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GIA (Homalium foetidum)
Trade Name
Gia
Scientific Name
Homalium foetidum
Family
Flacourtiaceae
Common Names
Keruing renkas (Malaysia); Yagau (Philippines); Kamagahai (Philippines); Malas (Papua New Guinea); Petaling padang (Malaysia); Bansisian (Sabah); Momala (Indonesia); Melmas (Indonesia); Ternate ironwood (United States of America); Ternate ironwood (United Kingdom); Aranga (Philippines); Adanga (Philippines); Matobato (Philippines); Gia (Indonesia); Burma lancewood (Myanmar); Aranga (United Kingdom); Selimbar (Malaysia); Takaliu (Sabah); Delinse (Malaysia); Miya (Indonesia)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to large or sometimes very large tree up to 45 m tall. The bole is straight, branchless for up to 30 m, up to 100 cm in diameter, with steep buttresses up to 2 m high.
Natural Habitat
This species is found in primary and secondary forests, usually on moist soils in seasonal swamp forests, and along rivers and streams.
Natural Distribution
It is distributed in Malaysia and Melanesia (New Ireland and New Britain.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Simple perforation plates. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits small, 7 micras or less. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Ray height more than 1 mm. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Septate fibers present. Fibers with distinctly bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
It has an iodine-like smell.
Color
The sapwood is not clearly demarcated, it varies from yellowish orange-brown to pale red-brown. The heartwood is brown to red-brown with some dark stripes.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
It is straight, occasionally interlocked.
Texture
The texture is very fine with fine pores, very uniform.
Natural Durability
It is durable, but quickly affected by blue stain. Heartwood is reportedly resistant to teredos.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Silica Content
Silica Content: Silica is absent. Silica Value: 0
Resistance To Impregnation
In most cases the sapwood is permeable, while the heartwood is resistant to moderately resistant to impregnation.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.78
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.89
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.2
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.9
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
US-11-12
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.9
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1464
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
180822
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
750
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
138
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
875
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
682
Workability
Sawing
Sawing operations are rated as easy to fair due to the wood density.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
This species is reported to have good characteristics for lamination.
Sliced Veneer
This species is reported to have good characteristics for lamination.
Blunting Effect
It has a slight blunting effect on the cutting tools.
Machining
It is easy to machine.
Planing
Planing of this species is reported to be easy, with slight picking up on the radial faces.
Turning
30
Nailing
Pre-boring is needed.
Gluing
It has a good behavior in gluing.
Sanding
This species is reported to be easy to sand.
Finishing
It has a good finishing.
Polishing
Wood of this species is easy to polish.
Steam Bending
This species is reported to be suitable for bending.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, beams, flooring, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, TURNING, SPORTS, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, PACKING, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, port pillar, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, axle
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
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
- 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Sports
- 38 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Port Pillar
- 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
Axles
- 73 - Handbook of Hardwoods
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