Radiata Pine
Radiata Pine (EN 13556 PIRA) is a fast-grown plantation softwood with light colour and even grain, density about 0.48 g/cm³, 90 MPa tensile strength, a 10.2 GPa elastic modulus and about 1 % elongation.
Reference datasheet — Radiata Pine is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the KD condition
Radiata Pine tempers and conditions
Radiata Pine is supplied in 3 conditions, soft to hard. KD is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freshly sawn, MC above fibre saturation | Pick for wet-processing routes (pallets, formwork, preservative pressure treatment before drying) where dimensional movement is acceptable. | 60 | 0.2 W/m·K | |||
KDDefault Kiln dried to 10–14 % moisture content | Standard grade for furniture, mouldings, finger-jointed and laminated panels — stable, glue- and paint-ready, kiln heat also kills blue-stain fungi and insects (ISPM-15). | 90 | 1 | 0.12 W/m·K | ||
Air-dried | Low-cost seasoning for packaging, crates and sheltered outdoor framing where full kiln stability is not required. | 0.14 W/m·K |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Radiata Pine is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
TREATED-H3 | Preservative treated | Surface finish |
What is Radiata Pine?
Radiata Pine (EN 13556 PIRA) is a fast-grown plantation softwood with light colour and even grain, density about 0.48 g/cm³, 90 MPa tensile strength, a 10.2 GPa elastic modulus and about 1 % elongation. Low cost, high machinability (score 90) and consistent graded supply make it a default choice for furniture, finger-jointed board and interior mouldings; it is available green, air-dried, kiln-dried and H3 preservative-treated. Untreated material has very low decay resistance (corrosion score 22), earlywood dents easily and the service limit is about 80 °C. Southern Yellow Pine is denser and stronger where load governs. Radiata Pine has a density of 0.48 g/cm³ (0.0173 lb/in³), lighter than 76% of natural material grades. Radiata Pine has a tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi), stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.2 GPa (1.48 Msi).
What is Radiata Pine used for?
- Furniture
- Finger-jointed board
- Plywood
- Packaging crates
- Interior mouldings
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades
- Low embodied carbon — 0.3 kg CO₂/kg, better than 79% of natural material grades
- Lightweight — 0.48 g/cm³ (0.0173 lb/in³), better than 76% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Needs corrosion protection — 22/100, worse than 93% of natural material grades
- Low fracture toughness — 0.4 MPa·√m (0.364 ksi·√in), worse than 86% of natural material grades
Radiata Pine properties
Typical room-temperature values for Radiata Pine-KD; bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Radiata Pine has a density of 0.48 g/cm³ (0.0173 lb/in³), lighter than 76% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Radiata Pine has a tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi), stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 10.2 GPa (1.48 Msi).
Thermal5
Radiata Pine is rated for continuous service to 80°C (176 °F). It conducts heat at 0.12 W/m·K (0.0693 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 70% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4 µm/m·K (2.22 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Radiata Pine is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 3 kV/mm (76.2 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10⁹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is poor (22/100), worse than 93% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Radiata Pine takes about 9 MJ of energy and emits 0.3 kg of CO₂ — less than 65% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
Radiata Pine's machinability is excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Working with Radiata Pine
Is Radiata Pine easy to machine?
Very easy to saw, plane, mould and CNC-route; use sharp carbide and adequate chip clearance — resin loading on tooling and fuzzy earlywood are the usual issues.
Can Radiata Pine be welded?
Not weldable; joined by PVA/EPI/PUR/urea adhesives, finger joints, nails, screws and connector plates — pre-drill near ends to avoid splitting.
Can Radiata Pine be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bends only moderately (best for gentle radii on clear straight-grained stock); most curved work is done by laminating thin kiln-dried lamellae.
Radiata Pine chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| celluloseoven-dry basis | 38 – 45 | 42 |
| hemicellulosemainly galactoglucomannan | 22 – 28 | 25 |
| ligninguaiacyl-type softwood lignin | 26 – 30 | 28 |
| extractives (resin, fatty acids)higher in heartwood and knots | 1 – 5 | 3 |
| ash | 0.15 – 0.5 | 0.3 |
What surface finishes work on Radiata Pine?
Sands well but the soft earlywood dents easily; seal or use sanding sealer/water-based stain-blocker to prevent blotchy staining and resin bleed, then lacquer, UV or paint; exterior use requires preservative treatment plus coating.
How much does Radiata Pine cost?
Radiata Pine is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Radiata Pine — frequently asked
What is Radiata Pine used for?
Radiata Pine is typically used for furniture, finger-jointed board, plywood, packaging crates and interior mouldings. In short: lowest-cost machining softwood; consistent plantation supply; needs treatment for exterior use.
What is the tensile strength of Radiata Pine?
Radiata Pine has a typical tensile strength of 90 MPa (13.1 ksi) — stronger than 73% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Radiata Pine easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades). Very easy to saw, plane, mould and CNC-route; use sharp carbide and adequate chip clearance — resin loading on tooling and fuzzy earlywood are the usual issues.
Can Radiata Pine be welded?
Not weldable; joined by PVA/EPI/PUR/urea adhesives, finger joints, nails, screws and connector plates — pre-drill near ends to avoid splitting.
What surface finishes work on Radiata Pine?
Sands well but the soft earlywood dents easily; seal or use sanding sealer/water-based stain-blocker to prevent blotchy staining and resin bleed, then lacquer, UV or paint; exterior use requires preservative treatment plus coating.
Can Radiata Pine be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bends only moderately (best for gentle radii on clear straight-grained stock); most curved work is done by laminating thin kiln-dried lamellae.
What is the maximum service temperature of Radiata Pine?
Radiata Pine is rated for continuous use to about 80°C (176 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Radiata Pine cost?
Radiata Pine is a budget-cost natural material ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-190), mechanical & thermal property tables incl. Pinus radiata — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2010)
- EN 13556 — Round and sawn timber: nomenclature of timbers used in Europe (code PIRA) — CEN (2003)
- EN 338 — Structural timber, strength classes (radiata typically C16/C24) — CEN (2016)
- AS/NZS 1748 / NZS 3603 timber design and MGP grading practice for radiata pine — Standards New Zealand (2011)
- Radiata pine wood property summaries — Scion (NZ Forest Research Institute) (2019)
- Inventory of Carbon & Energy (ICE) v3 — sawn softwood, kiln dried — Circular Ecology (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.