Ash, Victorian

Victorian ash is the trade name of two large Victorian hardwood species, alpine ash and mountain ash, that can be used for timber framing, internal applications and furniture.

Other Names

Alpine Ash, Mountain Ash

Botanical Name

E. delegatensis & E. regnans

Species Type
Hardwood
  • Overview

    • Victorian ash is the trade name for two of the tallest hardwood species in the world. This Australian hardwood takes its name from the fact that it grows in the alpine areas of Victoria,  It can refer to either mountain ash or alpine ash and as these species are species segregated in Victoria it is marketed under the trade nameVictorian ash, it is important to note that the proportions of each species can vary considerably but Victorian mountain ash and alpine ash are very similar in characteristics and look. Victorian ash should not be confused with Tasmanian oak which comprises three hardwood species: alpine ash, mountain ash and messmate and has quite a wide variation in colour mix. Importantly it should also be noted that Victorian ash is not susceptible to lyctid borer whilst Tasmanian oak is.

    Victorian ash is mainly available in Victoria, Tasmania and NSW, with limited availability to other parts of Australia.

    Victorian ash timber usually has a straight grain but may also produce fiddleback markings and have visible gum veins. It has a course texture. The heartwood ranges from pale pink to yellowish brown and a walnut colour can be achieved by steaming with ammonia. The heartwood is often indistinguishable in colour from the softwood. Care needs to be taken when drying Victorian ash because it is prone to collapse and internal checking, as well as surface checking on the tangential surface. There is minimal shrinkage after drying. To ensure good quality boards, logs are quarter-cut, which provides excellent dimensional stability. Reconditioning is standard practice.

    Victorian ash can be used for general construction, such as F17 seasoned structural framing, but its moderate above-ground durability and its consistent and even colour means it is best suited for interior applications such as flooring, panelling, mouldings, staircases, handrails, balusters, cupboards, bench tops high value joinery, furniture as well as protected (e.g. painted) window joinery. Victorian ash is also used to manufacture plywood and may also be used for boxes, crates and paper pulp. Victorian ash can be grown as a plantation timber due to its quick growth and resistance to insect attack.

    Shrinkage

    Very Low Low Medium High Very High
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    Tangential : Provides a simplified rating for tangential shrinkage. This is the measure of the percentage reduction in dimension from the unseasoned to 12% moisture content condition.
    8.50%

    Radial : Radial shrinkage is perpendicular to the growth rings. It is shrinkage in the direction towards the centre of the tree. Measurement is % value
    5.20%

    Unit Movement Tangential: This is the percentage of dimensional change for each 1% moisture content change between about 3% moisture content and the fibre saturation point for the particular species.
    0.31%

    Unit Movement Radial: This is the percentage of dimensional change for each 1% moisture content change between about 3% moisture content and the fibre saturation point for the particular species.
    0.20%

    Strength Group Strength groups are given for unseasoned (S1-S7) and seasoned (SD1-SD8) timber in accordance with AS 2878. S1 and SD1 yield the highest strength and stiffness whereas S7 and SD8 yield the lowest.

    Very High

    High

    Reasonably High

    Medium High

    Medium

    Reasonably Low

    Low

    Very Low

    Unseasoned:

    S1

    S2

    S3

    S4

    S5

    S6

    S7

    S8
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    Seasoned:

    SD1

    SD2

    SD3

    SD4

    SD5

    SD6

    SD7

    SD8
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    Stress Grade A stress grade is defined in AS 1720 as the classification of timber for structural purposes by means of either visual or machine grading. The stress grade indicates the basic working stresses and stiffnesses to be used for structural design purposes. Measured in MPa.

    Structural
    No. 1    		 Structural
    No. 2    		 Structural
    No. 3    		 Structural
    No. 4    		 Structural
    No. 5

    Unseasoned:

    F14

    F11

    F8

    F7

    F5

    Seasoned:

    F22

    F17

    F14

    F11

    F8

    Density per Standard Seasoned density is based on moisture content of 12%. Unseasoned density is an approximation as it depends on the moisture content at the time of measurement. Measured kg/m3.

    Seasoned:

    650kg/m3

    Unseasoned:

    1050kg/m3

    Joint Group The joint group is a classification of the strength of a species in joint design. The values are from 1 (very high strength) to 6 (very low strength).

