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PROJECT REPORT

Submitted To:
Ekta Rathi Maam

Submitted By:
Miss Nishi Mahajan
2nd Semester

Contents
1.

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 4

2.

CLASSIFICATION OF TREES ................................................................................... 5

2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2

2.2

3.

Exogenous Trees ..................................................................................................... 5

Conifers ................................................................................................................................... 5
Deciduous................................................................................................................................ 6

Endogenous Trees ................................................................................................... 6

CLASSIFICATION OF TIMBER................................................................................. 7
3.1

On the Basis of its Position ...................................................................................... 7

3.2

On the Basis of Grading (IS: 6534) ........................................................................... 7

3.2.1
3.2.2

Structural Grading ................................................................................................................... 7

Commercial Grading ............................................................................................................... 7

3.3

On the Basis of Modulus of Elasticity ...................................................................... 7

3.4

On the Basis of Availability ..................................................................................... 8

3.5

On the Basis of Durability........................................................................................ 8

3.6

On the Basis of Seasoning Characteristics................................................................ 8

3.7

On the Basis of Treatability ..................................................................................... 8

4.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TIMBER ................................................................... 9

5.

PLYWOOD ......................................................................................................... 10

6.

5.1

Introduction.......................................................................................................... 10

5.2

MR Grade Plywood ............................................................................................... 10

5.3

BWR Grade Plywood ............................................................................................. 10

5.4

Advantages of Plywood ........................................................................................ 11

5.5

Uses of Plywood ................................................................................................... 11

PARTICLE BOARD ............................................................................................... 12

6.1

Introduction.......................................................................................................... 12

6.2

Advantages ........................................................................................................... 12

6.3

Disadvantages ...................................................................................................... 12

6.4

Particle board vs. Log wood .................................................................................. 13

7.

MDF .................................................................................................................. 15

8.

LAMINATES ....................................................................................................... 16
8.1

Introduction.......................................................................................................... 16

8.2

Classification of Laminates .................................................................................... 16

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8.2.1
8.2.2
8.2.3
8.2.4

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HPL and LPL ........................................................................................................................... 16

Regular Laminate sheets and Compact Laminates ............................................................... 16
Types based on usage ........................................................................................................... 16
Classification based on Surface Finish................................................................................... 16

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1. INTRODUCTION
Wood is a hard and fibrous substance which forms a major part of the trunk and branches of a
tree. It can also be defined as a natural polymeric material which practically does not age.
Wood as a building material falls in two major classesnatural and man-made. With the
advances in science and technology, wood in its natural form as timber, lumber, etc. is being
rapidly replaced by composite wood materials in which natural wood is just a basic ingredient
of a matrix or a laminate. The latter are found to be more useful and adaptable as they may be
treated chemically, thermally or otherwise as per requirements. Some examples are plywood,
fiberboards, chipboards, compressed wood, impregnated wood, etc.
Wood has many advantages due to which it is preferred over many other building materials. It
is easily available (this wont be true after some years) and easy to transport and handle, has
more thermal insulation, sound absorption and electrical resistance as compared to steel and
concrete. It is the ideal material to be used in sea water. Wood is a good absorber of shocks
and so is suitable for construction work in hilly areas which are more prone to earthquakes.
Finally, since wood can be easily worked, repairs and alterations to wood work can also be
done easily.
Owing to the above mentioned advantages, wood is very widely used in buildings as doors,
windows, frames, temporary partition walls, etc. and in roof trusses and ceilings apart from
formwork.

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2. CLASSIFICATION OF TREES
Trees are classified as endogenous and exogenous according to the mode of growth. Following
is the classification:

TREES

Endogeneous

Exogeneous

Decidious

Conoifers

Soft Woods

Hard Woods

Figure 1 Classification of Trees

2.1 Exogenous Trees

These trees increase in bulk by growing outwards and distinct consecutive rings are formed in
the horizontal section of such a tree. These rings are known as annular rings because one such
ring is added every year and these rings are useful in predicting the age of the tree. The timber
which is most used for engineering purposes belongs to these category.

Figure 2 Cross-section of a Exogenous Tree

The exogenous trees are further subdivided into two groups:

2.1.1 Conifers
The conifers are also known as ever-green trees and leaves of these trees do not fall until new
ones are grown. As these trees bear cone-shaped fruits, they are given the name conifers.

