WOOD SPECIES · Softwood
Loblolly pine (southern pine): density, weight and properties
Pinus taeda
Loblolly pine (southern pine) (Pinus taeda) averages 571.2 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, according to the USDA Wood Handbook. The figures below are averages for clear, mature wood; individual boards vary with origin, growth and moisture.
Key figures
- Density at 12% moisture
- 571.2 kg/m³Specific gravity 0.51 (oven-dry mass, volume at 12%) × 1.12 × 1,000 kg/m³, Wood Handbook Eq. 4-14
- Basic specific gravity (oven-dry mass, green volume)
- 0.47
- Janka side hardness at 12%
- 3,100 N (≈ 697 lbf)
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 88 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 12,300 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 49.2 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 7.4%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 4.8%
- Volumetric shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 12.3%
- Fibre saturation point
- 30%Not measured: Wood Handbook default
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 571.2 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 | 571.2 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.35 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.36 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.71 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.72 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 9.27 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 30% (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 | 2.1 mm (0.083 in) | 1.4 mm (0.054 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.2 mm (0.167 in) | 2.7 mm (0.108 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
The Wood Handbook groups the heartwood as slightly or nonresistant to decay (Table 14-1). Keep it dry, or use treated wood where decay can develop.
Working and finishing
One of the four major species sold as Southern Pine lumber, usually somewhat lighter than longleaf pine. Southern pines have moderately high shrinkage but are dimensionally stable when properly dried; exterior decking, poles and ties of Southern Pine are usually preservative treated (Wood Handbook, chapter 2).
Softwoods have no vessels (Wood Handbook, chapter 16), so pore filling is not part of finishing them.
Typical uses
- Framing and structural timber
- Plywood
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Boxes, crates and pallets
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Freijó 580 kg/m³
- Black cherry 560 kg/m³
- Scots pine 550 kg/m³
Sources & references
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 5: Mechanical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 4: Moisture relations and physical properties of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 14: Biodeterioration of wood
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 2: Characteristics and availability of commercially important woods
- USDA FPL · Wood Handbook (2021), ch. 16: Finishing of wood
Uses and working notes summarise the cited source. Check the moisture content, grade and origin of the wood you actually buy.