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BALAU (Shorea maxwelliana)

Trade Name

Balau

Scientific Name

Shorea maxwelliana King

Family

Dipterocarpaceae

Common Names

Bangkirai (Indonesia); Selangan batu (Sarawak); Pooti (Indonesia); Selangan batu (Sabah); Aek (Thailand); Pa-yom dong (Thailand); Chan (Thailand); Kedawang (Indonesia); Benuas (Indonesia); Brunas (Indonesia); Agelam (Indonesia); Yakal (Philippines); Balau simantok (Malaysia); Balau kumus (Malaysia); Sengkawan darat (Malaysia); Selangan batu (Indonesia); Damar laut (Malaysia); Balau (Germany); Balau (United Kingdom); Balau (France); Kumus (Malaysia); Balau (United States of America); Ca-chac (Vietnam); Sen (Vietnam); Phchek (Cambodia); Gisok (Philippines); Balau (Sweden); Balau (Italy); Balau (Spain); Thitya (Myanmar); Sal (India); Malayakal (Philippines); Balau (Netherlands)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Shorea utilis King; Shorea barbata Brandis; Shorea alba Ridley; Balanocarpus ovalifolius Ridley

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a medium-sized to large tree up to 50 m tall, with boles up to 160 cm in diameter, and prominent buttresses up to 4 m high.

Natural Habitat

Shorea maxwelliana is one of the main balau timber trees, occurring locally in some abundance on low ridges, on well drained soils, up to 700 m of altitude.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium). Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tyloses common. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vestured pits. Vessel-ray pits coarse in marginal rows. Simple perforation pla Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma thin vasicentric. Occasionally axial parenchyma aliform. Occasionally axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma in discontinuous tangential Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

  • Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
  • Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Odor

The dry timber has nutmeg odor.

Color

The sapwood is pale green to light gray. The heartwood is yellowish to grayish brown when fresh, becoming light brown to brown after exposure.

COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)

5

Grain

It is straight, occasionally interlocked.

Texture

Texture is usually fine to medium. The vessels are often blocked with tyloses.

Luster

The heartwood is somewhat lustrous.

Natural Durability

It is considered as very durable to durable.

Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)

2

Resistance To Impregnation

It is an impermeable wood, with very low absorption of preservatives.

Wood Physical Properties

Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)

0.84

Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)

0.97

Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

6.7

Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

3.4

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is very slow and difficult to perform; defects are frequent. Drying Defects: Risks of distortions.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

UK-G; JP-8; US-T8-B3

Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)

1.9

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)

1447

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

204819

Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

744

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to cut if the saw is stellite tipped.

Blunting Effect

This wood is reported to have a severe blunting effect on the saw-teeth.

Machining

It is easy if special sharp cutters are used, but severe difficulties are reported if interlocked grain is present.

Planing

Planing properties are rated as good to slightly difficult.

Boring

In green condition, it is easy to bore, but boring of air-dried timber is slightly difficult.

Nailing

Pre-boring is recommended to avoid splitting.

Gluing

It has a good behavior in gluing.

Finishing

This species is reported to take a smooth finish.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, CONTAINERS, cooperage, truck bodies, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, port pillar, port storage

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
  • 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Stake Posts
  • 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
Crossties
  • 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Containers
  • 50 - Properties of imported tropical woods
Cooperage
  • 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Truck Body
  • 53 - Timbers of the New World
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Port Pillar
  • 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
Port Storage
  • 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I

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