Tests undertaken by TRADA Technology could lead to a sharp increase in the sales of southern yellow pine, according to American Softwoods’ European marketing director Eddie Pearce.
He commissioned TRADA Technology to carry out impact bending and surface hardness tests on southern pine and its main competitors – European pine, European whitewood, radiata pine from New Zealand and Chile and Brazilian elliottii pine.
Mr Pearce said: ‘We wanted unequivocal proof… that southern pine is superior.’
On impact bending southern pine was ‘significantly stronger than all other species under test’. The hardness tests assessed the radial and tangential surfaces of each softwood. Southern pine was the densest material – 51% denser than European whitewood and 14% denser than New Zealand pine, its nearest rival. On the tangential face, southern pine again came out top for hardness rating.
