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Pseudotsuga
menziesii |
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Family:
Pinaceae |
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Douglas-Fir |
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The genus Pseudotsuga contains about 7 species native to North
America [2], and eastern Asia (China to Japan) [5]. The wood of pine can be
separated microscopically into the white, red, yellow and the foxtail/pinyon
pine groups. Douglas-fir is named for Henry Douglas (1798-1834), a Scottish
botanist who traveled in North America. The word Pseudotsuga means ‘false hemlock" , while menziesii is used in recognition of Archibald
Menzies (1754-1842), a Scotch physician and naturalist, who discovered
Douglas-fir in 1793 on Vancouver Island, British Colombia.
Other Common Names: abete di Douglas, abete odoroso
d'America, abeto, acahuite, achahuite, alpine hemlock, black fir, blaue
Douglas-tanne, blauwe Douglas, blauwe Douglas spar, blue Douglas-fir, British
Columbia Douglas-fir, British Columbia pine, British Columbian pine, cahuite,
Canadian Douglas-fir, coast Douglas-fir, Colorado Douglas-fir, Colorado pino
real, Colorado real pino, Columbian pine, common Douglas, common Douglas-fir,
cork-barked Douglas spruce, Douglaasfenyo, Douglas, Douglas azul, Douglas bleu,
Douglas des montagnes, Douglas du Colorado, Douglas glauca, Douglas pine,
Douglas spruce, Douglas vert, Douglasfichte, Douglas-fir, Douglas-gran,
Douglasia, Douglasia azzurra, Douglasia glauca, Douglasie, Douglaska,
Douglaskuusi, Douglasspar, Douglastanne, Duglas, Duglazija, golden rod fir,
gray Douglas, green Douglas, groene Douglas, grune Douglas-tanne, guallame,
guayame, guayame Colorado, hallarin, hayarin, hayarin Colorado, inland
Douglas-fir, interior Douglas-fir, Montana fir, Oregon, Oregon Douglas, Oregon
Douglas-fir, Oregon fir, Oregon pine, Oregon spruce, Pacific Coast Douglas-fir,
Patton's hemlock, pin de Douglas, pin de i'Oregon, pin d'Oregon, pinabete,
pinho de Douglas, pino de corcho, pino de Douglas, pino de Oregon, pino Oregon,
pino real, Puget Sound pine, red fir, red pine, red spruce, Rocky Mountain
Douglas-fir, Santiam quality fir, sapin de Douglas, spruce, yellow Douglas-fir,
yellow fir, yellow national fir.
Distribution: The range of Douglas-fir extends from
the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast and from Mexico to central British
Columbia. The Douglas-fir production comes from the Coast States of Oregon,
Washington, and California and from the Rocky Mountain States.
The Tree: Douglas-fir reaches heights of 250 feet
(76.20 m), with a diameter of 6 feet (1.83 m), in coastal stands that are
between 200 and 800 years old. The largest intact specimen was recorded at 330
feet (100.58 m) near Littlerock Washington.
General Wood Characteristics:
The wood of Douglas-fir
varies widely in weight and strength. When lumber of high strength is needed
for structural uses, selection can be improved by applying the density rule.
This rule uses percentage of latewood and rate of growth as they affect
density. For equivalent knot sizes, the higher density generally indicates
stronger wood. Sapwood of Douglas-fir is narrow in old-growth trees but may be
as much as 3 inches (7.62 cm) wide in second-growth trees of commercial size.
Fairly young trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are
called red-fir. Very narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish brown and
is known on the market as yellow-fir.
Weighta
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Weight |
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Location |
MCb |
SpGrc |
lb/ft3 |
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Coast |
Green(37%)d |
0.45 |
38 |
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12% |
0.48 |
34 |
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Ovendry |
0.51 |
NA |
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Interior West |
Green(34%)d |
0.46 |
38 |
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12% |
0.50 |
31 |
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Ovendry |
0.52 |
NA |
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Interior North |
Green(30%)d |
0.45 |
35 |
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12% |
0.48 |
30 |
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Ovendry |
0.50 |
NA |
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Interior South |
Green(30%)d |
0.43 |
NA |
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12% |
0.46 |
32 |
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References: (56, 185) |
Ovendry |
NA |
NA |
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Mechanical
Propertiesa?
