Strength Properties of Commercially Important Woods

The table below provides laboratory-derived values for several mechanical properties of wood that are associated with wood strength. Note that due to sampling inadequacies, these values may not necessarily represent average species characteristics.

Source: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory


Tree Species	Average Specific Gravity, Oven Dry Sample	Static Bending Modulus of Elasticity (E)	Impact Bending, Height of Drop Causing Failure	Compress. Parallel to Grain, Max Crushing Strength	Compress. Perpen. to Grain, Fiber Stress at Prop. Limit	Shear Parallel to Grain, Max Shear Strength
	(0-1.0)	10^6 psi	inches	psi	psi	psi

U. S. Hardwoods
Alder, Red	`0.41`	`1.38`	`20`	`5,820`	`440`	`1,080`
Ash, Black	`0.49`	`1.60`	`35`	`5,970`	`760`	`1,570`
Ash, Blue	`0.58`	`1.40`	`-`	`6,980`	`1,420`	`2,030`
Ash, Green	`0.56`	`1.66`	`32`	`7,080`	`1,310`	`1,910`
Ash, Oregon	`0.55`	`1.36`	`33`	`6,040`	`1,250`	`1,790`
Ash, White	`0.60`	`1.74`	`43`	`7,410`	`1,160`	`1,910`
Aspen, Bigtooth	`0.39`	`1.43`	`-`	`5,300`	`450`	`1,080`
Aspen, Quaking	`0.38`	`1.18`	`21`	`4,250`	`370`	`850`
Basswood	`0.37`	`1.46`	`16`	`4,730`	`370`	`990`
Beech, American	`0.64`	`1.72`	`41`	`7,300`	`1,010`	`2,010`
Birch, Paper	`0.55`	`1.59`	`34`	`5,690`	`600`	`1,210`
Birch, Sweet	`0.65`	`2.17`	`47`	`8,540`	`1,080`	`2,240`
Birch, Yellow	`0.62`	`2.01`	`55`	`8,170`	`970`	`1,880`
Butternut	`0.38`	`1.18`	`24`	`5,110`	`460`	`1,170`
Cherry, Black	`0.50`	`1.49`	`29`	`7,110`	`690`	`1,700`
Chestnut, American	`0.43`	`1.23`	`19`	`5,320`	`620`	`1,080`
Cottonwood, Balsam Poplar	`0.34`	`1.1`	`-`	`4,020`	`300`	`790`
Cottonwood, Black	`0.35`	`1.27`	`22`	`4,500`	`300`	`1,040`
Elm, Eastern	`0.40`	`1.37`	`20`	`4,910`	`380`	`930`
Elm, American	`0.50`	`1.34`	`39`	`5,520`	`690`	`1,510`
Elm, Rock	`0.63`	`1.54`	`56`	`7,050`	`1,230`	`1,920`
Elm, Slippery	`0.53`	`1.49`	`45`	`6,360`	`820`	`1,630`
Hackberry	`0.53`	`1.19`	`43`	`5,440`	`890`	`1,590`
Hickory, Bitternut	`0.66`	`1.79`	`66`	`9,040`	`1,680`	`-`
Hickory, Nutmeg	`0.6`	`1.70`	`-`	`6,910`	`1,570`	`-`
Hickory, Pecan	`0.66`	`1.73`	`44`	`7,850`	`1,720`	`2,080`