    Very High

    High

    Reasonably High

    Medium

    Low

    Very Low

    Unseasoned:

    J1

    J2

    J3

    J4

    J5

    J6
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    Seasoned:

    JD1

    JD2

    JD3

    JD4

    JD5

    JD6
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    Colour The colour of seasoned heartwood can vary between species and often within a species. The information provided should be used as a general guide only. In most cases, the colour of sapwood is either a lighter shade of the heartwood or a white/cream colour.

      White, yellow, pale straw to light brown Pink to pink brown Light to dark red Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky
       
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    Mechanical Properties

    Modulus of Rupture - Unseasoned: This property is a measure of maximum stress which timber can momentarily sustain when loaded slowly and continuously as a beam. Measured in MPa.
    65.9

    Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned: This property is a measure of maximum stress which timber can momentarily sustain when loaded slowly and continuously as a beam. Measured in MPa.
    110

    Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned: This property is of importance in determining the deflection of a beam under load — the greater the stiffness, the less the deflection. Measured in GPa.
    12.6

    Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned: This property is of importance in determining the deflection of a beam under load — the greater the stiffness, the less the deflection. Measured in GPa.
    15.5

    Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned:

    Also referred to as compression strength. This property measures the ability of the timber to withstand loads applied on the end grain. Measured in MPa.
    31.5

    Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned: Also referred to as compression strength. This property measures the ability of the timber to withstand loads applied on the end grain. Measured in MPa.
    61.6

    Impact - Unseasoned: Provides the Izod value, which is the energy taken in joules (J) to fracture the timber.
    13.7

    Impact - Seasoned: Provides the Izod value, which is the energy taken in joules (J) to fracture the timber.
    19.7

    Toughness - Unseasoned: This is a measure of timber’s ability to resist shocks and blows, and is synonymous with impact strength. It is measured in Nm.
    Medium - 15 - 24 Nm

    Toughness - Seasoned: This is a measure of timber’s ability to resist shocks and blows, and is synonymous with impact strength. It is measured in Nm.
    Medium - 15 - 24 Nm

    Hardness - Unseasoned: Refers to the Janka hardness test and is a measure of timber’s resistance to indentation.
    3.7

    Hardness - Seasoned: Refers to the Janka hardness test and is a measure of timber’s resistance to indentation.
    5

    Durability

    Low Moderate Reasonably High High
    (0 - 5 yrs) (5 - 15 yrs) (15 - 25 yrs) (more than 25 yrs)

    In-Ground: Durability is defined as the inherent resistance of a timber species to decay, or to insect or marine borer attack. All references to durability refer to the heartwood only. A scale of low to high (durability class 4 = low; 1 = high) has been adapted for above and in-ground durability.

    		 Check mark
    (0 - 7 yrs) (7 - 15 yrs) (15 - 40 yrs) (More than 40 yrs)

    Above ground: Durability is defined as the inherent resistance of a timber species to decay, or to insect or marine borer attack. All references to durability refer to the heartwood only. A scale of low to high (durability class 4 = low; 1 = high) has been adapted for above and in-ground durability.

    		 Check mark
    (0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5) (21 - 40 yrs) (41 - 64 yrs) (More than 60 yrs)

    Marine Borer Resistance: Indicates whether a species is resistant (R) or not resistant (NR) to marine borer attack.

    		 Check mark

    Lyctid Borer Susceptibility: Indicates whether a species is susceptible (S) or not susceptible (NS) to lyctid borer attack.

    Lyctid Borer Susceptibility - Other:

    Not susceptible when sourced from Victoria
    Susceptible when sourced from Tasmania and NSW

    Termite Resistance: Indicates whether a species is resistant (R) or not resistant (NR) to termites.

    Not Resistant

    Fire Properties

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

    EFH Ignitibility: A measure of the tendency of a material to ignite measured on a scale of 0 – 20. An index of 0 indicates that the material did not ignite during the 20 minutes that the test takes. An index of 20 indicates that the material ignited in the first minute.
    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

    EFH Spread-of-Flame Index: This is a material's propensity to burn rapidly and spread flames based on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means that the materials will not cause flames to reach the ceiling and 10 indicates that the material could be expected to cause flames to reach the ceiling of a room within 10 seconds of ignition.

    EFH Smoke-Developed Index:This is a measure of the concentration (measured by optical density) of smoke a material emits as it burns. It is based on an arbitrary scale of 0 to 10. The higher the index, the greater the hazard from smoke is likely to be.

