Wood content of stacked 4-foot round pulpwood in Connecticut

Abstract

Buying wood stacked in 4-foot lengths is sometimes like buying a pig in a poke. A cord is simply a pile 4 by 4 by 8 feet, or 128 cubic feet. Even though wood piled this way may stack up to the specified dimensions, the actual mount of wood in the pile may vary greatly. The species, the size of the sticks, the thickness of the bark, the crookedness of the sticks, and the presence of protruding knots all have a bearing on the amount of solid wood that a pile contains. While one pile may be packed tightly, another may be full of big air holes. In this study, the factor most affecting the solid content appeared to be the method of piling the wood. If the stacks were put up haphazardly the solid content was usually appreciably lower than for neat, well-stacked piles.

Citation

Fenton, R. H. 1948. Wood content of stacked 4-foot round pulpwood in Connecticut. Station Paper NE-17. Philadelphia, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 1-8.