Importance of Timber in Civil Engineering Construction (Case Study of Bookshelves Using Mahogany Wood)
Chapter One
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To expose the students to the importance of timber especially in Engineering and the practical aspects of timber work.
CHAPTER TWO
INTRODUCTION
According to Ustamilld (2009) on shelving when books were written by hand and so were not produced in great quantity they were kept in small containers which owners (usually the wealthy or clergy) carried with them.
However as manuscript volumes accumulated in religion houses or in homes ofthe wealthy, they were stored n shelves or in cupboards these cupboards are the direct redecessors todays books cases. Thus, this could be said 1 give way to the evolution of today’s modern bookshelves.
Volumes of book stored then in cupboards or shelves were arranged the way they are being arranged in today’s modern bookshelf. They were either placed in piles upon 4ir sides or it upright, were arranged with their backs to all and their edges out wards. The band of lenther veluum parchment which closed the book was often used for the
LITERATURE REVIEW
inscription of the title, which was thus on the fore edges instead of on the spine. It was not until the invention of printing had the cost of books reduced and thus allowing many more people direct
access to owning book that it became the practices to write the title on the spine and shelves books with the spine outwards, early bookcases were usually of oat, which is still deemed by some to be the most appropriate wood for an elegant library. Moreover, This review, traced that the shelving practices dated right from the early stages of carpentry work and refer to the plate form for shelving.
Rod Naylor (1999,wood carving techniques)stated that generally, the harder timbers are more suitable for sculpture and construction because they are more durable, fire resistance and a better finishes can be obtained while for carving purposes, soft wood is probably preferred because it can be cut against the grain to an extent. The fighting ofthe wood grain must also be taken into account as a bold grain can enhance a simple non-representational firm and thus, destroys a portrait completely.
Rod Naylor (1999) further gave and classified the timber in different structural members which are soft and hard wood. Timber has been one of the major material, in construction industries and the utilization has been growing from early stage of human sciences and technology development till date.
According to Henry Petroski (1999) one may ask question like
- why is it that bookshelves are designed horizontally and vertically?
- why is it that bookshelves are redesigned continually in the same pattern?
- is anything to be gained by asking why we shelves books with their spines facing out ward or is it only logical to shelve them?
The dominant uses were for furniture and building construction, furniture and utensils in grading lumber and structural timber. You would have imagine how it would have been like without timber existing, especially in engineering construction.
WOOD AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
Wood is a hard fibrous tissue found in many tree, it has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction materials, it is an organic material, a natural composition of cellulose fibers (which are strong in tension) embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression, wood is sometimes defined as only the secondary xylem in the sterns of trees, or it is defined more boardly include that same type of tissue elsewhere such as in tree roots or in other plants such as shrubs in a living tree, it performs a supports function, enabling woody plants to grow large or to stand up for themselves, it also mediates the transfer of water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissue. Wood may also refer to other plan materials with comparable properties, and to materials engineering, form wood or wood chips or timber.
The earth contains about one trillion tones of wood, which grows at a rate of billion tones per year as an abundant, carbon~neutral renewable resources, woody materials have been of intense interest as a source of renewable energy in(1999) approximately 3.5 billion cub meters of wood were harvested. Dominant uses were for furniture and building construction.
Wood has been on important construction material since humans began building shelters, houses and boats. Nearly all boats were made out of wood until the late 19” century, and wood remains in common use today in boat construction. Wood to be used for construction work is commonly known as lumber usually refers to felled trees, and the wood for sawn plants ready for used is timber, new domestic housing in many parts of the world today is commonly made from timber framed construction.
Engineering wood products are becoming a bigger part of the construction industry. They may be used structural and aesthetic materials in buildings made of other materials, wood will still be found as a supporting material, especially in root construction, in interior doors and their frames, and as extensor cladding and wood is also commonly used as shuttering material to form the mould into which concrete is poured during reinforced concrete construction. Wood has always been used extensively for furniture, such as chair and beds. Also for tools handles and cutlery, such as chopsticks, tooth picks, and other utensils, like the wooden spoon and for tools handles cutlery and also for building construction.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF WOOD
According to George L.(1974). All plants are grouped into five’greats divisions, each of which is made up for easy identification. However, for the interest of the wood workers, the softwood (gymnosperm) and the hardwood (angiosperm).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
MATERIAL AND M ETHODS
In every construction work, there are guides and procedures involved in carrying out successful project work the case of construction of the wooden shelf, the following stages were involved.
- Design development.
- Planning.
- Design Development: This could be referred to the initial stage of the construction. At this stage, the designer may involve preliminary. Sketches which may be free hand usually in perspective. The major aim of this is to determine the general from a design which might be suitable for the purpose of the job, and at the same time have good appearance while sketching the design. This will give the visual impression of the over all dimension and portion of the shape and parts in relation to each other. From this drawing, it is possible to plan the type of material that will be used. The fittings and finally method to be used.
- Planning: Having developed the design and the drawing complete, it is necessary to plan for the construction proper. This mean giving careful thought to such item as the amount and type of materials and fittings required, their cost, tools are necessary for the construction assembling and finishes. During the planning, the cutting of materials required for the job. It comprises of the price estimation, the sizes of the individual member of the various components from the working drawing etc.
CHAPTER FOUR
CONSTRUCTIONS
This could be noted to be the most important stage in the course of the construction of the bookshelf. This involves the following procedures, preparation, setting out, cutting out, assembling, finishing.
Preparation: In preparation of the bookshelf we gathering the pieces ready for setting out, studying the drawing to acknowledge on how to go about with the construction and checking on the cutting cost. Setting out: In setting out of the bookshelf, the joining and fittings are to be made and marked out from the material. It may involve bringing out any kind of shape, pieces and decorative features, marking the positions, taking the size of joints squaring and ganging from the face, side and edges etc.
Cutting out: In cutting out the bookshelf, we construct all the edges and parts of the bookshelf are been cut out for sllllapinigi. It invollves cutting wood from the joint, planning, groves, boring holes for screw and the equipment used are machine and manual cutting saw, jack saw etc.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
The construction of wooden bookshelf is an interesting project which was practically carried out in the workshop.
with knowledge and skill acquired and applied during the process, with little or no supervision, I can carry out related task on the bookshelf making,
RECOMMENDATION
The construction of wooden bookshelf is so unique for the storage and preservation of books and other similar
materials.
The project construction of a wooden bookshelf is a good one, it makes student to be practically and theoretically oriented which enables them to acquire more skills and knowledge on the usage of wood for construction.
REFFERENCES
- AKURU I. O AND BANIRO LA (1990): Introductory Technology for School and Collages book 3. EvansBrother Ibadan, Nigeria.
- BAYLISS, R (1973): Carpentry and Joinery Bredon LTD Tiptree, Great Britain.
- DAVID R. B (1976): Carpentry and Joinery Book I Pearson Education Ltd, England Edinburgh Gate Harlow.
- GEORGE I (1974): The Theory and Practice of Woodwork 5” Impression Tiachung co. Ltd Hong Kong.
- HOADLEY, Bl\’lCE (2000): Understanding Wood: a Craftsman guide to wood technology, Taunton press.
- MARY A. B (1974): Carpentry and Joinery Machine Wood Working Part. Basingstoke London, Machillan Press.
