Physical properties

Density (kg/m3)

  • oven-dry 540-740-870
  • air-dry (12% MC) 580-770-900
  • green 800-900-950

Freshly felled black locust contains only 35-45% of water, therefore it burns well even without drying. The fibre saturation point of black locust was determined by various studies to be at 21.8-22.5%.

Shrinkage (%):

  • longitudinal 0.1
  • tangential 5.4-7.2
  • radial 3.2-4.6
  • volumetric 11.4-12.2

Porosity (%): 52

The ratio of the tangential and radial shrinkage (shrinkage anisotropy) is rather favourable in black locust. However, significant internal stresses were observed in black locust. They might have been introduced by the fast growth, the inhomogeneous growth ring structure, the high proportion of juvenile wood and the frequently occurring eccentric growth. The internal forces often cause various deformations and splits.