Abstract:
The construction industry around Nagongera town council uses wood as one of the main
construction material. Different wood species have different mechanical properties which affect
the strength of the buildings some of which have collapsed. In this study, the mechanical
properties of different wood species used in construction were investigated. Three tree species
were investigated and categorized into soft and hard wood. The results showed that the species
which had small deflection had some relatively high young’s modulus and was categorized as hard
wood and that with high deflection had relatively low young’s modulus and categorized as soft
wood. A recommendation was made that since hard wood is too heavy, it is not suitable for
roofing which gives high weight to the wall and substructure leading to low strength of the
building.