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These trees yield soft woods which are generally light colored, resinous, light in weight and
week. They show distinct annular rings.
2.1.2 Deciduous
The deciduous trees are also known as broad-leaf trees and leaves of these trees fall in autumn
and new ones appear in spring season. The timber from engineering purposes is mostly derived
from deciduous trees. These trees yield hard woods which are usually close-grained, strong,
heavy, dark colored, durable and non-resinous. They do not show distinct annular rings.

2.2 Endogenous Trees

These trees grow inwards and fibrous mass is seen in their longitudinal sections. The timber
from these trees has very limited engineering applications. The examples of endogenous trees
are bamboo, cane, palm, etc.

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3. CLASSIFICATION OF TIMBER
The terms timber and wood are often used synonymously, but they have distinct meanings in
the building industry. Wood is the hard, fibrous material that makes up the tree under the bark,
whereas timber may be defined as a wood which retains its natural physical structure and
chemical composition and is suitable for various engineering works. Following is the
classification of timber as per IS: 399, except the classification of timber based on grading
which is given in IS: 6534.

3.1 On the Basis of its Position

Standing Timber implies a living tree.
Rough Timber forms a part of the felled tree.
Converted Timber or Lumber are logs of timber sawn into planks, posts, etc.

3.2 On the Basis of Grading (IS: 6534)

All grading specifications are clearly distinguished between structural or stress grading, and
commercial or utility grading based on Indian Standard classification.

3.2.1

Structural Grading
Structural grading is also known as stress grading. However, there is a small distinction between the
two. Structural grading refers to the principle by which the material is graded on the basis of visible
defects which have known effects on the strength properties of the material. Stress grading refers
to the principle by which the material is graded by consideration of maximum principle stresses to
which it can be subjected. Structural grading is further divided as:
1. Grading based on known effects of defects and estimating accumulative value.
2. Machine grading.

3.2.2

Commercial Grading
Commercial grading also known as yard grading or utility grading refers to the principle by which
the material is graded by consideration of usefulness of the material and price factors.
Commercial grading is further divided in the following classes:
Grade A: This classification is based on dimensions and general appearance. The dimensions of
lengths, widths and thicknesses of converted materials are measured. This system is prevalent is
Kerala and Mysore.
Grade B: This classification is based on the best ultimate use of the material. Such a system is
mostly in Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu. Here, each grade is further divided into A,
B and C classes to indicate occurrence of defects. Only two lengths are recognized, long (L) which is
5m and above, and short(S) that is under 5m. Each log is stamped such as BAL (Beam, A-class, long),
PBS (Plank, B-class, short), etc. Some times another letter is also added indicating the species, e.g. T
for teak.
Grade C: This classification is based on qualitative evaluation of defects and rough estimate of outturn of utilizable material. It is prevalent in Madhya Pradesh.
Grade D: This classification is based on evaluation of units of defects and fixing the permissible
number of standard volume of area or the material in each grade. This system is prevalent in
Bombay region and is increasingly adopted in Indian Standards and is recognized
internationally.

3.3 On the Basis of Modulus of Elasticity

The species of timber recommended for constructional purpose are classified as
Group A: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 12.5 kN/mm2

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Group B: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 9.8 kN/mm2 and below 12.5 kN/mm2
Group C: Modulus of elasticity in bending above 5.6 kN/mm2 and below 9.8 kN/mm2

3.4 On the Basis of Availability

According to availability, timber can be of three grades, namely X, Y and Z.
XMost common, 1415 m3 or more per year.
YCommon, 355 m3 to 1415 m3 per year.
Zless common, below 355 m3 per year.
This is based upon the figures supplied by the forest departments.

3.5 On the Basis of Durability

Test specimens of size 600 x 50 x 50 mm are buried in the ground to half their lengths. The
condition of the specimen at various intervals of time are noted and from these observations their
average life is calculated. Timbers are classified based upon such observations as of:
High durability average life of 120 months and over.
Moderate durability average life of less than 120 months but of 60 months or more.
Low durability average life of less than 60 months.

3.6 On the Basis of Seasoning Characteristics

Timbers are classified depending upon their behaviour to cracking and splitting during normal airseasoning practice under three categories.
Highly refractory (Class A) are slow and difficult to season-free from defect. Moderately refractory
(Class B) may be seasoned free from surface defects, etc. if some protection is given against rapid

drying.
Non-refractory (Class CJ): These can be rapidly seasoned free from defects.

3.7 On the Basis of Treatability

This classification is based upon the resistance offered by the heartwood of a species to
preservatives under a working pressure of 1.05 N/mm2 as
(a) Easily treatable.
(b) Treatable but complete preservation not easily obtained.
(c) Only partially treatable.
(d) Refractory to treatment.
(e) Very refractory to treatment, penetration of preservative being practically nil from the sides
and ends.

