The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-03-20
STRUCTURAL TlNlBERS OF
THE PACIFIC COAST

The study of the structural timber:
lof the Pacific coast was begun BY the
bureau Of forestry, now the forest ser
Ivice, in 1908, in order to determine with
Igreatef accuracy the exact scope of THEFT
commercial rse. AT that time the only
Laboratory iii the west suitably equip
Iped for work of this character was thai
lof the university Of California Accord
lingly, the FIRST testing station was es-
ltahlished there, and the programme ther
prepared has been steadily carried oul
since Keen interest and hearty coop.
Ieration have greatly aided the work
| THE lumber mills Of the coast favS fur
jnished all the timber needed railroads
and steamship companies have given
free transportation for the test material
and. the university OF California has
lcontributed the use GIFTS well equipped
testing laboratory and a supply Of pow
er. rs
In this first series of experiments the
forest service has aimed to determine
1.-THE mechanical and physical properties
DAe5 lltluGAS ss uSSu iii DIluSCS,
and other structures where strength is
called for. The test specimens have
been selected from the mill and the
lumber yard, so that they might be rep
lresentative of the timber In actual use.
The tests cover all grades of the
product from clear, straight grained
sticks to inferior pieces containing such
knots and defects as are found in com
mon and second grade tinlbers. By this
lrleails lit is possible to establish both
the liability OF the ti1r1bers to contain
season checks, knots, windshakes, and
|otter similar defects. and the precise
effect which these will have on the
strength of the fiinbers. The knowl-
ledge thus obtained enables the engineer
or architect TO design timber structures
with safety and economy, and, in adj
dition, provides a reliable basis for the
|inspection and grading of the product
| of the mills. vs.
Al variety Of factors enter into the
precise determination Of the strength Of
tifTibers, lin dealing with ftill-sized
structural tin1bers it Is necessary to
know the rate sof growth: Of the speci-
men. its weight per cubic foot. and the
81 sexpressed III n,o;stI,fe content. r.
Echeck these determinations. tests are
also made On small selected pieces cl,t
from straiqht-praitled large beams free
from defects, So that sfhe relation which
these factors hear Ia the strength AZ
the timber NAV be analyzed ana nroh.
lens attacked simply and directlv
The red fir and the western hetnjocl,
have hitherto, i1,ononoiized 4he tesfs Red
FIR vvhose merit have long bern .raer,o-
snized ;n the9 tves IS stands v0;fhn,,t 1,ias.
zion first III ;tnportat1re a,1,o,Ig fbe
structural tirabers cf fha eoasf Lake.
ness, STRENGTH. ana ti,,rabilifv ara ss;ts
sdistincfive val,,abis a,,ai;t;es ara {. I shs :
fact that 1t cai, be obtained readilyis;n
sticks of exceptional Size witfioiit de-
-fects greatly ei1laraes its utility III "a
cent wears its Introduction ia fi,e east
ern market has made rapid strides The
results of tlle tests confirm conci,j,s;ve-
III the exceptional merits of tl1is tifnber
Western hetf1iock has not readily been
received III the market Chief amos,p
the obstacles with which Il has bad Ia
COPE IS tls similarity of its name ia f1af
of the eastern l1etnioek. whose noorsr
Qualities II has ,iniustiy been held Il
share. Thouqi, large uiianfities az stl,e
timber ara ctit and sold. fl,ev are ,t,ar-
tketed under fictitious names such sas
WashinQton pine Alaska nine. and pfav.
fir. for under ITS own name tl,e ,vasfar,,
hernlock has even now rlo market stand
ING. Yet the results 81 tests alreadvi
show that though Il 4 NOT % stro,,9i
or seryiceable as red f;r or 7io,,ejeaf n;res
its structural value compares favorable
lw;th that of lnhiollv AZ W;ras,,;s ,;rs
and that Il therefore deserves .s' II he bsi
marketed OH its merits The effect nf
publishing reliable Information II re.
pard to the mechanical properfies Sc
this timber by tlle forest serv;ce willI
BE to encourage its leoitinate ,,se a,,d "a
to remove existing preiutlices against Il
During the I.ewis and Ciark cent ce,,te,,s q
NAL exposition at Portland. orr 4
taet;,,sv o., X :. ~ ~. 4 :. .
ton witi, the forest exhibt 81 tbe aeS goS-
eminent alld tests q structural tiinbers
oLs q, siarge sizes Wsre mace daiiy. At the
elose II y si1e ssNPoslllon tae q inacline was
Isals.a'ssu s. ,1Ft Wnere the
RG1ffnnaAAfi II