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D. Allen Hughes, PE
For centuries, builders recognized that wood must be properly seasoned before use. Long before modern engineering analysis, practical experience showed that controlling moisture content was essential to limiting shrinkage, warping, and long-term structural problems. Wood is a hygroscopic engineering material whose moisture content continuously responds to surrounding environmental conditions. These moisture changes directly influence wood strength, stiffness, dimensional stability, durability, and long-term performance. Improper control of moisture during drying, storage, transportation, or construction can result in serviceability problems such as warping, checking, joint failure, flooring distortion, and structural movement.
This course provides an engineering-focused overview of wood drying and moisture control principles as they apply to structural and architectural wood products. Topics include moisture content determination methods, fiber saturation point, equilibrium moisture content, recommended moisture levels for various wood products, and the mechanisms by which moisture moves through wood during drying. Both air-drying and kiln-drying processes are discussed, including the development of drying stresses and common drying defects such as checking, collapse, honeycombing, and warping.
This course also addresses dimensional changes in wood and design considerations related to framing lumber, heavy timber construction, flooring, trim, and interior finish materials. Emphasis is placed on recognizing moisture-related risks in design, construction, and field evaluation, and on applying sound engineering judgment to prevent long-term performance issues.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
NY PE & PLS: You must choose courses that are technical in nature or related to matters of laws and ethics contributing to the health and welfare of the public. NY Board does not accept courses related to office management, risk management, leadership, marketing, accounting, financial planning, real estate, and basic CAD. Specific course topics that are on the borderline and are not acceptable by the NY Board have been noted under the course description on our website.