Abies alba

'Abies alba'' Mill. -- Silver fir'''

group: 	SOFTWOODS

Macroscopic structure of wood

heartwood/sapwood: 	sapwood (light-coloured heartwood)

description: 	greyish white to pale brown colour

rings: 	distinct boundary between rings; moderate abrupt transition from early wood to late wood in ring

resin canals: 	absent

rays: 	invisible

texture: slightly flatsawn (T) and finely radial figure (R); lusterless and not decorative wood

other: 	a tendency to separate along the ring

Microscopic structure of wood

brief overview: 	without RC; ray HomC, high

ring: 	moderate abrupt transition from early wood to late wood tracheids in ring	X

bordered pits on tracheids: 	usually one in a row (sometime paired)	R

tracheid thickenings: 	absent	R, T

resin canals: 	absent	P, T

rays: 	homocellular	R

width of rays	uniseriate	T, (X)

height of rays: 	medium high to high, 15–25 (40)	T

cross field pitting: 	taxodioid by early wood tracheids, piceoid in late wood tracheids (2–4)	R

axial parenchyma: 	rare	X, (R, T)

other: 	prismatic crystals in ray cells

Wood properties

density: 	light

ρ 0: 	405 kg/m3

ρ 12-15: 	435 kg/m3

ρ green: 	900 kg/m3

shrinkage: 	medium

- volumetric (βV): 	10,5 %

- radial (βR): 	3,4 %

- tangential (βT): 	7,4 %

ultimate strength in compression ||: 	47 MPa

ultimate strength in bending: 	73 MPa

ultimate strength in tension ||: 	84 MPa

hardness: 	soft

Janka's hardness: 	28 MPa

technological properties: 	no problem with drying, working, finishing, uneasy chemical preservation of heartwood

resistance: 	rated as moderate or slightly resistant to decay

Wood utilization''

Similar utilization as wood of Norway spruce; timber, inside and outside building constructions, water constructions and bridges, boat building, shingles; generally worse wood than spruce due to different hardness of early and late wood, tend to separate along the ring

References