It is normally found on the outer circumference of the bark. Sapwood contains living cells and other elements which contain crude sap; water and