Wood

This page is based on an oral presentation made by Lourdes Pernia
Wood has been with man since we learned to use tools for our advantage. It helped build te first shelters and has been with us for construction and furniture ever since. It is an important material and it has universal uses

What is Wood?
Wood is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers (which are strong in tension) embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression. In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves. Wood may also refer to other plant materials with comparable properties, and to material engineered from wood, or wood chips or fiber.



The use of Wood
People have used wood for millennia for many purposes, primarily as a fuel or as a construction material for making houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, artworks, and paper. The year-to-year variation in tree-ring widths and isotopic abundances gives clues to the prevailing climate at that time

Modern Wood
Increasingly, builders are using engineered wood products such as plywood, OSB, glulam, LVL, PSL, I-joists and I-beams and roof trusses for building joists, beams, studs, and window and door frames. Engineered wood products are very stable and offer greater structural strength than typical wood building materials. They can be used for joists and beams that replace steel in many building projects. Wood-frame construction combines dimensional lumber or engineered wood products and structural wood panel sheathing to make wall, floor and roof assemblies that can be built quickly and efficiently. The assemblies are tough, durable, easy to connect and easy to insulate. Post and beam construction is both functional and striking. It uses columns and beams to support vertical loads, intermediate framing to support exterior sheathing and interior finish and provide space for insulation, and diagonal bracing or other support to resist lateral loads. Since partitions do not normally carry vertical loads, interior walls can be located to meet the building's functional needs.