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4. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TIMBER

The principal characteristics of timber of concern are strength, durability and finished appearance.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Narrow annual rings, closer the rings greater is the strength.

Compact medullary rays.
Dark color.
Uniform texture.
Sweet smell and a shining fresh cut surface.
When struck sonorous sound is produced.
Free from the defects in timber.
Heavy weight.
No woolliness at fresh cut surface.

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5. PLYWOOD
5.1 Introduction
A wood panel glued under pressure from an odd number (usually 3 to 13) of layers/piles of veneers
is known as plywood. The outer most veneer sheets in a plywood panel are called/faces. The interior
ply/plies which have their grain directions parallel to that of the faces are termed as core/centre.
Other piles which have grain directions perpendicular to that in the face are termed as cross bands.
Plywood may be classified upon direction of grains in the plies and on the type of adhesive used.
Normally the alternate plies are oriented at 30 or 60 in star plywood. The faces are arranged with
the grain at 45 to that of the centres in diagonal plywood. When the plies are bonded together with
water-soluble glues such as casein glue, interior grade plywood is obtained and when bonded with
phenol formaldehyde adhesive it is identified as exterior grade plywood which is completely water
proof.

Figure 3 Structure of Plywood

5.2 MR Grade Plywood

MR grade plywood means Moisture Resistant plywood. In India, it is also known as Commercial
grade plywood.
The important features of MR grade plywood are listed below.
1. It is Interior grade plywood, suitable for indoor use.
2. The term MR (moisture resistant) can be a bit confusing in this regard. But customers should note
that 'moisture resistant' does not mean 'waterproof'. It only means that the the plywood is capable
of resisting humidity and moisture.
3. the most common use of MR plywood is for making home and office furniture. Customers who
want waterproof plywood for their furniture should opt for the better quality BWR grade plywood,
which is waterproof and made using phenolic resins. BWR grade ply costs more than Commercial
MR grade ply, but it is better for making furniture that is likely to get wet e.g. Kitchen cabinets.
4. The Indian Standards specification number for MR grade plywood is IS:303

5.3 BWR Grade Plywood

BWR grade plywood means Boiling Water Resistant plywood. It is a waterproof plywood, and is
widely used for making home and office furniture. Along with Commercial MR Grade plywood, it is
the best-selling type of plywood in India.
There is another term BWP (Boiling Water proof) which is very similar sounding and almost means
the same. BWP means Boiling Water Proof, and this term is generally used in the case of exterior
grade waterproof blockboards. For plywood using the term 'BWR grade' is much more common.

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The important features of BWR plywood are listed below.

1. It is exterior grade plywood that can be used for indoor, semi-outdoor and outdoor use.
2. BWR is waterproof plywood. It can resist water better than the Interior grade MR (Moisture
resistant) plywood.
3. Phenolic resins are used for in its making. Phenolic resins means using 'phenol formaldehyde'
adhesive, which is a synthetic plastic resin. This is what gives the plywood its waterproofing qualities.
4. BWR grade plywood is commonly used for meeting those furniture requirements in the home,
where the plywood is likely to get exposure to water. For Kitchen cabinets and other kitchen furniture,
BWR grade is the preferred choice of plywood.
5. The Indian Standards specification number for BWR grade plywood is IS:303

5.4 Advantages of Plywood

1. It has good strength both along as well as across the grains.
2. The wood shrinks or swells more across the grains. Since plywood has cross-grained
construction, the tendency to shrink or swell is reduced.
3. It has better splitting resistance due to the grains in adjacent veneers in cross direction as
such nailing can be done very safely even near the edges.
4. Plywood can be curved into desired shapes.

5.5 Uses of Plywood

These are extensively used for partitions, ceilings, doors, concrete form work, plywood boards, lamin
boards (built-up boards with core strips up to 7 mm wide and 7 mm thick) and block boards (built-up
boards) etc.

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6. PARTICLE BOARD
6.1 Introduction
Particle Boards are a relatively new type of engineered wood product that are made from glueing
together small chips and saw-dust and firmly pressing them together to make boards or sheets. With
particle board furniture becoming more commonly available in the market it is useful to know how it
compares with other types of engineered woods such as plywood and with solid wood.
The advantages and disadvantages of particle board are listed below.

