Equilibrium Moisture Content of Wood Estimated Using the Climate Data of Japan

Abstract

The equilibrium moisture content of wood in Japan is considered to be 15% and is based on weather and experimental data of past years. With the increase of uninhabited weather observation points, weather data has increased over recent years. The objective of this paper was to investigate the recent values of equilibrium moisture content of wood using weather data from 1981 to 1995 for the entire area of Japan. Therefore, contour line maps were used to denote the equilibrium moisture content for the entire year in Japan. The average value of the equilibrium moisture content of Japan was 15%, and the numerical value range was 12-19%. This value did not change when compared with that reported previously. However, the average value of the equilibrium moisture content of wood changed to 13.5% when compared for the past year the same meteorological stations that had reported previously.