Abstract

TELLES ANTONIO, Ricardo et al. Physico-mechanical properties of Tectona grandis L. f. wood from a commercial plantation in the State of Michoacán. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.40, pp.37-56. ISSN 2007-1132.

Teak has been identified as the most convenient species for establishing high quality tropical timber plantations under forest management; therefore, the physical-mechanical properties of the its wood of a commercial plantation in Nuevo Urecho, Michoacán were determined and were compared with other experiences in Mexico and other regions of the world. The plant material came from six Tectona grandis trees which were selected from their mensuration characteristics and their representativeness of each sampling site. The methodology of COPANT (1972) was followed; a log 1 meter long from the diameter of the stump (0.30 cm) was obtained from which the prisms and the test specimens were taken in order to make the physical and mechanical essays. The results of T. grandis wood show that it has a basic density of 0.59 g cm-3; categorized a s heavy wood; low volumetric shrinkage (5.15 %), which classified it as stable wood. The parallel compression, recorded a strength of 326.1 kgf cm-2 and it is classified high; perpendicular compression showed a stress of 33.6 kgf cm-2 being classified as low; in the tear or cleavage test it was observed a CMR of 44.3 kgf cm-2 being classified as mean; the shear showed a low strength value at a mean of 63.2 kgf cm-2, the lateral hardness showed average values of 545 kgf, classifying its strength as semi-hard wood. The results showed that some properties of the wood from trees planted in Nuevo Urecho, Michoacán, are remarkably similar to those of other provenances.

Keywords : Compression; contraction; density; assay; timber; uses.