Walnut

Walnut is a premium timber. It is a specialist hardwood. The grain is straight but it can be irregular. Walnut timber is really decorative. It carries a lot of design for the interior. It has a moderate natural lustre. Walnut timber is moderately durable. It is medium density.

Figure Source:

Advantages of Walnut

• Walnut gives vivid highlight to the grain.
• It works well with machine and hand tools.
• Walnut timber is good for turning and carving.
• The right glues and polishes can be successfully done in walnut timber.
• It stains and finishes well.
• Walnut timber responds well to steam bending.
• It has a good dimensional stability.
• It is shocking resistant.
• It has a fine texture.
• Overall walnut has a good strength.
• It has low stiffness.

Disadvantages of Walnut

•  Walnut is hard.
• It has been reported as a “sensitizer”.
• It includes eye and skin irritation.
• Walnut timber is high in the prices for a domestic species.
• It is susceptible to insect attack. Planer tear out can sometimes be a problem in walnut timber./li>
• It has a faint, mild odor while being worked.
• It has a medium maintenance movement.
• Walnut timber has difficulty to treat acid contents.
• Walnut timber finds the problem with density.
• It is not termite resistant.
• It is hard.

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Oak

Oak timber is a type of hardwood from the oak tree. It has been used as timber for thousands of years. It is straight grained. It is used for light construction most of the time. Oak timber is used for -homeware, wine barrels, firewood etc.

Figure Source: ig- thehouseoflongboat

Advantages of Oak

• Oak timber is exceedingly strong.
• It is durable.
• It has a long living nature.
• Oak timber is used for cladding.
• Oak timber is resistant to fungal attack.
• It takes glues, nails, and screws well.
• It is lighter in weight.
• Oak timber is resistant to decay.
• Oak timber is extremely resistant to preservative treatment.
• It is workable with machine or hand tools.

Disadvantages of Oak

• Oak timber is heavy.
• It is hard.
• It has low-moisture content.
• Oak timber is unsuitable for external use.
• It is difficult for oak timber to treat acid content.
• Oak timber reacts with iron, galvanized or copper nails.

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Mahogany

Mahogany is a high-quality timber. It is grown commercially almost in every continent. Mahogany is widely used in the furniture and cabinet building industry. It is made into plywoods and all kinds of trim. It displays hard grain. It is one of the softer of all the hardwoods that are commonly in use. It is moderate natural luster. The color of mahogany timber darkens with age. The texture is medium and uniform. The price of this timber is in mid-range.

Figure Source: ig-mebekoe_

Advantages of Mahogany

• Mahogany timber is very stable.
• It is resistant to termites.
• It is very easy to work with tools in mahogany timber.
• It cuts and machines easily.
• Mahogany timber sandy very easily.
• It turns glues, stains, and finishes well.
• It can bend without splintering or shattering.
• It possesses a slightly flexible quality.
• Mahogany timber can resist warping and twist for many years.
• It is long lasting, strong and beautiful.
• It contains high density.
• Each piece of timber is long.
• Mahogany timber is used for-veneers, musicals instruments, carving etc.

Disadvantages of Mahogany

• Mahogany timber is vulnerable to insects.
• It can tear out or chip during machining.
• It is reported as “sensitizer”.
• When mahogany timber gets in touch with water, a strong mahogany color comes up.
• Slight dulling of cutters can occur in this timber.
• Mahogany timber includes respiratory irritation in eye, skin which includes boil, nausea, dizziness, asthma type symptoms etc.
• It is vulnerable.

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Cherry

Cherry timber is grown as a tree plantation timber. Among different types of cherry timbers, black cherry timber is the largest of the native cherries and the only of commercial value. It is found throughout the Eastern United Nations. In cherry timber, the grain is generally straight. It is a hardwood. It has medium density and moderately durable. And used for small pieces of furnitures-veneers, handles, cabinets, scientific instruments etc.