Hickory, Water	`0.62`	`2.02`	`53`	`8,600`	`1,550`	`-`
Hickory, Mockernut	`0.72`	`2.22`	`77`	`8,940`	`1,730`	`1,740`
Hickory, Pignut	`0.75`	`2.26`	`74`	`9,190`	`1,980`	`2,150`
Hickory, Shagbark	`0.72`	`2.16`	`67`	`9,210`	`1,760`	`2,430`
Hickory, Shellbark	`0.69`	`1.89`	`88`	`8,000`	`1,800`	`2,110`
Honeylocust	`-`	`1.63`	`47`	`7,500`	`1,840`	`2,250`
Locust, Black	`0.69`	`2.05`	`57`	`10,180`	`1,830`	`2,480`
Magnolia,Cucumbertree	`0.48`	`1.82`	`35`	`6,310`	`570`	`1,340`
Magnolia, Southern	`0.50`	`1.40`	`29`	`5,460`	`860`	`1,530`
Maple, Bigleaf	`0.48`	`1.45`	`28`	`5,950`	`750`	`1,730`
Maple, Black	`0.57`	`1.62`	`40`	`6,680`	`1,020`	`1,820`
Maple, Red	`0.54`	`1.64`	`32`	`6,540`	`1,000`	`1,850`
Maple, Silver	`0.47`	`1.14`	`25`	`5,220`	`740`	`1,480`
Maple, Sugar	`0.63`	`1.83`	`39`	`7,830`	`1,470`	`2,330`
Oak, Black	`0.61`	`1.64`	`41`	`6,520`	`930`	`1,910`
Oak, Cherrybark	`0.68`	`2.28`	`49`	`8,740`	`1,250`	`2,000`
Oak, Laurel	`0.63`	`1.69`	`39`	`6,980`	`1,060`	`1,830`
Oak, Northern Red	`0.63`	`1.82`	`43`	`6,760`	`1,010`	`1,780`
Oak, Pin	`0.63`	`1.73`	`45`	`6,820`	`1,020`	`2,080`
Oak, Scarlet	`0.67`	`1.91`	`53`	`8,330`	`1,120`	`1,890`
Oak, Southern Red	`0.59`	`1.49`	`26`	`6,090`	`870`	`1,390`
Oak, Water	`0.63`	`2.02`	`44`	`6,770`	`1,020`	`2,020`
Oak, Willow	`0.69`	`1.90`	`42`	`7,040`	`1,130`	`1,650`
Oak, Bur	`0.64`	`1.03`	`29`	`6,060`	`1,200`	`1,820`
Oak, Chestnut	`0.66`	`1.59`	`40`	`6,830`	`840`	`1,490`
Oak, Live	`0.88`	`1.98`	`-`	`8,900`	`2,840`	`2,660`
Oak, Overcup	`0.63`	`1.42`	`38`	`6,200`	`810`	`2,000`
Oak, Post	`0.67`	`1.51`	`46`	`6,600`	`1,430`	`1,840`
Oak, Swamp Chestnut	`0.67`	`1.77`	`41`	`7,270`	`1,110`	`1,990`
Oak, Swamp White	`0.72`	`2.05`	`49`	`8,600`	`1,190`	`2,000`
Oak, White	`0.68`	`1.78`	`37`	`7,440`	`1,070`	`2,000`
Sassafras	`0.46`	`1.12`	`-`	`4,760`	`850`	`1,240`
Sweetgum	`0.52`	`1.64`	`32`	`6,320`	`620`	`1,600`
Sycamore, American	`0.49`	`1.42`	`26`	`5,380`	`700`	`1,470`
Tupelo, Black	`0.50`	`1.20`	`22`	`5,520`	`930`	`1,340`
Tupelo, Water	`0.50`	`1.26`	`23`	`5,920`	`870`	`1,590`
Walnut, Black	`0.55`	`1.68`	`34`	`7,580`	`1,010`	`1,370`
Willow, Black	`0.39`	`1.01`	`-`	`4,100`	`430`	`1,250`
Yellow-poplar	`0.42`	`1.58`	`24`	`5,540`	`500`	`1,190`

