Follow us
Account Login

Email

Password

Forgot your password?
Free Sign Up

Featured Project

Beach House as Tree House

View more inspiration
General Resources
Why Wood Articles
What is...

Across the grain
The direction at right angles to the length of the fibres and other longitudinal elements of the wood.

Visit Glossary

New England Blackbutt | Eucalyptus andrewsii

New England Blackbutt is an Australian hardwood, pale brown in appearance and used for general construction

New England Blackbutt is a large Australian hardwood used mainly for general construction applications.

New England Blackbutt is a large Australian hardwood from the tablelands of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland used mainly for general construction.

Other Names: New England Ash, New England Peppermint, Eucalyptus campanulata

Overview
Properties
Description
Applications
Suppliers

Overview

New England Blackbutt is a large Australian hardwood that grows in the tablelands and coastal ranges of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Also known as New England Ash, it is similar in appearance yet not quite as durable as Blackbutt.

The heartwood is pale brown, while the sapwood is much paler in appearance. New England Blackbutt has an even texture and generally straight grain. Gum veins are usually present.

New England Blackbutt can be stained, painted or polished but there can be issues with painting because of its tendency to surface check. The high extractives of mature wood can cause problems with some adhesives. These extractives can also cause staining on painted surfaces exposed to the weather. Blackbutt machines well but is only fair for steam bending.

A durable hardwood, New England Blackbutt is used for general construction applications, flooring and joinery.

Properties

Shrinkage

	Very Low	Low	Medium	High	Very High
Tangential:
Tangential:					11.4
Radial:					> 5
Unit Movement:					0.36 %

Strength Group

	Very High	High	Reasonably High	Medium High	Medium	Reasonably Low	Low	Very Low
Unseasoned:	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7
Unseasoned:
Seasoned:	SD1	SD2	SD3	SD4	SD5	SD6	SD7	SD8
Seasoned:

Stress Grade

	Structural No. 1	Structural No. 2	Structural No. 3	Structural No. 4	Structural No. 5
Unseasoned:	F17	F14	F11	F8	F7
Seasoned:	F27	F22	F17	F14	F11

Density per Standard

Unseasoned:	1150 kg/m³
Seasoned:	880 kg/m³

Joint Group

	Very High	High	Reasonably High	Medium	Low	Very Low
Unseasoned:	J1	J2	J3	J4	J5	J6
Unseasoned:
Seasoned:	JD1	JD2	JD3	JD4	JD5	JD6
Seasoned:

Colour

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

Mechanical Properties

Modulus of Rupture - Unseasoned:	81
Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned:	140
Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned:	12
Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned:	14
Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned:	41
Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned:	68
Impact - Unseasoned:	17
Impact - Seasoned:	19
Toughness - Unseasoned:	Medium - 15 - 25 Nm
Toughness - Seasoned:	Medium - 15 - 25 Nm
Hardness - Unseasoned:	6.8
Hardness - Seasoned:	9.5

Durability

	Low	Moderate	Reasonably High	High
	(0 - 5 yrs)	(5 - 15 yrs)	(15 - 25 yrs)	(more than 25 yrs)
In-Ground:
	(0 - 7 yrs)	(7 - 15 yrs)	(15 - 40 yrs)	(More than 40 yrs)
Above ground:
	(0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5)	(21 - 40 yrs)	(41 - 64 yrs)	(More than 60 yrs)
Marine Borer Resistance:

Lyctid Borer Susceptibility:	Susceptible
Termite Resistance:	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:

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
EFH Spread-of-Flame Index:
EFH Smoke-Developed Index:

Critical Radiance Flux - Lower:	>2.2 and <4.5 kW/m²
Critical Radiance Flux - Higher:	≥4.5 kW/m²
Smoke Development Rate:	<750

	1 - non-combustible	2 - reasonably non-combustible	3 - slightly combustible	4 - combustible
Fire Properties Group Number:

Average Specific Extinction Area:	<250
Bushfire Resistance:	BAL 12.5 and 19 – All AS3959 required applications

Description

Botanical Name:	Eucalyptus andrewsii
Preferred Common Name:	New England Blackbutt
Other Names:	New England Ash, New England Peppermint, Eucalyptus campanulata
Species Type:	Hardwood

Appearance

New England Blackbutt has an even texture. The grain is generally straight, making it appealing for interior use applications such as flooring and joinery. The heartwood is pale brown, while the sapwood is much paler in appearance at about 25 - 75 mm wide. Small gum veins are also usually visible.

Common Applications

New England Blackbutt is used mainly for general construction applications. In New South Wales and southern Queensland it is very popular for timber framing but is also used for flooring and joinery.

Common Form

Sawn

Workability

Care needs to be taken when drying New England Blackbutt as it is prone to slight collapse.

It can be stained, painted or polished but there can be issues with painting because of its tendency to surface check. The high extractives of mature wood can cause problems with some adhesives. These extractives can also cause staining on painted surfaces after exposure to the weather.

New England Blackbutt machines well but is only fair for steam bending.

Origin of Timber

NSW, QLD

Readily Available

NSW, QLD

Availability - Further Information

New England Blackbutt grows in the coastal ranges of New South Wales and the tablelands of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. It is generally readily available in these areas. Suppliers can provide information on availability in other parts of Australia.

Source of Timber

Native Forest

Applications

Architectural Roof Trusses

Architectural timber roof trusses create strong visual impact. Often used as part of ‘cathedral ceiling’ systems, timber can be specified light or heavy to suit the chosen theme and style. On finish, they can be left natural or may be oiled, stained, painted or highly decorated. Choice is limited only by individual style and design preferences.
Flooring

Whether for structural or finished flooring applications, timber offers durability, versatility and adaptability. The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring has proved enduringly popular in a wide variety of interior settings.
Framing

Since people began building simple shelters, wooden framing has played an important role in shaping structures of many kinds. One of the most popular types of wooden framing is known as lightweight timber construction.
Timber Joinery Products

Timber joinery products offer a classic, unique and stylish touch to any interior design.
Timber Portal Frames

For buildings that require large spans and column free interiors, timber portal frames provide one of the most aesthetically pleasing solutions. Utilising modern engineering technology, portal frame design transforms timber into a highly effective, efficient and economical structural product. This application guide provides a comprehensive overview of the process of using timber in the specification, fabrication and erection of portal frame structures.