Book Description
Wood is a biological structure well-adapted to external loading. It carries axial loads in a tree by longitudinal fibres and radial loads by rays; circumferential compressive growth stresses prevent the tree from splitting along the rays. It is shown that axial and lateral strength is highest at places of maximum loading. Also, growth stresses are distributed in a load-controlled way. The vivid style used by the authors avoids complex formulas, preferring many impressive and simple to understand drawings. They show how a tree is internally optimized and how the partial or global breakdown of this interwoven axial and radial optimization can lead to the different failure modes.

Book Info
Shows how a tree is internally optimized and how the partial or global breakdown of this interwoven axial and radial optimization can lead to the different failure modes. Covers the mechanical self-optimization of trees - five theorems. Paper. DLC: Wood. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can make it available as an eBook on Amazon.com. Learn more

I own it Not rated Your rating Don't like it < > I love it! Save your rating    ? 1 2 3 4 5

2 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: Beyond 'Understanding Wood', April 25, 2000 By  P. van Rijckevorsel (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews    This review is from: Wood: The Internal Optimization of Trees (Paperback) 'Wood, the internal optimization of trees' is an excellent book for those who want to understand how the mechanical properties of wood come about, but only for those readers who are somewhat theoretically minded. For the practical purpose of how to handle wood and to predict how a given piece of wood will behave R.Bruce Hoadley's 'Understanding Wood' is the book to read and to have. For those who want to go beyond the directly practical this is the book. It is reasonably easy to read, at least for those who remember some physics from high school, especially because it is lavishly illustrated with clarifying drawings. The book takes a look at the mechanical forces that trees are subject to and explains how the tree counters by optimizing its wood to deal with those forces. It does this at several levels, from the tree as a whole down to the orientation of microfibrils in the cell wall. By looking at a tree as a mechanical machine it complements explanations of a tree as a machine to transports fluids, such as put forth by Zimmerman e.a. Note that this book is one of several by Mattheck e.a. which all have the same basic content, and even the same drawings, but which differ in the groups targeted. There is a very similar one aimed at those involved in tree upkeep, which shows how defects in trees can be diagnosed from looking at the tree, the patterns in the bark, etc. However, this book is definitely the one to read for those primarily interested in wood, and its mechanical properties. It might well be destined to become a classic in its field!  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)