10-04-2011, 10:56 AM
Something that I have thought of going off Virilis's comment is the average shrinkage of wood.
Assuming that the Romans did not oven dry timbers then most woods used had maybe 20%-15% moisture content left. Depending on the wood used that could account for up to 1%-3% volume loss of a green log.
If spending close to 2000 years in a hot and dry enviroment is at least equal to oven drying then the wood could be down to only chemically bonded water or somewhere between 3%-8% water volume from green, but this translates into 3%-12% shrinkage in the wood.
On top of this is weight compression of the layers of sand and stone then another 1%-3% of shrinkage is likely. If the extremes are taken then 15% shrinkage is not hard to achieve. And the numbers I used are just the high-lows of American woods, not specifically the native woods the Romans used. And I do not doubt that 30% shrinkage is even likely.
So 9mm at the center would become 10.35mm and 3mm-5mm at the edge becomes 3.45mm-5.75mm
If anyone has any data on the effects of 2000 years in a desert has on wood please let me know.
Assuming that the Romans did not oven dry timbers then most woods used had maybe 20%-15% moisture content left. Depending on the wood used that could account for up to 1%-3% volume loss of a green log.
If spending close to 2000 years in a hot and dry enviroment is at least equal to oven drying then the wood could be down to only chemically bonded water or somewhere between 3%-8% water volume from green, but this translates into 3%-12% shrinkage in the wood.
On top of this is weight compression of the layers of sand and stone then another 1%-3% of shrinkage is likely. If the extremes are taken then 15% shrinkage is not hard to achieve. And the numbers I used are just the high-lows of American woods, not specifically the native woods the Romans used. And I do not doubt that 30% shrinkage is even likely.
So 9mm at the center would become 10.35mm and 3mm-5mm at the edge becomes 3.45mm-5.75mm
If anyone has any data on the effects of 2000 years in a desert has on wood please let me know.
James M.
"Ah, yes, mere infantry — poor beggars…" Plautus
"Ah, yes, mere infantry — poor beggars…" Plautus
