Azobe: Technical information

Azobe wood is one of the most sustainable wood types in the world. It has been proven that the heartwood can be classified in durability class 1 and the transitional wood in class 2. The heartwood is fresh reddish brown and changes color to dark red to chocolate brown, or sometimes to violetish dark reddish brown. Azobe has striking white to yellow colored substances in the barrels. And it is highly resistant to attack by shipworm in brackish and salt water, as well as to acids and other chemicals. On this page you will find extensive information regarding durability, regulations, strength and fire class.

Technical information and regulations

Below you will find information about properties and regulations regarding the use of Azobé. Reference is made to various official documents. Due to licensing rights, we cannot make copies of these standards available to you through the website. Do you have specific questions? Please contact us without obligation.

Sustainability certification

Azobe is very durable (class I) in (fresh) water. The transition wood between the heartwood and sapwood is durability class II. This is based on research done by SHR Houtresearch. The research was carried out in accordance with the European test methods laid down in ENV 807, method 2. Azobe is highly resistant to attack by shipworm in brackish and salt water, but also to acids and other chemicals. It is therefore often used in residential construction, civil engineering and hydraulic engineering for support structures for installations in the chemical industry.

Strength class Azobe

In the Netherlands, the European strength classes according to NEN-EN 338 are used. A strength class is indicated by the letter C for softwood and D for hardwood, followed by a number. That number corresponds to the representative value for the bending strength parallel to the fiber (material property). These values form the starting point for the constructor to determine the design value of the material. For class A/B, Azobe is classified in class D70. This makes it one of the wood types with the highest design values for bending, tensile and compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, etc.

Declaration of Performance

Quality

Azobe is divided into three quality classes, namely A, B and C (NEN 5480). Class A places the highest demands on strength and/or appearance such as thread progression, knots, cracks and deformations.

The Dutch Standard NEN 5493 (formerly NPR 5493), Quality Requirements for Hardwood in Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering and Other Constructional Applications, contains 8 application categories:

Walking decks
Bridge decks and planks for jetties;
Construction wood
Sheet piles and revetments
Horizontal handrails
Studded posts
Sawn posts
Round posts

For each category it is specified which imperfections may occur and to what extent. Imperfections such as heart, tassels, mechanical damage, cracks, sapwood and deformation measured over the entire length. Standards have also been laid down for the moisture content and the performance of batch inspections.

Fire

The Building Decree sets requirements for the fire properties of building materials to limit the chance of the occurrence and rapid development of fire, as people must be given sufficient escape time. Different fire requirements apply to products with or without CE marking. Products with CE must comply with a Eurofire class according to NEN-EN 13501-1. Products without CE must either meet a Dutch fire class according to NEN 1775 or a Euro fire class.

There are seven Eurofire classes for both floor surfaces and non-floor surfaces: A1, A2, B, C, D, E and F. For floors, there is a subscript fl (=floor) behind each class. A1 is the highest class; the products covered by this do not contribute in any way to a fire. If a product has not been tested or does not comply with class E, it is classified in F. In addition to the classification for the origin and spread of fire, information about the classification for smoke development must also be known.

Azobe floors, stairs, escape routes and fire

Basic requirement for walkable surfaces is at least Euro fire class D_fl. To ensure that escape routes remain usable, fire must not develop quickly there. The materials must therefore meet the stricter conditions regarding the contribution to fire propagation (Euro fire class C standard_fl).

The fire class of a wooden floor surface depends on various aspects such as density, thickness and possible finish. For wood types with a specific weight above 790 kg/m³, where Azobe also occurs, it is very likely that they comply with NL fire class C_fl. Research has shown that with a thickness of 45 mm Azobe can comply with fire class B-s1

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