Figure Source: ig-thepapercutlife

Advantages of Cherry

• Cherry timber is firm and strong.
• It has a fine and uniform texture.
• It works well and finishes smoothly.
• Cherry timber can contain pith flecks and gum pockets.
• It has a good workability.
• Cherry timber is easy to machine, nail, and glue.
• It is an excellent timber for turning and carving.
• It has good bending properties.
• It has low stiffness.
• Cherry timber is shock resistance.
• The best feature is it is used for high-end applications like furniture, cabinet making. Boat making and musical instruments.

Disadvantages of Cherry

• It is highly prized.
• Cherry timber is sensitive to UV.
• It can tear on cross-grain.
• Cherry timber doesn’t have a grand dimension.
• If stained, it gives blotchy results.
• The sawdust of cherry timber has been associated with respiratory effects such as wheezing.

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Cedar

Cedar is a timber of high quality. It comes from several different trees known as cedars. Where both strength and appearance of the exposed wood beams are important, cedar is the only savior and perfect fit for this. It is used in for-landscape, park, garden structure. Its moderate strength and softness make it unique. Cedar offers the advantage of the natural advantage. Basically, it is a workable material.

Figure Source: ig-cerno_group

Advantages of Cedar

• It is weather resistant.
• Cedar gives a natural wood look.
• Cedar is light in weight.
• It works easily.
• It is dimensionally stable.
• Cedar has long-time durability.
• Cedar has exceptional resistance to insects and decay.
• It is smooth to the touch.
• It has a high quality of consistency.
• It exhibits fairly prominent growth.
• Cedar shows high resistance to warping and twisting.
• Cedar helps to reduce noise in specific areas.
• It is sustainable.
• It is used in-cladding, decking, roofing, fencing.

Disadvantages of Cedar

• Cedar dust may be irritant.
• Cedar has low strength.
• Cedar can cause splintering during some operations.

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Birch

Birch is a great craft wood. It is an important source of hardwood timber. Birch is of many types like-yellow birch, white birch etc. Yellow birch is commonly used which is also known as grey birch, or swamp birch. It is a light reddish-brown colour. Birch gives low natural lustre.

Figure Source: ig-mod3building.

Advantages of Birch

• Birch is economical in most cases.
• Inner birch is aromatic.
• Birch is long-lasting.
• It is usually heavy, hard and strong.
• It is always easy to work with a birch and glues and it finishes well.
• Birch gives widely ranging appearances.
• Birch is suitable for high-quality furniture. Birch has great durability.
• Birch is used for creating strong plywood.
• Birch is waterproof.
• Birch can easily support a large structure .
• It is used in- boxes, crates, skateboards, furniture, and other wood items.
• Birch gives wavy fine texture.

Disadvantages of Birch

• Birch is perishable, readily rot and decay.
• Birch is susceptible to insect attack.
• Birch can cause tear-outs during machine operations.
• Birch is reported as “sensitizer” which includes respiratory irritation.
• Birch is slow-growing.
• Birch is harder than other hardwoods.

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Bamboo

Bamboo is a natural organic material. It is one of the most unique plants on earth. Bamboo is grown in abundance in many parts of the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Most timber producing bamboos are from South Asia. The color of bamboo timber is pale yellow to almost gold. It is an industrial material also identified as the most promising building material. Bamboo timber is an alternative to tropical hardwoods in recent years. It is available in many forms.

Figure: Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School.

Advantages of Bamboo

• Bamboos are fast growing and high yielding.
• They are easily renewable.
• Bamboos quickly reach full maturity after only one or two years.
• Bamboo timber has a unique earthy odor while being worked.
• Bamboo timber is energy extensive, processed and glued up imported products.
• Strong bamboo fibers have tensile strength.
• It is highly resistant to warping and cupping in ambient humidity.
• Bamboo timber requires little fertilizer.
• Grows initially at full width.
• Bamboo timbers are used in-veneer, paper, flute, window blinds, fishing rods, ladders, scaffolding, carving etc.

