Engelmann spruce

Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. · Softwood · North America

Janka 390 lbf≈22 lb/ft³ dried (est.)

Properties

Janka hardness	390 lbf (1,735 N)
Average dried weight (est.)	22 lb/ft³ (350 kg/m³)
Specific gravity	0.35
Modulus of rupture	9,300 psi (64.1 MPa)
Modulus of elasticity	1.30 million psi (8.96 GPa)
Crushing strength	4,480 psi (30.9 MPa)
Shrinkage — radial	3.8%
Shrinkage — tangential	7.1%
Shrinkage — volumetric	11.0%
Shrinkage T/R ratio	1.9

Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5-3 p. 5-13; shrinkage Table 4-3 p. 4-8.

Engelmann spruce is a high-elevation Rocky Mountain softwood used principally for lumber, mine timbers, railroad crossties, and poles. It also enters building construction as dimension lumber, flooring, and sheathing, and it has excellent properties for pulp and papermaking.

Appearance & grain

The heartwood is nearly white, with a slight tinge of red. The sapwood varies from 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in.) in width and is often difficult to distinguish from the heartwood, and the wood has medium to fine texture and no characteristic odor.

Workability

The wood is rated as lightweight, and it is soft and low in strength as a beam or post, as well as low in stiffness, shock resistance, and shrinkage. The lumber typically contains many small knots.