WOOD SPECIES · Softwood
Slash pine (Pinus elliottii): density, weight and properties
Pinus elliottii
Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) (Pinus elliottii) averages 660.8 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
- 660.8 kg/m³Specific gravity 0.59 (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)
- 0.54
- Bending strength (modulus of rupture)
- 112 MPa
- Stiffness (modulus of elasticity)
- 13,700 MPa
- Compression parallel to grain
- 56.1 MPa
- Tangential shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 7.6%
- Radial shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 5.4%
- Volumetric shrinkage, green to oven-dry
- 12.1%
- Fibre saturation point
- 30%Not measured: Wood Handbook default
Weight at 12% moisture content
Volume × 660.8 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 | 660.8 kg |
| 1 board foot | 12 × 12 × 1 in | 1.56 kg |
| 1×4 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 2.73 kg |
| 1×6 board, 8 ft | 3/4 × 5 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 4.29 kg |
| 2×4 board, 8 ft | 1 1/2 × 3 1/2 in actual × 8 ft | 5.46 kg |
| 2×6 board, 10 ft | 1 1/2 × 5 1/2 in actual × 10 ft | 10.7 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 | 2.2 mm (0.086 in) | 1.5 mm (0.061 in) |
| 6 percentage points | 4.3 mm (0.171 in) | 3.1 mm (0.122 in) |
Wood movement across the grain · Moisture content and acclimatising wood
Natural durability
The Wood Handbook lists old-growth heartwood as moderately resistant to decay (Table 14-1); younger, second-growth wood is not rated there. Plan for preservative treatment where decay can develop.
Working and finishing
Classified with longleaf pine as heavy, strong, stiff and hard, and sold in the Southern Pine group. These figures describe wood grown in its native range in the south-eastern United States; plantation wood grown elsewhere can differ, so check local data (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
- Boxes, crates and pallets
Calculate with this material
Species with similar density
- Teak 670 kg/m³
- White ash 672 kg/m³
- European ash 680 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.