10 ms·
Shackleton's _Endurance_ was one of the strongest ships ever built, thanks in part to its being sheathed in "greenheart"[1] which is pretty remarkable stuff. 1
by chrisweekly 8y ago
Shackleton's _Endurance_ was one of the strongest ships ever built, thanks in part to its being sheathed in "greenheart"[1] which is pretty remarkable stuff.
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorocardium_rodiei https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorocardium_rodiei
Edit to note: apparently greenheart isn't quite as high on the Janka hardness scale as the top 10 listed in the OP's link, but its near-imperviousness to the harsh arctic marine environment still makes it an amazing natural material.
- halbritt 8y agoMarine lumber generally isn't selected for hardness. Generally speaking, rot resistance is the most desirable characteristic. Apparently greenheart is superior to most other wood in this regard. Teak has traditionally been used for this reason as well, but is getting expensive. Black locust is starting to become popular as well. Apparently greenheart is relatively rare and prone to exploding when milling, however.
- I_complete_me 8y agoI'm open to correction on this but as far as I recall, the timber used to support some of the buildings in Venice is alder -- a relatively weak wood but with good rot resistance.