Forest Products Laboratory

Centennial Edition Forest Products Laboratory

We are proud to present this edition of the Wood Handbook-Wood as an Engineering Material, prepared and updated to include fascinating new developments in the field of wood utilization and released as part of the celebration of the Forest Products Laboratory's first 100 years of service to the public. Efficient use of our nation's timber is of critical importance. This handbook is intended to serve as a primary reference on the use of wood in a variety of applications-from general construction to use of wood for decorative purposes. It provides engineers, architects, and others who use wood with a source of information on the various properties of wood, its relationship with moisture, and characteristics of various wood-based materials. Continuing research holds promise for wider and more efficient utilization of wood in an increasing number of applications. This handbook was prepared by the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), a research unit within the USDA Forest Service. The FPL, first established in 1910 in Madison, Wisconsin, was the first institution in the world to conduct general research on wood and its utilization. The information that resulted from many of its scientific investigations of wood and wood products over the past century is the primary basis for this handbook.