310 
TIMBEE 
Shearing Strkngth Parallel to Grain and Compression Strength 
AT Right Angles to Grain. 
Slieariiig. Lbs. per s(j. in. 
Cornjiro.'isioii. Lbs. i)er 
sq. in. 
MoisLure per 
CRiil. or dry 
bprucc.i 
■weight. 
LdMgleaf 
Spiiice. 
ClMi.sliiut. 
l)ine. 
Uefoniuition 
Deforniation 
of 3 per cent. 
ol ] 5 [ler cent. 
2 
6 
10 
12 
14 
24 
2,160 
2,050 
1,760 
1,600 
1,460 
1,020 
1,360 
1,245 
1,115 
1,060 
1,010 
815 
1,105 
1,050 
985 
950 
915 
750 
1,340 
1.115 
950 
880 
820 
605 
1,640 
1,430 
1,250 
1,170 
1.095 
810 
The above results must not be taken as the strengths of 
ordmary building timber, as these tests were made upon 
small and carefully prepared pieces of wood, so as to get as 
accurate and comj)arative results as possible, but it is safe 
to assume that the drying of large pieces would give the 
same proportional increase of strength. 
Shearing parallel to grain is a variable quantity and 
cannot be depended uj)on to increase with dryness. 
Soaking timber in cold water does not diminish its 
strength, whilst heating the water does so considerably, 
and boiling the water causes a still greater diminution. 
Timber kiln dried and then resoaked is weaker than 
timber of equal degree of moisture which has not been 
dried, and does not fail like the original green beam, but 
snaps at the bottom like that kiln dried, showing no com- 
pression at the top ; kiln drying seems to increase per- 
manently the brittleness of wood. A beam of green 
1 These tests were made with the load concentrated over a portion of 
the area onlj', as in the case of a pillar resting on a horizontal sill. 
