Estimates of air drying times for several hardwoods and softwoods

Abstract

Published data on estimated air drying times of lumber are of limited usefulness because they are restricted to a specific location or to the time of year the lumber is stacked for drying. At best, these estimates give a wide range of possible times over a broad range of possible locations and stacking dates. This report describes a method for estimating air drying times for specific locations by optimizing a drying simulation using existing experimental air drying times for northern red oak, sugar maple, American beech, yellowpoplar, ponderosa pine, and Douglas-fir. The results are simulation parameters that make it possible to estimate the air drying times of these species regardless of when they are stacked, in any location where average temperature and relative humidity are known, and for lumber of any thickness dried to any final moisture content. Graphs of these estimated air drying times to several final moisture contents are given for several nominal thicknesses of lumber at various locations within the growing range of the six species studied.

Citation

Simpson, W.T.; Hart, C.A. 2000. Estimates of air drying times for several hardwoods and softwoods. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPL–GTR–121. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 70 p.