Timber As a Building Material and Seasoning of Timber

                              Timber

Timber may be defined as a wood which retains its natural physical structure and chemical composition and is suitable for various engineering works.

Timber

Characteristics of Good Timber:-

• ·       Dark color.
• ·       Uniform texture.
• ·       Heavyweight.
• ·       Compact medullary rays.
• ·       Free from the defects of timber.
• ·       When struck sonorous sound is produced.

ALSO READ:- Brick-as-building material.

Seasoning of Timber:-

The process of dying timber or removing moisture or sap, present in a freshly felled tree, is called seasoning of Timber.

seasoning of Timber

Method of Seasoning:-

The following two methods are commonly used for the seasoning of Timber.

Natural or Air seasoning: This method of seasoning the wood is simple and cheap, but it very slow. It requires about 60 to 90 days for softwood.

Artificial seasoning: It’s the quietest method of wood seasoning and keeps the moisture contents under control. The seasoning by the method generally takes four to five days under normal conditions.

There are many types of artificial seasoning such as –

Water Seasoning: The logs of wood are kept completely immersed in the running stream of water, consequently the sap, sugar, and gum are leached out and are replaced by water. Then out in the air to dry. But the process the elastic properties and strength of the wood are reduced.

water seasoning of Timber

Kiln Seasoning: This type of seasoning used for a large scale to any moisture content. The scantlings are arranged for the free circulation of heated air with some moisture or superheated steam. The circulating air replaces moisture required from wood and seasons.

ALSO, READ- introduction-to-building-material.

Electrical Seasoning: The logs are placed in such a way that their two ends touch the electrodes. Current passed through the setup, being the bad conductor, wood resists the flow of current, generating heat in the process, which results in its drying.

Electrical Seasoning of Timber

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