6.2 Advantages
Low Cost:
The main advantage of particle board over solid wood or plywood is that its cost is very low.
Compared to plywood furniture of similar dimensions, particle board furniture costs less than half.
This low cost of course comes at a price, because particle boards are not as durable as plywood or
solid wood.
Ready-made furniture:
Particle boards are machine manufactured to desired dimensions, and thus standard pieces of
furniture can be mass-produced using these boards. This further brings down the costs since there is
no carpenter work involved. This also means ready-to-buy products for customers with zero waiting
time.
Pre-laminated boards:
A thin layer of lamination (decorative laminate) is usually glued over the surface of the particle
boards at the time they are manufactured. Such boards are called pre-laminated boards. Lamination
increases the beauty as well as the durability of the board to some extent.
On the other hand, when customers opt for plywood furniture they also have to separately select
and purchase decorative laminate sheets that will be glued over the plywood sheets. This further
increases the overall cost of the custom-made plywood furniture being made.
Light-weight:
Particle boards are very light in weight, and hence furniture made from these boards is relatively
easy to transport and move around. However while this can be said to be an advantage for some
people, it also is an indicator of an important drawback which is that the board is not as strong as
other types of wood. A general rule of thumb when it comes to selecting woods is that the denser
the wood the stronger it is. And denser usually also means heavier weight. This is why the solid
wood furniture that lasts for several years is so heavy.

6.3 Disadvantages
Low on strength:
Particle board furniture is quite weak compared to other kinds of engineered woods such as
plywood. It is less dense and can easily get damaged while handling. So for those who need to shift
from one house to another quite frequently, its important to note that their particle board furniture
may not survive the ordeal.
Low life, low durability:
Apart from being low on strength, particle boards are also prone to getting damaged because of
moisture and humidity. This means that furniture made from these boards will not last very long.
This is without doubt the major drawback of particle board furniture.
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Experienced sources and even some shopkeepers selling this particle board furniture clearly inform
the customer that they can expect the particle board furniture to last for around 2 to 3 years (and
there are others who will say the lifetime is 5 years). Now compare this with plywood which lasts
easily for 15-20 years, or with good quality solid wood furniture that lasts for several decades and is
handed over from one generation to the next.
Finally the choice of wood depends on the needs of the customers, whether they want cheaper
furniture that they are willing to dispose of in the next few years or they want furniture that wants
to buy once and that which will last a lifetime.
Cannot support heavy loads:
Particle boards are almost never used in applications where the boards will be subjected to heavy
weights. Being low on strength, particle boards are only suitable for holding low weights, or as
forming the walls of cabinets and the like.
Not as eco-friendly as solid wood furniture:
Particle boards are made from small particles of wood such as sawdust and small chips which are
glued and pressed together to form a sheet. The glue used is a plastic resin (phenolic resin), the
same that is used in the making of decorative laminates. This is not as eco-friendly as using good
quality solid wood furniture that is 100% natural.

6.4 Particle board vs. Log wood

Particle board furniture has become quite popular these days, thanks to its lower costs. But how
well does it perform when compared to furniture made from solid wood. The differences between
particle board and log wood are:
Differences in their making:
Particle boards are engineered wood products that are made from very small particles of wood (such
as sawdust and small wood flakes). These wood particles are often the by-products that are
obtained while making other types of wood such as plywood or blockboards, and hence particle
boards are very cost-effective to make.
The wood particles are mixed with glue (such as Urea formaldehyde resin) and the mixture is firmly
pressed together using a hot-press machine to make these wooden boards or sheets.
Log wood on the other hand is a natural wood product, that is obtained by felling trees, and cutting
the logs down to smaller sizes and shapes so that the wood can be used for making furniture.
Cost comparison:
Particle boards are much cheaper compared to solid wood, as also cheaper than all the other kinds
of engineered woods such as plywood, blockboards, MDF (medium density fibre-boards)and HDF
(high density fibre-boards).
Log wood furniture is costly but its much stronger and more durable than particle board furniture.

