Wood physical-mechanical properties of Taiwania flousiana compared to Cunninghamia lanceolata for plantation development

Key words: 
• forest engineering /
• Taiwania flousiana /
• Cunninghamia lanceolata /
• plantation /
• wood /
• physical-mechanical properties /
• comparison

Abstract: Researches in wood physical-mechanical of Taiwania flousiana were few,in order to judge the wood,wood physical-mechanical properties for 8,14,and 28 years old T. flousiana grown on the Shankou Forest Farm of Nandan,Guangxi Province were studied and compared to Cunninghamia lanceolata. Generally,wood density and mechanical properties of both trees increased as tree age increased. Results of a t test for the two wood types showed highly significant(PPPPPPPPPPC. lanceolata,the following properties of T. flousiana were lower: air-dried density (moisture content of wood is 12%) (2.3%), basic density (4.4%), radial shrinkage coefficient (1.6%), tangential shrinkage coefficient (2.6%), volumetric shrinkage coefficient (1.5%), tangential section hardness (3.6%), the modulus of elasticity in static bending (3.8%), compression strength parallel to the grain (3.4%), radial shearing strength parallel to the grain (17.5%), and tangential shearing strength parallel to the grain (14.4%), but greater for the following properties: cross section hardness (6.6%), radial section hardness (6.1%), bending strength (3.4%), toughness (2.3%), radial cleavage strength along the grain (15.0%), and tangential cleavage strength along the grain (16.3%). These results could provide a scientific basis for plantation establishment and rational utilization of T. flousiana.