Strength growth characteristics effect

Growth Characteristics. As a fibrous product from living trees, wood is subjected to many environmental influences as it is formed and during its lifetime. These environmental influences can increase the variability of the wood material and, thus, increase the variability of the mechanical properties. To reduce the effect of this inherent variability, standardized testing procedures using small, clear specimens of wood are often used. Small, clear specimens do not have knots, checks, splits, or reaction wood. However, the wood products used and of economic importance in the real world have these defects. Strength estimates derived from small clear specimens are reported because most chemical treatment data have been generated from small clear specimens. 

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