Some physical and mechanical properties of beech wood grown in Croatia

Beech-wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a typical European wood species found in the moderate oceanic and tender continental climate. Because of its utilization in making army wagons and gunstock it was once a synonym for 'military' wood in the tradition of the European nations, and millions of cubic meters were burnt in army stoves and field kitchens. Distribution, quantity share and characteristic technological quality categorize beech-wood as one of the main species in industrial processing of wood in Croatia. The number of previous studies of the technological properties of beech-wood grown in Croatia corresponds to its presence and importance, which is evident from a number of sites within the beech-wood range on which the studies were carried on. (Fig. 3). Examinations of physical and mechanical properties of beech-wood from the site of Bjelolasica (Gorski kotar) were made on sampling material at three tree heights, which was different from previous studies. The maximum number of samples, looking from pith to bark i.e. in the radial direction, enabled an insight into distribution of beech-wood properties through characteristic zones of a tree during their life. Considering a great number of up to the present Studies of beech-wood properties in Croatia on different above-sea heights of the sites, a significant dependence of properties on above-sea heights was observed.