Wood

- Ceramics; made from clay.

Timber – A sustainable natural resource
Soft wood – Coniferous trees, grow quicker, cheaper
Hard wood – Slow growing, deciduous, slow growing, more expensive

Wood is fibrous with fibres running along the length of the trunk.

- 55% cellulose (fibres), 28% lignin (glue)

- Fibre reinforced polymer

Life cycle up until production:

- Harvest

- Conversion, cutting into boards

– Slab sawn or Quarter sawn

- Seasoning

– Reduce moisture content

- Board Preparation

– Sawing to size, planning

Quarter saw timber – cut the wood so all the pieces got shorter annual rings, more waste but more stable.

Slab saw – Simply cut in lines so there is no waste however you get some pieces with big annual rings. Less waste, less stable.

Need to think about natural timber:

- Physical strength; stronger along the grain than across it

- Aesthetic properties; colour, complex or simple grain structure

- Protection; Dry and wet rot, insect attack

- Operating conditions; Where will the timber be used? Outside? Inside a heated house? -

-Sustainability/ Environmental issues; Use sustainable sources

- Size of boards available