Slash Pine | Pinus elliottii

Slash Pine is a pale brown, coarse-textured softwood used in general construction, flooring, and for outdoor purposes such as decking, pergolas and playground equipment.

Slash Pine is a softwood used in general construction, flooring, and for outdoor purposes such as decking, pergolas and playground equipment.

Other Names: Florida Pine, Yellow Pine, Southern Florida Pine, Pinus densa, Elliottii

Overview
Properties
Description
Applications
Suppliers

Overview

Slash Pine is a softwood native to south eastern United States and grown widely in plantations in northern NSW and in Queensland. It is mostly available in those states. It is used for general construction purposes, flooring, paneling and plywood; when treated with preservatives it is used for outdoor uses such as cladding and decking, fascia and barge boards; and for pergolas, fencing, retaining walls, landscaping, and playground equipment.

The heartwood of Slash Pine is pale reddish brown, while the sapwood is pale yellow and not clearly marked from the heartwood. The texture is relatively coarse and non-uniform, with alternating bands of late and earlywood. The grain is straight; the growth rings are prominent and the resin flows are very abundant. Knots are present in construction grade timber.

There is a distinctive difference in colour between earlywood and latewood, which results in a notable figure when back sawn. There are many resin canals, prominent as lines on dressed longitudinal surfaces, and the timber has a strong resinous odour. The resin can cause problems when working with the timber.

Slash Pine is of low durability, with a life expectancy of less than seven years above ground and five below ground and it is resistant to termites. Only the sapwood can be treated with preservatives.

Properties

Shrinkage

	Very Low	Low	Medium	High	Very High
Tangential:
Tangential:		4.2
Radial:		2 - 3
Unit Movement:		0.3 %

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:	F11	F8	F7	F5	F4
Seasoned:	F17	F14	F11	F8	F7

Density per Standard

Unseasoned:	1000 kg/m³
Seasoned:	625 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:	42
Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned:	85
Modulus of Elasticity - Unseasoned:	7.0
Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned:	9.7
Maximum Crushing Strength - Unseasoned:	22
Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned:	41
Impact - Unseasoned:	8.0
Impact - Seasoned:	5.6
Toughness - Unseasoned:	Low - up to 15 Nm
Toughness - Seasoned:	Low - up to 15 Nm
Hardness - Unseasoned:	2.1
Hardness - Seasoned:	3.4

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:	Not Susceptible
Lyctid Borer Susceptibility - Other:	Like all softwoods, Slash Pine is not susceptible to lyctid borer.
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:	For plywood ≥17mm >2.2 and <4.5 kW/m²
Critical Radiance Flux - Higher:	For plywood ≥17mm >2.2 and <4.5 kW/m²
Smoke Development Rate:	For plywood ≥17mm <750

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

Group Number - Other:	3 for plywood ≥6mm
Average Specific Extinction Area:	<250
Bushfire Resistance:	Not Tested

Description

Botanical Name:	Pinus elliottii
Preferred Common Name:	Slash Pine
Other Names:	Florida Pine, Yellow Pine, Southern Florida Pine, Pinus densa, Elliottii
Species Type:	Softwood

Appearance

The texture of Slash Pine is relatively coarse and non-uniform, with alternating bands of late and earlywood. The grain is straight; the growth rings are prominent and the resin flows are very abundant. Knots are present in construction grade timber. The heartwood is pale reddish brown, while the sapwood is pale yellow and not clearly marked from the heartwood.

There is a distinctive difference in colour between earlywood and latewood, which results in a notable figure when back sawn. There are many resin canals, prominent as lines on dressed longitudinal surfaces.

Common Applications

Slash Pine is used for general construction purposes, such as framing, flooring, lining, laminated beams, and joinery. When treated with preservatives it is used for external cladding and decking, and in fencing, pergolas, landscaping and playground equipment.

Common Form

Sawn

Workability

Only the sapwood of Slash Pine can be treated with preservatives. When dressing, sharp planer blades are needed to avoid compressing the softer earlywood and the ridged surfaces produced.
Because of deflection by latewood bands, nails tend to follow the growth rings and care is needed when using fittings and fastenings. Good results can be obtained with nail guns.

Due to the high resin content of some material and the ridge of early and latewood in dressed timber, care is required when timber is selected for finishing applications and when surfaces are prepared for painting and varnishing. Earlywood and latewood can absorb glue differently but this rarely causes problems.

Origin of Timber

NSW, QLD, WA, Oceania, North America

Origin of Timber - Other

Sash Pine is native to the south-east United States of America from South Carolina to Florida and west to Louisiana.

Readily Available

NSW, QLD

Source of Timber

Plantation

Applications

External Cladding

The natural appeal, versatility and strength of timber makes it the superior choice for external cladding. Through specification, planning, design and finishing processes, timber cladding not only creates a building of superior strength, acoustic and thermal performance but also creates a place of beauty, style and natural appeal.
Fencing

When it comes to fencing, timber is your natural choice. A material that is durable, strong and reliable it compliments almost every outdoor landscape and environment. Clear specification, detailed installation and appropriate maintenance will see any timber fence provide a natural and lasting property boundary and back drop for years to come.
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.
Internal Paneling

Timber paneling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly utilising an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products
Pergolas

A timber pergola is a practical, functional and attractive way to extend living and entertainment spaces into the outdoors.
Retaining Walls (Landscaping)

When it comes to retaining wall, landscape design and construction, timber is the natural choice. A material that is durable, sturdy and reliable, it boasts natural aesthetics that help it blend seamlessly with the outdoors. Careful consideration during the specification and design process will facilitate the creation of a long lasting, durable and eye catching timber retaining wall that will complement its surrounding landscape for years to come.
Shear walls

Lateral loads such as wind or earthquake on framed timber buildings - either post and beam or stud and joist - need to be resisted and shear walls and diaphragms offer an effective and economical solution.
Structural Timber Poles

Timber poles are utilised in structural construction to provide support for gravity loads and resistance against lateral forces. Not only serving a structural function, timber poles provide many aesthetic benefits, with their use in construction often complementing architectural designs aimed at harmonisation with the natural environment.
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.