WOOD SPECIES · Hardwood
European beech: density, weight and properties
Fagus sylvatica
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) averages 710 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to CIRAD’s Tropix database. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 710 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 4.2French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 111 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 15,300 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 57 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 11.6%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 5.7%
- Fibre saturation point
- 32%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 710 kg/m³, the same calculation as the weight calculator. Green or wet wood weighs considerably more.
| Piece | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic metre | 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 mm | 710 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.68 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.93 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.61 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 5.86 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 11.5 kg |
Movement across the width
How much a board 11 1/4 in (286 mm) wide changes when its moisture content moves by a few percentage points. The estimate uses the total shrinkage above and a linear relation below the fibre saturation point of 32% (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-9). Flat-sawn boards move with tangential shrinkage, quartersawn boards with radial shrinkage.
| Moisture change | Flat-sawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 3 percentage points | 3.1 mm (0.122 in) | 1.5 mm (0.06 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 6.2 mm (0.245 in) | 3.1 mm (0.12 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 5 on the EN 350 scale from 1 (very durable) to 5 (not durable), as reported by Tropix. The rating applies to heartwood only.
Working and finishing
Growth stresses in the logs can make sawing tricky, but beech bends well and takes stain easily. Tropix notes that it is very absorbent when glued and needs pilot holes for nails and screws; the heartwood is not durable outdoors.
Typical uses
- Furniture
- Chairs and seating
- Bent work
- Turnery
- Flooring
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Plywood
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Hard maple (sugar maple) 705.6 kg/m³
- Red oak 705.6 kg/m³
- Yellow birch 694.4 kg/m³
Sources & references
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.