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GIAM (Hopea forbesii)

Trade Name

Giam

Scientific Name

Hopea forbesii (Brandis) v. slooten

Family

Diptercarpaceae

Common Names

Hopea Light (Papua New Guinea)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Shorea forbesii Brandis

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

A medium sized tree of up to 32m tall, bole with a diameter of up to 100cm.

Natural Habitat

H. forbesuii is locally common in lowland seasonal semi-evergreen forest up to 100m altitude, sometimes dominant, especially on ridges.

Natural Distribution

Papua New Guinea

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Vessels per mm2 10 to 20 (abundant). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Simple perforation plates. Vestured pits. Tyloses common. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Axial parenchyma in continuous tangential lines (included in reticulate and scalariform). axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visibl Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Non-septate fibers. Fibers very thick walled.

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The yellowish-white sapwood is generally distinct from the yellowish-brown heartwood, sometimes with a greenish tinge. darkening to dark brown on exposure.

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

7

Grain

The grain of the wood is interlocked.

Texture

Texture fine and even.

Luster

planed surface are usually not particularly lustrous, a stripe figure may be present.

Natural Durability

Giam is very durable, even, under exported conditions. Test stakes in Malaysia showed an average service life in contact with ground of over 10 years. The wood is resistant to pinhole borer and powder-post beetle attack. The heartwood of grain is very resistant

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

2

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.87

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

3.7

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

1.7

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

2.2

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1100

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

200000

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

650

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

140

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

1100

Workability

Sawing

Giam is easy to difficult to resaw and crosscut. The sawteeth may become clogged with resinous sawdust.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

not suitable.

Sliced Veneer

not suitable.

Machining

Planing is easy, giving a smooth finish.

Boring

Boring is easy to slightly difficult but the finish is always smooth.

Nailing

The resistance to splitting when nailed is rated as very poor.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, crossarms, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, frames, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat deck

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Crossheads Crossarms
  • 7 - Maderas latinoamericanas. II, Quercus alata Q. costaricensis y Q. eugeniaefolia
Crossties
  • 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
Frames
  • 16 - Woods of the World
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
  • 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Decking
  • 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.

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