WOOD SPECIES · Softwood
Silver fir: density, weight and properties
Abies alba
Silver fir (Abies alba) averages 490 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
- 490 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)
- 80 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 14,300 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 41 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 8.7%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 4.0%
- Fibre saturation point
- 29%
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 490 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 | 490 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.16 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.02 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 3.18 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.05 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 7.95 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 29% (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 | 2.6 mm (0.101 in) | 1.2 mm (0.047 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 5.1 mm (0.202 in) | 2.4 mm (0.093 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
Durability of the heartwood against wood-decay fungi: class 4 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
Surface quality depends on straight grain and on knots or compression wood. Like spruce, fir splits readily when nailed and holds nails poorly; it is used with its sapwood, is prone to blue stain and must be treated where it can get wet (Tropix).
Typical uses
- Framing and structural timber
- Glued-laminated timber
- Panelling
- Interior joinery and millwork
- Furniture
- Musical instruments
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Radiata pine 500 kg/m³
- Yellow-poplar (tulipwood) 470.4 kg/m³
- Cedro (Spanish cedar) 460 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.