Dark red meranti
Shorea spp. · Hardwood · Southeast Asia
Properties
| Janka hardness | 780 lbf (3,469 N) |
|---|---|
| Average dried weight (est.) | 29 lb/ft³ (460 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity | 0.46 |
| Modulus of rupture | 12,700 psi (87.6 MPa) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 1.77 million psi (12.20 GPa) |
| Crushing strength | 7,360 psi (50.7 MPa) |
| Shrinkage — radial | 3.8% |
| Shrinkage — tangential | 7.9% |
| Shrinkage — volumetric | 13.1% |
| Shrinkage T/R ratio | 2.1 |
Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5-5b p. 5-25; shrinkage Table 4-4 p. 4-9.
Dark red meranti is the heavier, darker group of Shorea species from Southeast Asia (specific gravity 0.46, Janka hardness 780 lbf), one of the four commercial meranti groups and a mainstay of imported hardwood plywood. The group's namesake species, Shorea platyclados, is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, and the Handbook cautions that many Shorea species are listed as endangered or critically endangered because of habitat loss. Shorea is not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Appearance & grain
The meranti groups are separated by heartwood color and weight; as a whole the wood has a coarser texture than mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), no dark-colored deposits in its pores, and usually interlocked grain. All merantis show axial resin or gum ducts aligned in long tangential lines on the end surface, sometimes with visible white deposits.
Durability
The Handbook rates dark red meranti as moderately durable — unlike the light red, white, and yellow groups, which are not durable in exposed conditions or ground contact — with heartwood extremely to moderately resistant to preservative treatment.
Workability
The Handbook says the meranti groups are machined easily (the exception, white meranti, dulls cutters through its silica content), but dark red meranti dries more slowly than the light groups, with a tendency to warp. Its strength and shrinkage properties compare favorably with northern red oak.
Common uses
- Hardwood plywood
- Joinery
- Furniture and cabinetwork
- Molding and millwork
- Flooring
- General construction
- Decking
Conservation: IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (checked 2026-10-25).
Work with Dark red meranti
Similar woods
Photo: Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (France). Programme Bois. Producteur d'un fonds d'archives · Public domain (source)
Property data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (2021).