Greenheart
Description
Among the many timbers suitable for marine construction and shipbuilding, greenheart earns very high marks. Its heartwood is highly resistant to attack by fungi, marine borers and dry-wood termites, and that makes the wood popular for marine and ship construction. In ships, the wood is used for everything from planking and gangways to engine bearers, stern posts, fenders, and sheathing. The wood's exceptional density and strength, with high bending and crushing strengths, makes it ideal for heavy work. It is suitable for bridge work and commercial flooring. The wood is rated moderately hard to work with both hand and machine tools, due in part to the density of the wood. It will dull cutting edges quicker than other woods, but it can be finished to a lustrous sheen.
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Greenheart lumber is somewhat difficult to work with because of the density of the wood. It also has a moderate to high blunting effect of cutting blades. Where interlocking grain is present machining should be done with extreme care to avoid grain tearout. Similar to other tropical lumber species Greenheart can be difficult to glue because of the natural oils present in the wood.
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Greenheart is a very durable lumber which is also resistant to almost all insect attacks. It is known in the marine building industry to be one of the best woods in the world to be used in coastal environments mainly for construction of dock pilings. This lumber also weathers very well in extremely wet installation locations.
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​The heartwood is a pale olive green color with dark streaks reddish brown and darkens upon exposure. The sapwood is not distinctive from the heartwood and is usually a yellowish green color.
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Recognized as a super value option for timber applications;
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Special Order Only – rough sawn, dressed or profiled in any dimension up to 6"x12"
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Greenheart timbers are available in lengths up to 19’
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Common Uses
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Boat building, docks, decking, posts, fishing rods, pool cues, and other turned wood items.
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Technical Specifications
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Common Name(s): Greenheart
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Scientific Name: Chlorocardium rodiei (syn. Ocotea rodiei)
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Distribution: Northeastern South America
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Tree Size: 75-100 ft (23-30 m) tall, 1.5-2 ft (.5-.6 m) trunk diameter
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Average Dried Weight: 63 lbs/ft3 (1,010 kg/m3)
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Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .81, 1.01
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Janka Hardness: 2,530 lbf (11,260 N)
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Modulus of Rupture: 26,900 lbf/in2 (185.5 MPa)
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Elastic Modulus: 3,573,000 lbf/in2 (24.64 GPa)
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Crushing Strength: 13,290 lbf/in2 (91.7 MPa)
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Shrinkage: Radial: 8.2%, Tangential: 8.9%, Volumetric: 16.5%, T/R Ratio: 1.1
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*Source: The Wood Database; https://www.wood-database.com/