The present study aimed to assess the physical and mechanical properties of Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage wood. The following physical properties were determined: apparent density at 12 and 0% moisture content, basic density, and indices of contraction. Mechanical properties were determined through tests of static bending, compression parallel to the grain, shear, and hardness in six-year-old wood. Based on the results obtained in the determination of physical properties, E. benthamii wood at the age studied can be classified as moderately heavy and dimensionally unstable. The species showed low resistance with respect to mechanical properties, which can be related to the large amount of juvenile wood observed in the material studied.
eucalyptus; wood quality; technological properties