CHARACTERISTICS OF EKKI

Ekki possesses a very dense wood with a mass of 1070kg / m3 for a moisture content of 12%. In practice this wood loses and regains moisture with difficulty, it is therefore not affected by seasonal changes in humidity. Artificial drying under 25% moisture content is not recommended and is therefore not practised, because of the high risks of distortion that can result leading to important loses in strength (point of fibre saturation is around 32%). Freshly cut wood has a moisture content of around 40%.

Characteristics

Ekki possesses excellent mechanical resistances :

Increased resistance when cut longitudinally.
Good resistance in transversal cohesion.
Increased resistance in axial cohesion.
Strong resistance to compression of the grain. (value C/100D high)
Good resistance to (resistance Chalais-Meudon averagege: 10,5) When static, there is a unitary resistance to bending even related to density, this rigidity shows that the wood is elastic.

DURABILITY
Concerning insects, the wood of ekki is very resistant against termites and other insects that inhabit dry wood. The resistant of ekki to burrowing marine organisms is satisfactory in cold and temperate waters but mediocre in salty lagoons. (favorable for shipworms).
It is also very durable against attacks from deteriorating fungi and resists well against chemicals.
In normal conditions of utilisation, the wood can last up for 25 years (1st class).

MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS (Variety Lophira Alata)
Module of elasticity	170.000	daN/cm²
Bending Strength	250	daN/cm²
Shearing Strength	20	daN/cm²
Transversal compressive strength	80	daN/cm²
Axial compressive strength	200	daN/cm²
Mod. sliding	200	daN/cm²
Hardness Brinell	7.833
Hydrogen potential (ph)	4.4	(Behenic acid)

COMPARATIVE TABLE

Weight	Hardness	Compression Strength	Bending strength	Stiffness	When compared to
	<679 %	<117 %	<113 %	<44 %	Silver fir
<51 %	<159 %	<94 %	<59 %	<39 %	Red oak
<109 %	<318 %	<107 %	<94 %	<71 %	Acajou
<132 %	<583 %	<142 %	<107 %	<52 %	Noble fir
<30 %	<74 %	<51 %	<38 %	<30 %	Jarrah
<18 %	<80 %	<30 %	<16 %	<7 %	Violet-wood
<88 %	<371 %	<80 %	<74 %	<22 %	Douglas fir
<103 %	<308 %	<122 %	<103 %	<84 %	Montery pine
<51 %	<153 %	<81 %	<49 %	<42 %	Ash
<62 %	<234 %	<76 %	<63 %	<58 %	Teak
<39 %		<36 %	<50 %	<21 %	Basralocus
<13 %		<25 %	<27 %	>18 %	Bankirai;
<39 %		<48 %	<42 %	<36 %	Opepe
<58 %		<80 %	<30 %	<30 %	English oak
<125 %		<138 %	<165 %	<70 %	Scots pine

Freshly sawn off-cut	Planks after 6 months

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