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Abstract
Wood, like many natural materials, is hygroscopic; it takes on moisture from the surrounding environment. Moisture exchange between wood and air depends on the relative humidity and temperature of the air and the current amount of water in the wood. This moisture relationship has an important influence on wood properties and performance. Many of the challenges of using wood as an engineering material arise from changes in moisture content or an abundance of moisture within the wood. This chapter discusses the macroscopic physical properties of wood with emphasis given to their relationship with moisture content. Some properties are species-dependent; in such cases, data from the literature are tabulated according to species. The chapter begins with a broad overview of wood–water relations, defining key concepts needed to understand the physical properties of wood.
Keywords
Moisture,
wood moisture,
mechanical properties,
thermal properties,
electrical properties,
adsorption,
absorption,
specific gravity,
wood density,
thermal conductivity,
wood properties,
moisture content,
physical properties,
shrinkage,
green lumber,
fiber saturation point,
water vapor,
hygroscopicity,
dimensional stability
Citation
Glass, Samuel V.; Zelinka, Samuel L. 2010. Moisture relations and physical properties of wood. Wood handbook : wood as an engineering material: chapter 4. Centennial ed. General technical report FPL ; GTR-190. Madison, WI : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2010: p. 4.1-4.19.
