Merbau wood properties
Merbau wood properties
(OP)
I have been tasked with designing a small pedestrian bridge with Merbau wood. I have to admit, I've never heard of this specie of wood and can't seem to find its properties. I have searched extensively but didn't come up with anything useful, so any help as to the design properties of Merbau would be greatly appreciated.






RE: Merbau wood properties
Merbau (Malaysia), ipil (Philippines), and kwila (New Guinea) are names applied to species of the genus Intsia, most commonly I. bijuga. Intsia is distributed throughout the Indo–Malaysian region, Indonesia, Philippines, and many western Pacific islands, as well as Australia. Freshly cut yellowish to orange–brown heartwood turns brown or dark red–brown on exposure to air. The texture is rather coarse, and the grain is straight to interlocked or wavy. The strength of air-dried merbau is comparable with that of hickory (Carya), but density is somewhat lower (800 kg m –3 (50 lb ft –3 ) at 12% moisture content). The wood dries well with little degrade but stains black in the presence of iron and moisture. Merbau is rather difficult to saw because it sticks to saw teeth and dulls cutting edges. However, the wood dresses smoothly in most operations and finishes well. Merbau has good durability and high resistance to termite attack. The heartwood resists treatment, but the sapwood can be treated with preservatives. Merbau is used in furniture, fine joinery, turnery, cabinets, flooring, musical instruments, and specialty items.
Looks like you're going to have difficulty getting any sort of graded lumber or NDS style strength data on it. I'd probably just design it like hickory as they stated and be conservative in the design.
Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanConcrete/
RE: Merbau wood properties
Often with interlocking or wavy grain, there could be a lot of 'reaction' wood... as noted with sawing, this may make it a little more difficult to work with.
Merbau is used in furniture, fine joinery, turnery, cabinets, flooring, musical instruments, and specialty items.
If this is the case, then it may be that the material has to be carefully selected.
Dik
RE: Merbau wood properties
https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/Chud...
RE: Merbau wood properties
RE: Merbau wood properties
RE: Merbau wood properties
The decking and railing will be Merbau and the beams will be glulaminated timber.
RE: Merbau wood properties
RE: Merbau wood properties
http://www.wood-database.com/merbau/
and here is a video which may be of interest:
http://www.eastteak.com/exotic-woods/merbau-lumber...
BA
RE: Merbau wood properties