Concrete Vs Wood

When it comes to construction, tow materials often come into place and these are wood and concrete. Engineers and builders have already deciphered what material is best for a particular usage. Nevertheless, none of each is considered to be the best in all aspects. Wood can be better in a given situation while concrete could be ideal for another. But for non-engineers, who want to know the difference between concrete and wood, read on.

Wood is organic. There are cells within the wood which makes it ‘living.’ Most woods have brown color that ranges from light to dark tinge brown although some woods appear lighter to the extent of giving it a fleshy white color. Wood is actually an aggregate of cellulose, whose fibers are very much made compact. This property makes it resist outward forces and compression. In its living state, wood is part of the tree stem or trunk that is used as a passageway for nutrients and water coming from the roots up to the leaves.

Wood, aside from construction, can also be used for other important purposes such as: providing fuel, packaging, and even for paper making. Wood or trees grow by expanding from within its trunk. And so, it increases in diameter and produce several growth rings that are said to be able to tell the age of the tree itself.

Wood can also pertain to its two major classes. The heartwood is the heart of the tree. It is the inner wood that is considered to be older. Most experts also call this part as the dead wood but others come to disagree because it can still be subjected to certain decay organisms. The sapwood, on the contrary, is the outer portion and considered to be the younger wood. This is the one primarily responsible for conducting the tree’s nutrients. In addition, wood can also be classified as either hard or soft. Wood from oak trees is a hard wood while those from pines are soft. But these names doesn’t exactly correlate that if a wood is called hard then it is tougher than the soft ones. It is because some soft woods are actually tougher than hard woods.

Conversely, concrete is made of cement and other construction materials like aggregates (crushed stones or rocks), water and sand among others. The concrete material, unlike wood, hardens after water has been mixed and after it underwent the hydration process. This process involves water binding the construction materials altogether to toughen it up as a whole. The overall result is a very solid grayish material that can withstand pressures and other forces. Nowadays, concrete is mainly used for construction. It is, without a doubt, the most commonly used construction material in the world today; not to mention it is man-made.

1. Concrete is a man-made material whereas wood is organic.

2. Concrete hardens after a hydration process whereas wood is practically a hard material to begin with.

3. Wood is prone to the wrath of decaying organisms such as termites as opposed to concrete.

4. Wood is usually brown in color whereas concrete appears to be grayish.

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