    Critical Radiance Flux - Lower: This measures the radiant (heat) energy required to sustain burning. It is used in Australia to regulate floor coverings. The requirements are set out in BCA Specification C1.10a, providing CRF values for floor coverings based on Class of building, the location within the building (general use or use in fire isolated exits) and whether or not the building is sprinkler protected or not. CRF is measured in kW/m2.

    >2.2 and <4.5 kW/m2

    Critical Radiance Flux - Higher: This measures the radiant (heat) energy required to sustain burning. It is used in Australia to regulate floor coverings. The requirements are set out in BCA Specification C1.10a, providing CRF values for floor coverings based on Class of building, the location within the building (general use or use in fire isolated exits) and whether or not the building is sprinkler protected or not. CRF is measured in kW/m2.

    >2.2 and <4.5 kW/m2

    Smoke Development Rate: This is the speed at which smoke increases as determined by testing flooring materials in accordance with AS ISO 9239.1. The rate is expressed in terms of percent/minutes. For buildings not protected with a sprinkler system, a maximum smoke development rate of 750 percent/minute applies.
    <750
    1 - non-combustible 2 - reasonably non-combustible 3 - slightly combustible 4 - combustible

    Fire Properties Group
    Number:

    Average Specific Extinction Area: This value is determined by the volume of smoke measured over the mass loss of the tested sample per test carried out in accordance with ‘Cone Calorimeter Test’ AS/NZS 3837. It is measured in units of m2/kg.
    <250

    Bushfire Resistance: Naturally bushfire-resisting timbers are those with inherent bushfire-resisting properties. Some species have been tested and a number are in the process of being tested and are measured by Bushfire Attack level (BAL). BAL -12.5: Ember attack, BAL – 19: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 12.5 and 19 kWm3, BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 19 and 29 kWm3.
    BAL 12.5 and 19 – Door and window joinery only
    Appearance

    Victorian ash timber can range from a pale pink to pale yellow or brownish colour. The heartwood and sapwood colours are generally quite hard to tell apart, with sapwood 25 to 50mm wide. Victorian ash features a moderately course texture and has a predominately straight grain, although it may be wavy in parts resulting in a fiddleback appearance. Gum veins are also a common appearance feature. It will provide a light, creamy-coloured timber for appearance applications, although a richer walnut colour can also be achieved by steaming Victorian ash with ammonia.

    Common Applications

    Victorian ash can be used for protected structural applications, such as high strength seasoned structural F17 timber framing, but it is best suited to indoor appearance applications and furniture due its low to moderate durability, its excellent working properties and its consistency in colour. Flooring, panelling, mouldings, staircases, handrails, balusters, cupboards, bench tops and high value joinery, windows and furniture are some of its more common applications - although it is also used for agricultural implements, oars, cooperage, boxes, crates, paper pulp and in the manufacture of plywood.

    Workability

    A strong and stable timber, Victorian ash offers good all round workability. It planes, sands, finishes and glues well, and will readily steam and bend. This makes Victorian ash an ideal timber for internal applications and furniture.

    Origin of timber
    VIC
    Victorian ash is predominantly available in Victoria but is also available in other eastern states. Victorian ash consists of alpine ash and mountain ash and should not be confused with Tasmanian oak which comprises three hardwood species: alpine ash, mountain ash and messmate and has quite a wide variation in colour mix.
    Source of timber
    Native Forest
    a kitchen with wooden cabinets and a countertop

    Joinery

    Timber joinery offers a classic, stylish touch to any interior or exterior space.
    a close-up of a garage door

    Doors

    Timber is one of the most popular and superior material choices for both internal and external doors.
    a reception desk in a building

    Panelling, Interior

    Timber panelling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly using an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products
    a close-up of a wood sculpture

    Mouldings

    Mouldings are extremely versatile and durable, enhancing the aesthetics of any interior and functioning as the icing on the cake for designs with a focus on beauty and splendour.
    a staircase with a hole in the ground

    Rails and Balustrades, Interior

    With its natural beauty and inherent strength, timber is a popular material choice for internal balustrades. Commonly built from treated softwoods and durable hardwoods, interior balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to generate the most natural result.
    a staircase in a building

    Stairs, Interior

    Timber is the material of choice for designers seeking internal staircases of strength, beauty and durability.
    a room with benches and paintings on the wall

    Flooring

    The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring is enduringly popular in a wide variety of domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

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