Wood as a Building Material

The fact that wood is a natural building material provides it with many benefits. This chapter examines wood, its growth, and related properties: grain and cell structure, defects, the relationship between wood and water, dimensional stability, and various deterioration mechanisms (fungal decay, insects, weathering, and fire), as well as ways to address those. Trees can broadly be classified into two categories: softwoods and hardwoods. Many factors impact the geographic establishment of a particular tree species. From a biological perspective, tree growth starts with a process called photosynthesis. As a tree grows, it extends branches from its trunk outward and toward any available light. Wood's mechanical properties are evaluated in only two: parallel to the grain and perpendicular to the grain. Wood and water have an important relationship: Trees need water to live and prosper. An important concept that underlies the wood–water relationship is wood's hygroscopicity .