WAWABIMA - Outstanding mechanical properties of some lesser known timber species in Ghana. International Conference Research on lesser known timber species for bridge construction

Only about 40 of the 680 tree species growing in Ghana are commercially exploited in the wood industry because the technical properties of the others are largely unknown. In order to help reduce the negative impacts of current forest management and to help stop the overexploitation of the best known commercial timber species, an international research and development project has been launched to investigate the technical properties of a selected number of lesser known species and thus help open them up for the market. This paper presents test results which indicate that some of these hitherto largely ignored timbers have remarkable mechanical and durability properties. They will make it to the top of structural and commercial timbers. The project plan includes the construction of two pilot pedestrian bridges in Kumasi, Ghana, using these new timber species.