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Property |
Green |
Dry |
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Coast |
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MOE |
1.56 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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1.95 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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MOR |
7.70 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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12.4 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C| | |
3.78´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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7.23 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C^ |
0.38 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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0.80 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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WML |
7.6 in-lbf/in3 |
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9.9 in-lbf/in3 |
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Hardness |
500 lbf |
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710 lbf |
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Shear| | |
0.90 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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1.13 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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Interior
West |
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MOE |
1.51 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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1.83 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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MOR |
7.70 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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12.6 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C| | |
3.87 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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7.43 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C^ |
0.42 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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0.76 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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WML |
7.2 in-lbf/in3 |
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10.6 in-lbf/in3 |
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Hardness |
510 lbf |
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660 lbf |
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Shear| | |
0.94 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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1.29 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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Interior
North |
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MOE |
1.41 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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1.79 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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MOR |
7.40 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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13.1 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C| | |
3.47 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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6.90 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C^ |
0.36 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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0.77 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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WML |
8.1 in-lbf/in3 |
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10.5 in-lbf/in3 |
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Hardness |
420 lbf |
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600 lbf |
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Shear| | |
0.95 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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1.40 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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Mechanical
Properties, cont’d |
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Property |
Green |
Dry |
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Interior
South |
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MOE |
1.16 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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1.49 ´ 106 lbf/in2 |
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MOR |
6.80 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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11.9 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C| | |
3.11 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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6.23 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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C^ |
0.34 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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0.74 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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WML |
8.0 in-lbf/in3 |
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9.0 in-lbf/in3 |
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Hardness |
360 lbf |
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510 lbf |
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Shear| | |
0.95 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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1.51 ´ 103 lbf/in2 |
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Reference: (187) (2-inch standard).
Drying and
shrinkage
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Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content) |
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Type of
Shrinkage |
0%MCb |
0%MCc |
0%MCd |
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Tangential |
7.6 |
6.9 |
7.5 |
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Radial |
4.8 |
3.8 |
4.8 |
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Volumetric |
12.4 |
10.7 |
11.8 |
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Reference (187).
b Coast.
c Interior
North.
d Interior West.
Kiln drying
schedule
Conventional
Temperatures/Moisture Content-Controlled Schedulesa
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Condition |
4/4, 5/4 stock |
6/4 stock |
8/4 stock |
10/4 stock |
12/4 stock |
British Schedule 4/4 stock |
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Lower Grades |
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Coastal |
T7-A4 |
NA |
T7-A4b |
NA |
NA |
NA |
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Inland |
T9-A4c |
NA |
T9-A4c |
NA |
NA |
NA |
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Upper Grades |
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Coastal |
T11-A4 |
NA |
T10-A3 |
T5-A1 |
T5-A1 |
NA |
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Inland |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Reference (28 & 177).
BMaximum
wet-bulb depression 25oF, Reference (177).
CMaximum
wet-bulb depression 20oF, Reference (177).
Conventional
Temperatures/Time-Controlled Schedulesa
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Lower Grades |
Upper Grades |
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Condition |
4/4, 5/4 stock |
6/4 stock |
8/4 stock |
4/4, 5/4 stock |
6/4 stock |
8/4 stock |
12/4, 16/4 stock |
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Standard |
291b |
291c |
291c |
294d |
294d |
294d |
288 |
aReference (28).
High
Temperaturesa
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Condition? |
4/4, 5/4 stock |
6/4 stock |
8/4 stock |
Other Products |
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Standard |
400b,c,d,e |
400b,e |
400b,e/414e |
NA |
aReferences (28).
Working Properties: No information at this time.
Durability: Rated as moderately resistant to decay.
(187)
Preservation: No information at this time.
Uses: Douglas-fir is used mostly for building
and construction purposes in the form of
lumber, timbers, piles, and
plywood. Considerable quantities go into railroad crossties, cooperage stock,
mine timbers, poles, and fencing. Douglas-fir lumber is used in the manufacture
of various products, including sash, doors, laminated beams, general millwork,
railroad-car construction, boxes, pallets, and crates. Small amounts are used
for flooring, furniture, ship and boat construction and tanks. Douglas-fir
plywood has found ever-increasing usefulness in construction, furniture,
cabinets, and many other products.
Toxicity: Can cause dermatitis, septic splinter
wounds, or contact eczema. (69, 150 & 207)
Additional Reading &
References Cited (in parentheses):
28. Boone, R.
S.; Kozlik, C. J.; Bois, P. J., and Wengert, E. M. Dry kiln schedules for commercial
woods - temperate and tropical. Madison, WI: USDA Forest Service, FPL-GTR-57;
1988.
29. Bormann, B.
T. Douglas-Fir an American wood. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service, FS-235;
1984.
69. Hausen, B.
M. Woods injurious to human health. A manual. New York, NY: Walter de Gruyter;
1981.
150. Mitchell,
J. and Rook, A. Botanical dermatology: plants and plant products injurious to
the skin. Vancouver, BC: Greenglass Ltd.; 1979.
184. Summitt, R.
and Sliker, A. CRC handbook of materials science. Vol. 4. Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press, Inc.; 1980.
187. USDA. Wood
handbook: wood as an engineering material. Madison, WI: USDA Forest Service,
FPL Ag. Handbook No. 72; 1974.
207. Woods, B.
and Calnan, C. D. Toxic woods. British Journal of Dermatology. 1976;
95(13):1-97.