U. S. Softwoods
Baldcypress	`0.46`	`1.44`	`24`	`6,360`	`730`	`1,000`
Cedar, Alaska	`0.44`	`1.42`	`29`	`6,310`	`620`	`1,130`
Cedar, Atlantic White	`0.32`	`0.93`	`13`	`4,700`	`410`	`800`
Cedar, Eastern Redcedar	`0.47`	`0.88`	`22`	`6,020`	`920`	`-`
Cedar, Incense	`0.37`	`1.04`	`17`	`5,200`	`590`	`880`
Cedar, Northern White	`0.31`	`0.80`	`12`	`3,960`	`310`	`850`
Cedar, Port-Orford	`0.43`	`1.70`	`28`	`6,250`	`720`	`1,370`
Cedar, Western Redcedar	`0.32`	`1.11`	`17`	`4,560`	`460`	`990`
Douglas-fir, Coast	`0.48`	`1.95`	`31`	`7,230`	`800`	`1,130`
Douglas-fir, Interior West	`0.50`	`1.83`	`32`	`7,430`	`760`	`1,290`
Douglas-fir, Interior North	`0.48`	`1.79`	`26`	`6,900`	`770`	`1,400`
Douglas-fir, Interior South	`0.46`	`1.49`	`20`	`6,230`	`740`	`1,510`
Fir, Balsam	`0.35`	`1.45`	`20`	`5,280`	`404`	`944`
Fir, California Red	`0.38`	`1.50`	`24`	`5,460`	`610`	`1,040`
Fir, Grand	`0.37`	`1.57`	`28`	`5,290`	`500`	`900`
Fir, Noble	`0.39`	`1.72`	`23`	`6,100`	`520`	`1,050`
Fir, Pacific silver	`0.43`	`1.76`	`24`	`6,410`	`450`	`1,220`
Fir, Subalpine	`0.32`	`1.29`	`-`	`4,860`	`390`	`1,070`
Fir, White	`0.39`	`1.50`	`20`	`5,800`	`530`	`1,100`
Hemlock, Eastern	`0.40`	`1.20`	`21`	`5,410`	`650`	`1,060`
Hemlock, Mountain	`0.45`	`1.33`	`32`	`6,440`	`860`	`1,540`
Hemlock, Western	`0.45`	`1.63`	`23`	`7,200`	`550`	`1,290`
Larch, western	`0.52`	`1.87`	`35`	`7,620`	`930`	`1,360`
Pine, Eastern white	`0.35`	`1.24`	`18`	`4,800`	`440`	`900`
Pine, Jack	`0.43`	`1.35`	`27`	`5,660`	`580`	`1,170`
Pine, Loblolly	`0.51`	`1.79`	`30`	`7,130`	`790`	`1,390`
Pine, Lodgepole	`0.41`	`1.34`	`20`	`5,370`	`610`	`880`
Pine, Longleaf	`0.59`	`1.98`	`34`	`8,470`	`960`	`1,510`
Pine, Pitch	`0.52`	`1.43`	`-`	`5,940`	`820`	`1,360`
Pine, Pond	`0.56`	`1.75`	`-`	`7,540`	`910`	`1,380`
Pine, Ponderosa	`0.40`	`1.29`	`19`	`5,320`	`580`	`1,130`
Pine, Red	`0.46`	`1.63`	`26`	`6,070`	`600`	`1,210`
Pine, Sand	`0.48`	`1.41`	`-`	`6,920`	`836`	`-`
Pine, Shortleaf	`0.51`	`1.75`	`33`	`7,270`	`820`	`1,390`
Pine, Slash	`0.59`	`1.98`	`-`	`8,140`	`1,020`	`1,680`
Pine, Spruce	`0.44`	`1.23`	`-`	`5,650`	`730`	`1,490`
Pine, Sugar	`0.36`	`1.19`	`18`	`4,460`	`500`	`1,130`
Pine, Virginia	`0.48`	`1.52`	`32`	`6,710`	`910`	`1,350`
Pine, Western white	`0.38`	`1.46`	`23`	`5,040`	`470`	`1,040`
Redwood, Old-growth	`0.40`	`1.34`	`19`	`6,150`	`700`	`940`
Redwood, Young-growth	`0.35`	`1.10`	`15`	`5,220`	`520`	`1,110`
Spruce, Black	`0.42`	`1.61`	`23`	`5,960`	`550`	`1,230`
Spruce, Engelmann	`0.35`	`1.30`	`18`	`4,480`	`410`	`1,200`
Spruce, Red	`0.40`	`1.61`	`25`	`5,540`	`550`	`1,290`
Spruce, Sitka	`0.40`	`1.57`	`25`	`5,610`	`580`	`1,150`
Spruce, White	`0.36`	`1.43`	`20`	`5,180`	`430`	`970`
Tamarack	`0.53`	`1.64`	`23`	`7,160`	`800`	`1,280`