Disadvantages of Bamboo

• Bamboo timber is a polluting material.
• Bamboo timber requires special care.
• It is susceptible to insect attack.
• Bamboo fibers tend to split and pull out when being cross-cut.
• Bamboo timber has been reported to cause skin irritation.
• Decay fungi are present in bamboo timber.
• The price of this timber is much higher which exceeds the cost of domestic hardwoods sometimes.
• It is inconsistent.

Bamboo is a natural organic material. It is one of the most unique plants on earth. Bamboo is grown in abundance in many parts of the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Most timber producing bamboos are from South Asia. The color of bamboo timber is pale yellow to almost gold. It is an industrial material also identified as the most promising building material. Bamboo timber is an alternative to tropical hardwoods in recent years. It is available in many forms.

Figure: Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School.

Advantages of Bamboo

• Bamboos are fast growing and high yielding.
• They are easily renewable.
• Bamboos quickly reach full maturity after only one or two years.
• Bamboo timber has a unique earthy odor while being worked.
• Bamboo timber is energy extensive, processed and glued up imported products.
• Strong bamboo fibers have tensile strength.
• It is highly resistant to warping and cupping in ambient humidity.
• Bamboo timber requires little fertilizer.
• Grows initially at full width.
• Bamboo timbers are used in-veneer, paper, flute, window blinds, fishing rods, ladders, scaffolding, carving etc.

Disadvantages of Bamboo

• Bamboo timber is a polluting material.
• Bamboo timber requires special care.
• It is susceptible to insect attack.
• Bamboo fibers tend to split and pull out when being cross-cut.
• Bamboo timber has been reported to cause skin irritation.
• Decay fungi are present in bamboo timber.
• The price of this timber is much higher which exceeds the cost of domestic hardwoods sometimes.
• It is inconsistent.

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What is Timber? Definition & Types of Timber & Lumber

Timber is a type of wood which has been processed into beams and planks. It is also known as “lumber” in US and Canada. Basically, timber or Lumber is a wood or firewood of growing trees. Any wood capable of yielding a minimum dimensional size can be termed as a timber or lumber. It is a stage in the process of wood production. Timbers are used for the structural purpose. Those woods which are adapted for building purposes are timbers. Finished timber is supplied in standard sizes for the industry. Timber is used for building houses and making furniture.

TYPES OF TIMBER AND LUMBER

Timber can be divided into two categories -hardwood and softwood. There are many types of timber under these two categories. They are-

• Bamboo
• Birch
• Cedar
• Cherry
• Cross-laminated
• Glulam
• Green timber
• Lime
• Mahogany
• Oak
• Pine
• Plywood
• Sapele wood
• Tulipwood
• Walnut
• Wood ash
• Spruce
• Fir

Few of the commonly used timbers are described below.

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SAND:-

Sand is small grains of silica (SiO₂) formed by the decomposition of rocks. It is one of the most important construction materials. It is broadly used in concrete cement mortar, lime mortar, earth filling, etc.

Contents :-

• What is Bulking of Sand?
• Bulking of Sand Significance
• Test Procedure to determine the bulking of sand

What is Bulking of Sand?

The increase in the volume of sand due to increase in moisture content is known as bulking of sand. A film of water is created around the sand particles which forces the particles to get a side from each other and thus the volume is increased.

The increase in moisture in sand increases the volume of sand. The volume increase in dry sand is known as the bulking if sand. Bulking of sand depends on the quantity of moisture in the sand and also the size of the particles. Five to eight percent of the increase in moisture in the sand can increase the volume of sand up to 20 to 40 percent. Again, the finer the sand is more will be the increase in volume and increase in volume will be relatively less for coarser sand.

