Fagus sylvatica

Fagus sylvatica L. – Common beech

group: 	DIFFUSE-POROUS HARDWOODS

Macroscopic structure of wood

heartwood/sapwood: 	sapwood (false heartwood occurs frequently)

description: 	pinkish, light brown to reddish brown colour (wood treated by steam is reddish of colour)

rings: 	quite good visible boundary between rings (ring boundaries quite distinct due to dark zone of late wood)

vessels:	only micro pores in wood (longitudinal sections smooth)

rays: 	very numerous, visible in X, R, T (T – dark vertical lines 1–5 mm)

texture: 	slightly flatsawn (T) and slightly radial figure (R); little decorative wood

Microscopic structure of wood

brief overview: 	Ray 1–∞ seriate, HomG*, noded rays; simple and scalariform perforation plate

ring: 	invisible boundary between early and late wood within ring	X

vessel types and arrangements: 	only microvessels; microvessels solitary or in radial multiples (up to 4)	X

type of vessel perforation: 	simple and scalariform	R

tyloses: 	possible presence in false heartwood	X, R, T

rays: 	homogeneous (slightly heterogeneous)	R, T

width of rays	1–multiseriate	T, (X)

apotracheal parenchyma: 	relatively numerous – diffuse, diffuse-in-aggregates	X

paratracheal parenchyma: 	scanty	X

tracheids in basic tissue: 	vascular, vasicentric, fibre tracheids	R, T

other: 	nodded rays (i.e. swollen on the ring boundary) (X section)

Wood properties

density: 	moderate heavy ρ 0: 	685 kg/m3

ρ 12-15: 	720 kg/m3

ρ green: 	1070 kg/m3

shrinkage: 	medium

- volumetric (βV): 	17,6 %

- radial (βR): 	5,8 %

- tangential (βT): 	11,8 %

mechanical properties: 	very strong and bendy

ultimate strength in compression ||: 	62 MPa

ultimate strength in bending: 	123 MPa

ultimate strength in tension ||: 	135 MPa

hardness: 	moderate hard

Janka's hardness: 	61 MPa

technological properties: 	no problem with chemical preservation, working and finishing, uneasy drying (it's necessary slowly drying; very often formation of crack)

resistance: 	rated as slightly or non-resistant to decay

Wood utilization

timber, veneers, plywoodss, battenboards, particleboards (chipboard, MDF/HDF – medium/high density fibreboards, OSB – oriented strand boards), furniture, bentwood furniture (chairs, racks), floors, parquet, inside doors, railway ties, inside joinery facing, chemical and pulp industry, joiner's and hand tools, parts of textile and other machinery, small objects (buttons, toys, spools, canes), hunting rifle butts and fuel wood

References