Pseudotsuga menziesii
Specifications
Family
Pinaceae
Species
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco
Douglas fir
Description
The sapwood is whitish and the heartwood is yellowish to yellowish pink with a medium texture, straight grain, and a density of 0.44 to 0.60. It has poor mechanical strength, especially to bending, but good resistance to alterations.
Plant morphology
It is among the tallest trees in the world, reaching up to 75 m, while its trunk reaches a width of around 1.5–2 m in diameter. Isolated specimens have a pyramidal shape, while within forests the trunk can be bare for 20–40 m. The bark in young trees is thin, smooth, gray, and resinous, while in mature specimens it is 10–30 cm thick and corky. The needles are spirally arranged, up to 3.5 cm long, flattened, resinous, and pleasantly aromatic, green above and grayish below. Mature cones hang from the branches and have characteristic bracts on the scales.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Western North America: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California (from the Klamath Mountains to the Sierra Nevada). Imported into Europe.
Habitat and ecology
Its ideal habitat is temperate rainforests. It occupies a very wide range (between 19 and 55°N latitude, in western North America) that encompasses different climate zones, preferring organic substrates rich in humus.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used in building structures, railway sleepers, interior furnishings, fixtures, containers and packaging.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Fine
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
510
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
45
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
73
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
86
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
12170
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Moderatamente durabile
Insect resistance
Resistant