Bulking of Sand. Reference PCA Major Series 172 and PCA ST20

Bulking of sand depends on the moisture in the sand. But when the moisture is increased by adding more water, the particles of sand gets packed near each other as the film around the sand particles breaks and the bulking of sand is reduced. Dry sand and the send completely filled with water will have the exact volume. This principle is used to determine the percentage of bulking of sand in a given sample

Bulking of Sand Significance

In simplified terms, it can be said that bulking of sand is simply the looseness of soil without compacting. Usually, water reduces the pores in sand and compacts the sand.

Sand is used in concrete for reduction of segregation and fill out the pores between cement and coarse aggregates. For example, we need 1 m3 of sand in concrete, we need to know the approximate sand bulkage value. If the given sample has a bulkage of 25% then we need to take 25% more sand or 1.25 times of the sand while volume batching to get 1 m3 of sand for concrete.

If we don’t take this extra amount of sand considering the bulkage value, the total volume will be lessened to 75% after adding water. We know that the quality of concrete depends a lot on the proper proportioning of the contents. Generally, we consider the wet volume of concrete is 1.5 times the volume of dry concrete, in this case, we are typically using approximately 30% of sand bulkage and 20% of wastage. If we do not consider the bulkage of sand, the total quantity will be lessened and will impact on the overall concrete quality.

Test Procedure to Determine the Bulking of Sand

Following steps can be followed to calculate the percentage of bulking of sand in a given sample-

1. Fill the measuring cylinder with the sample up to 200 ml mark.
2. For accurate measurement steel scale can be used, but no compaction of sand is allowed.
3. The sand is to be transferred to a container.
4. The measuring cylinder is refilled with 100ml water.
5. The measuring cylinder should be refilled with sample sand and stirred with a steel rod.
6. Give some time so that the sand can settle.
7. The level of sand will be below the 200ml mark this time. Let the present level be “a.”
8. So the bulking of sand for this sample will be determined by the following equation-

BulkingofSand=200−aa×100BulkingofSand=200−aa×100

9. The procedure should be repeated twice and the average value of the tree observation will be the percentage of bulking of sand for the given sample.

Uses of Sand

In the real world, there are a lot of situations where we can find uses of sand. Followings are the common sand uses.

• We can use sand to filter water; it works like an abrasive.
• We can use sand to give a grip to our painting or wall art by combining 2 cups of paint with a ¾ cup of sand.
• People make sandpaper by gluing sand to a paper.
• While bunging metal, we can mix sand with clay binder for frameworks used in the foundries.
• Sand can be used for cleaning up oil leak or any spill by dredging sand on that spill. The material will form clumps by soaking up, and we can quickly clean the mess.
• Sand can be used as a road base which is a protective layer underneath all roads
• Industrial sand is used to make glass, as foundry sand and as abrasive sand.
• One creative usage of sand is serving as a candle holder. We can try putting some sand before pouring tea light or any candle in a glass. It holds the candle still and refrain the candle from rolling by giving it an excellent decoration.
• Adds texture and aesthetic appeal to space.
• Sand is mostly pure to handle, promptly available and economically wise.
• We can make children’s sandpit to keep the play areas safer. It is quite inexpensive as well.
• We use sand in aquariums, fabricating artificial fringing reefs, and in human-made beaches
• Sandy soils are ideal for growing crops, fruits and vegetables like watermelon, peaches, peanuts, etc.
• Sand can light a path by filling mason jars with sand and tea light which is another inexpensive way to make a walkway glow.
• We can keep a small scuttle of sand near a charcoal grill for inundating flare-ups.
• Sand can be used for cleaning narrow neck receptacle by putting a little sand and warm soapy water in the container.
• We can keep an item steady which needs repairing by using sand. Burying the broken pieces under sand grains helps to hold the elements together while gluing.
• Sand helps to improve resistance (and thus traffic safety) in icy or snowy conditions.
• We need sand in the beaches where tides, storms or any form of preconceived changes to the shoreline crumble the first sand.
• Sand containing silica is used for making glass in the automobile and food industry- even household products for the kitchen.
• Sand is a strong strand which is used for plaster,mortar , concrete, and asphalt.
• The usual bricks formulated of clay only is way weaker and lesser in weight than blocks made of clay mixed with sand.
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Stainless Steel:-

It is a steel alloy with a minimum of 11.5 wt% chromium content. Although stainless still are not stain proof, they don’t rust or corrode as easily as its other counterparts. Stainless steel has its use in many products, but mostly in home appliances and cooking utensils.

