Wood

The wood is a strong and resistant material obtained from trees. It was the first material use by men because of its characteristics like: the facilities to be found, its low weight, good looking and nice mechanics, thermals and acoustics properties. Those properties had given to the wood the possibility of being applied in different situations, for example in constructions. Nowadays the discovery of new materials as resistant as wood but more economic had displaced the use of wood. The properties of Wood depend of many factors like its type and age and its growing conditions like the ground and weather of the place.

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It is true that the wood is one of the best materials that we can use for construction because of its advantages and the opportunities of design that it brings, but there are some physical and mechanical properties that can affect the use of this material in construction. Physicals: ** -Anisotropy: The wood is a material form by different fibers oriented in the same direction, making it an anisotropic material. That means that some physical and mechanical properties are not the same in all the directions that pass through one point, varying depending of the direction where we apply the effort. This property makes wood more resistant in some parts than in others. -Moisture: The moisture is referred to the quantity of water contained in one element. When the wood presents high moisture it can be easily breakable, and non resistant to many attacks. -Dimensional stability: Depending of the quantity of water contained inside the wood, the dimensions of it could change. -Density: The density depends of the type of wood and is related with its capacity to float. In construction it is recommended to use wood with a high density to guarantee more stability and endurance. -Action of their organisms: If some organisms act over the wood it would be less endurable and the construction too. -Electrical properties: The wood is one of the best electric isolate, but this property could change if the humidity or density varies. In constructions this is an advantage because guarantee more security for people. -Thermal properties: The dilatations and contractions that happen on wood because of the thermal variations are less important than those because of the humidity action. The pores of the wood are bad heat conductors, reason of why it is use like a heat isolate. In constructions the use of wood guarantees a fresh place where people will be comfortable and fresh.

-Elastic properties: The elasticity is the property that prevents the flexion of wood and its breakability. If we apply an effort in the same direction of the wood fibers it will probably break easily than if we apply it perpendicular to fiber directions. -Strength properties: The wood offer a great resistance on tension and compression, a great condition for construction because it guarantees that the building will resist efficiently the stresses on it.
 * Mechanical Properties: **