Green Wood Quality: Extended Technical Analysis for Forestry Sector Professionals

Green wood, also known as wet wood or freshly cut timber, comes directly from the tree after the initial felling process. This type of wood retains a high internal moisture content, a condition that significantly influences its physical, mechanical, and biological properties. Below is a detailed technical analysis, specifically designed for professionals and companies in the forestry sector.

Technical and Structural Properties

Moisture Content
The moisture content in green wood can range from 50% to 110% relative to its dry weight. Technically, this moisture is categorized as:

• – Free water: Located within the cell lumens and easier to remove during the initial drying stages.
• – Bound water: Integrated within the cell walls, requiring more specific and controlled processes for complete elimination.

Mechanical Properties
Due to its high water content, green wood initially exhibits lower mechanical strength and greater flexibility compared to dry wood. While this allows for easier handling during preliminary cutting and shaping, its load-bearing capacity improves significantly after proper drying.

Hygroscopicity and Dimensional Stability
Green wood is highly hygroscopic, meaning it naturally tends to absorb or release moisture from the surrounding environment until reaching a hygroscopic equilibrium. This behavior can lead to notable dimensional changes—such as shrinkage, warping, and cracking—if not dried under controlled conditions.

Benefits of Using Green Wood

Availability and Cost Efficiency
Green wood is readily available immediately after sawing, with no need for long industrial drying processes. This reduces initial costs significantly, making it ideal for projects with tight budgets.

Ease of Initial Operations
The natural flexibility of green wood greatly facilitates machining processes such as cutting, assembly, drilling, and artisanal work, making it simpler and faster to handle at the outset.

Versatility for Temporary Applications
It is particularly well-suited for formwork and concrete molds, temporary construction structures, industrial pallets and packaging, and various short-term uses where long-term stability is not immediately required.

Detailed Drying and Treatment Processes

Air Drying (Natural Method)
Green wood undergoes a gradual moisture loss process by being stacked in ventilated areas protected from direct sunlight and rain. Although this method is slow, it is economically viable and provides good results when done correctly.

Kiln Drying (Artificial Method)
This process uses specially designed kilns to precisely control critical parameters such as temperature (usually between 50–80°C), relative humidity, and air circulation. Kiln drying ensures uniform and efficient drying in significantly shorter periods (weeks instead of months). Despite the higher initial cost, it results in dimensionally stable wood of optimal quality for demanding applications.

Other Advanced Methods
Additional specialized techniques, such as vacuum drying or solar greenhouse drying, can produce wood with unique characteristics suited for specific applications.

Recommended Technical Treatments

Fungicide and Stain-Resistant Protection
After sawing, it is essential to apply preventive treatments with fungicides and anti-stain agents to avoid the spread of wood-decaying fungi and chromatic stains. These practices preserve both the visual and structural quality during early stages and aid in conservation during storage and transport, especially for exports.

Proper Handling and Storage
It is vital to technically use spacers between boards during storage, ensuring proper ventilation, controlled environmental conditions, and protection from adverse weather to preserve the initial quality of the wood.

Specific Treatments for Export
For exports, green wood must comply with specific treatments according to international phytosanitary standards, such as ISPM 15. These include heat treatments (HT) and fumigation, as well as targeted anti-stain applications to maintain quality during maritime shipping.

Critical Factors That Determine Final Quality

• – Species and Tree Genetics: Determine structural properties and drying behavior.
• – Climate and Growth Conditions: Directly influence density, moisture content, and uniformity.
• – Felling Season: Affects initial moisture content and pest susceptibility.
• – Log Section: Heartwood vs. sapwood, with clear differences in resistance, moisture content, and decay vulnerability.
• – Post-Cut Handling: Crucial to prevent rapid deterioration and preserve the wood’s visual and structural quality.

Green wood offers multiple technical and economic advantages that can be fully leveraged, provided that specific and controlled technical treatments and procedures are applied. At Pacific Forest, we recommend a rigorous, technically specialized approach at every stage, ensuring the production of dry, stable, and high-performance wood that meets the highest industry standards.

Place your order today and secure the best green wood on the market with Pacific Forest!