This document discusses wood as a structural material. It lists 10 common building materials and then focuses on the properties and uses of wood. Some key points:
- Wood has good strength properties, especially in compression parallel to grain. It is also strong in bending but weaker in tension perpendicular to grain.
- Wood is a renewable resource that has low embodied energy to produce, though construction can be more labor intensive.
- Historically, wood was used successfully in aircraft like the De Havilland Mosquito bomber.
- Common structural uses of wood include beams, columns, roofing, walls, floors, formwork, furniture, and agricultural/transport structures. Proper drying and protection from insects/