Quality of eucalyptus wood for application as treated fence posts

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the anatomical and physico-mechanical characteristics of Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla (E. urograndis) wood for its application as treated fence posts. Ten trees of forest plantation with 7 years were cut and sectioned wood discs and logs at different fixed heights of the trunk, every 3m, to determine the physical (wood basic density, percentage of cracks), fiber dimensions (length, wall thickness, lumen diameter and total width), vessels (tangential diameter, frequency and area), heartwood/sapwood ratio and mechanical properties (MOR and MOE). The wood of E. grandis x E. urophylla, at 7 years old, presents anatomical and physico-mechanical characteristics that indicate its use in processes of preservative treatment for fence posts applications.