The amount of chromium present is the main difference between carbon steel and stainless steel. Carbon steel is susceptible to rust in contact with air and moisture. In stainless steels, because of the added chromium, a passive layer of chromium oxide forms which prevents the metal from corroding.

Self-healing property is the uniqueness of Stainless steel. Due to the alloying elements used, a thin, transparent layer is created on the surface. In case of scratched or damaged surfaces, this few atoms thick thin layer immediately rebuilds with the presence of oxygen from air or water. This is the reason stainless steel requires no coating or other corrosion protection to remain bright and shiny even after thousands of users.

From the tiny fork on the table to the highest skyscraper, stainless steel has become an integral part of modern life.

Stainless steel’s strength, 100% recyclability, corrosion resistance, mechanical efficiency, low maintenance make it the ideal material for all kinds of applications.

There are 150+ grades of stainless steel, among which only 15 are abundantly used in everyday applications.

Uses of Stainless Steel

Below are some of the most common uses of stainless steel.

1. Food and Catering

Stainless steel is commonly seen as kitchen accessories, cutlery, and cookware. From knife blades with sharp edges to molded shapes like cookers, grills, sinks, saucepans- the presence of stainless steel is essential. It’s also used as a finish for refrigerators, countertops, and dishwashers.

2. Offshore Technology

In offshore technology, stainless steel is mainly used in the pipework. They are used to transport hydrocarbons, petrochemicals, etc. for seawater systems. They are often the best choice for offshore systems given their resistance to corrosive effects of seawater.

3. Seawater Desalination Plants

Stainless steel’s great mechanical properties make it an essential material for seawater reverse osmosis units (SWRO).

4. Chemical Industry

Chemical plants expose metals and equipment to an extremely harsh environment. Stainless steel offers the best solution to withstand the corrosion elements.

5. Bridges

Duplex stainless steels, a recent family of stainless steel alloy, is becoming increasingly popular in bridges and other engineering structures as these steels are typically twice as strong as ferritic alloys. Because of their increased strength, less material is needed, thus becoming more cost and weight efficient.

6. Storage Tanks

Stainless steel tanks are regularly used to hold corrosive substances such as chemicals, gases, and many other bulk materials, including food and water. It doesn’t add any flavor or smell to foods and water, which is another advantage.

7. Medical Industry

By alloying stainless steel with Chromium, Nickel, and Molybdenum, the surgeon gets some important qualities for his/her materials.

• Chromium- Increases scratch and corrosion resistance of equipment- essential for cleansing and sterilizing.
• Nickel- provides a smooth, polishable surface – much needed for machine precision.
• Molybdenum- provides hardness after forming; thus used in cutting edges like scalpels.

8. Civil Engineering

Stainless steel possesses similar desired properties of usual steel but eliminates disadvantages like corrosion. As a result, stainless steel has become increasingly popular as a construction material.

9. Power Plants

A power generation plant requires materials that endure high temperatures and extreme pressure. That’s why stainless steel is an obvious choice in heat exchangers, reactor tanks, pressure tubes, transformer enclosures and more.

10. Shipbuilding Industry

Duplex stainless steel is used to construct the cargo tanks while the austenitic grade is used for inland navigation tankers. Duplex stainless steel is being used in shipbuilding increasingly thanks to its mechanical efficiency.

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