The objective of this work was to study the linear and volumetric shrinkage variation of the Eucalyptus grandis wood, along the radial plane at four different ages (10, 14, 20 and 25 years), from commercial stands. The samples were removed from the diametrical board of each of the sixteen trees (four from each age), taken from four equidistant positions (0, 33, 66 and 100%), in the pith -bark direction. The species, as a whole, showed a high dimensional stability, with mean values of volumetric shrinkage of 18.11% and radial, tangential and longitudinal shrinkage of 6.09%, 10.44% and 0.45%, respectively; and tangential/radial ratio of 1.71. Except for the longitudinal shrinkage and the tangential/radial ratio, all of the parameters showed a tendency to increase with age and radial direction, from pith-to-bark.
Eucalyptus grandis; shrinkage; age; pith-to-bark direction
