Lumber Wawa 35 mm

The wood species abachi is one of the most exported woods in Africa. Unlike most other tropical woods, abachi grows well after clear-cutting and on abandoned farmland. Abachi is often used for work where appearance and easy workability are important, such as in sauna construction.

Trade names and other names

DIN EN 13556 abbreviation: TRSC
 Botanical name: Triplochiton scleroxylon
 German: Abachi, Ayous
 English: obeche, ayous, african whitewood, wawa
 French: ayous, samba
 Italian: obeche
 Spanish: samba
 Portuguese: obeche
 Dutch: obeche

Technical wood properties

Weight fresh/green: 530 - 600 kg/m³
Bulk density air-dry (12-15% u): 330 - 550 kg/m³
Tensile strength: 11 - 79 N/mm²
Compressive strength: 24 - 50 N/mm²
Flexural strength: 30 - 110 N/mm²
Shear strength: 4 - 7 N/mm²
Hardness according to Brinell BII: 25 - 41 N/mm²
Hardness according to Brinell B⊥: 13 - 21 N/mm²
Differential shrinkage (radial): 0.10 - 0.11%.
 Differential shrinkage (tangential): 0.18 - 0.22%.
 Natural durability (DIN-EN 350-2): 5, not durable

Values of the technical properties of a wood species refer to a wood moisture content of u ≅12% to 15%. All data without guarantee.

Occurrence

Abachi grows in the West African equatorial forest from Liberia to Cameroon and Congo. There it is mainly found in hilly and mountain forest areas with low rainfall.

Trunk and bark

This tree can grow up to 50 m high. A branch-free length can be up to 25 m and a diameter of 2 m. The bark of young trees is very thin. The bark is white and smooth on young trees, grey to orange with fine lines on older trees and becomes flaky and peeling with age.

Characteristics and wood colour

The sapwood of this wood is broad, pale yellow and hardly distinguishable from the heartwood. The pores are large and scattered and the alternate twist is irregular. The wood is soft, elastic, flexible and very light. The wood species abachi is not generally available as FSC.

Replacement woods

Spruce, Lime, Poplar, Whitewood, Tulip Tree, Yellow Poplar

Literature

• Wood Atlas | 6th edition in 2006 | Rudi Wagenführ
• Wood science volume 1-3 | 1982 | Hans Heinrich Bosshard
• Properties and core sizes of wood species | 1989 | Jürgen Sell / Lignum Switzerland