WOOD SPECIES · Softwood
Paraná pine: density, weight and properties
Araucaria angustifolia
Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia) averages 540 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
- 540 kg/m³Average for mature wood; varies with origin and growth
- Monnin hardness at 12%
- 2.5French surface-hardness index; not convertible to Janka
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 89 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 12,980 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 54 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 7.4%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 3.8%
- Fibre saturation point
- 27%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 540 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 | 540 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.27 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.23 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.5 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.46 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 8.76 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 27% (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 | 2.3 mm (0.093 in) | 1.2 mm (0.048 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.7 mm (0.185 in) | 2.4 mm (0.095 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 4–5 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
Not a true pine. Internal stresses can distort the wood during machining; it holds nails and screws well. The heartwood has low durability and the sapwood is often wide; Tropix notes that it is sensitive to blue stain and suits ground contact only after appropriate preservative treatment.
Typical uses
- Furniture
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Mouldings
- Flooring
- Plywood
- Panelling
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Douglas-fir 537.6 kg/m³
- Scots pine 550 kg/m³
- Black cherry 560 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.