Strength comparison:
Log wood is much stronger as it is a natural homogeneous material. It is categorized as hardwood
and softwood. Examples of hardwood are teak, sheesham wood etc. and examples of softwood are
mango wood, pine wood etc.). Hardwood is denser and stronger than softwood.
In any case, particle boards are lighter, less dense and weaker than any of the solid woods used in
furniture making. An easy way to judge the strength of any furniture is to check its weight (heavier is
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usually better) and to tap it with the fingers to check the density (particle boards sounds hollow,
while natural wood sounds strong and solid.
Resistance to water:
Good quality log woods such as teak, have a natural oil content, and hence can resist water well.
That's the reason, teak furniture is often used outdoors in the form of garden tables and chairs.
Particle boards are very sensitive to water and even moisture. Usually the boards are prelaminated
and the lamination offers a bit of protection against moisture and humidity, but the boards still can
get damaged if exposed to water.
Ecological concerns:
There are merits and demerits of each type. In the case of particle boards, one can say that since its
made of waste wood particles it helps preserves the environment by saving wood and trees. But the
fact still remains that it is made using formaldehyde resins which are not very eco-friendly.
In the case of log wood, any kind of artificial resins are completely avoided, hence it is very natural
and safe to use, however to get log wood, trees have to be cut down, and can be a cause of
deforestation in case the wood has been obtained from forests, instead of managed plantations.
Durability:
Furniture made from log wood is much more durable. In fact, in many cases good quality teak wood
pieces are known to last for more than 100 years, serving more than one generation. In the case of
Particle boards, at most a lifetime of 5 years is expected.

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7. MDF
MDF or medium density fibre boards are a relatively new type of engineered wood product. These
boards are made from very small fibres of wood firmly glued together to form a hard surface. It is
not as strong as plywood, but looks quite attractive because of its smooth laminated surface finish.
MDF boards are usually pre-laminated at the time of their manufacture using LPL (Low Pressure
Laminates), and standard size MDF furniture is also assembled in factories and shipped to dealers for
selling.
On the other hand, most plywood furniture such as tables, cabinets, beds etc. are made by local
carpenters using plywood sheets. Laminates (such as Sunmica) or veneers are used as an overlay to
decorate plywood.
Much of the office furniture found in today's offices such as desktops and cubicles is actually MDF
furniture. The main reason is that MDF is more cost-effective than plywood, though quality-wise I
would choose plywood furniture for strength and durability.
Other varieties of fibre boards include LDF (Low-density fibreboards) and HDF (High-density
fibreboards). HDF is the best of the lot. When working with wood, the usual rule of thumb is that the
higher the density and weight of the wood, the stronger it usually is.

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8. LAMINATES
8.1 Introduction
Decorative Laminates (a blend of paper and plastic resins) are hard and brittle sheets having a
thickness of around 1 mm, and are widely used as an overlay over wood, such as in the case of
laminated table tops, wood panels, or other wooden furniture. The sheets have a decorative surface
(made using decorative printed paper) and are manufactured in a wide variety of colours, design
patterns and textures.

8.2 Classification of Laminates

8.2.1 HPL and LPL
The decorative laminate manufacturing process involves soaking brown paper, decorative paper,
and translucent paper in plastic based resins. The brown paper which forms the base is soaked in
phenol formaldehyde, while the other two papers are soaked in melamine resin. The soaked papers
after drying become hard and brittle. These papers are then pressed and bonded together under
high pressure and temperature. Depending on the amount of pressure used in the bonding process,
laminates can be classified as HPL (High Pressure Laminates) or LPL (Low Pressure Laminates).
High pressure laminates (HPL) such as those manufactured under the brand names of Sunmica or
Formica, are hard decorative sheets that are commonly fixed by carpenters over plywood while
making the furniture. In the case of Low Pressure Laminates (LPL) only the decorative paper is
soaked in Melamine resin, and the laminated paper is then directly bonded to Particle Boards or
Fiber Boards (MDF and HDF).
8.2.2 Regular Laminate sheets and Compact Laminates
The regular laminate sheets usually have a thickness that ranges from 0.6 mm to 1.5 mm, and these
sheets are glued by carpenters to substrate materials such as plywood using common adhesives like
Fevicol. There are also other thicker types of laminates manufactured called Compact Laminates
which have a thickness ranging from 3 mm to 30 mm. These Compact Laminates are self-supporting
and hence do not need to be glued to woods or any other material. Both the top and bottom sides
of compact laminates have decorative surfaces.
8.2.3 Types based on usage
Based on the final or intended use of the product, the laminates are of two types viz. Decorative and
Industrial. For decorative laminates the look and feel are the important aspects as they are
commonly used to decorate and protect wooden furniture, while for industrial laminates the focus is
more on having a surface that has higher strength, higher resistance to scratches and wear and tear,
and which is very durable. Industrial use products such as circuit boards are made using industrial
laminate materials.
8.2.4 Classification based on Surface Finish
Since Decorative Laminates are artificially created surfaces, they have a large variety in colours,
patterns and textures. Based on the surface finishing of the sheets, decorative laminates can be
classified as solid color, floral patterns, gloss finished, matt finish laminates, wooden finish laminates
(which has designs that look like wood).

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Figure 4 Various Wooden Laminates

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