---
title: "Commercial products of timber"
subject: "Civil Engineering Materials"
chapter: 7
key: "semester_3/civil_engineering_materials:commercial-products-of-timber"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/commercial-products-of-timber
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Commercial products of timber

Civil Engineering Materials · Chapter 7: Timber

- Asked in: 2080 Baisakh, 2 marks; 2078 Kartik, 2 marks; 2074 Chaitra, 1 marks (asked 3 times)
- Video: [Timber and wood product suite: Base products](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZwW_qflswg) — WoodSolutions Campus
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/commercial-products-of-timber
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/chapter-7

## Question

List out the commercial products (forms) of timber available in the market.

## Short answer

Market forms include logs, baulks, planks, boards, battens, scantlings, and poles. Engineered products such as veneers, plywood, fibreboard, particle board, block board, laminated board, and MDF are also common.

## Answer

Timber is sold in the market in the following forms:

1. **Logs:** felled, trimmed trunks of trees, with branches removed.
2. **Baulk:** log roughly squared by axe or saw, with sides larger than about 200 mm.
3. **Plank:** sawn timber 50-150 mm thick and more than 100 mm wide.
4. **Board:** sawn timber with thickness less than 50 mm and width over 100 mm.
5. **Battens:** sawn pieces up to 50 mm thick and 50-200 mm wide.
6. **Scantling:** sawn pieces of small square cross-section, with sides of about 50-150 mm.
7. **Poles/Posts:** round, slender trunks used for scaffolding and electric lines.
8. **Veneers:** thin sheets of 0.4 to 6 mm cut by peeling/slicing.
9. **Plywood:** layers of veneer glued with grains at right angles.
10. **Fibre board, particle board (chipboard), block board, laminated board, hardboard, and MDF.**
11. **Sawdust, wood wool, bark and cork** as by-products.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Sawn timber more than 100 mm wide and 50-150 mm thick is called a
   A. Board
   B. Batten
   C. Veneer
   D. Plank
   Answer: D. Planks are 50-150 mm thick. (Key point: Plank vs board)

2. Plywood is made of
   A. Veneers glued with grains at right angles
   B. Wood chips pressed in resin
   C. Strips of solid wood only
   D. Bark and cork
   Answer: A. Plywood uses crossed veneers. (Key point: Plywood)

3. Veneers are
   A. Squared logs
   B. Thin sheets 0.4 to 6 mm cut by peeling or slicing
   C. Sawn pieces 50 mm thick
   D. Round poles
   Answer: B. Veneers are thin sheets. (Key point: Veneers)

4. A baulk is
   A. A thin board
   B. A thin sheet
   C. A log roughly squared with sides over about 200 mm
   D. A round slender post
   Answer: C. Baulk is squared log. (Key point: Baulk)

## Related in Civil Engineering Materials

- [Commercial products of metal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Acommercial-products-of-metal) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 8, asked 3×
- [Gypsum products and applications](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Agypsum-products) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 10, asked 3×
- [Distemper forms and preparation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Adistemper-forms-preparation) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 9

## Related in other subjects

- [Market study and customer feedback](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fentrepreneurship_development%3Amarket-study-feedback) — Entrepreneurship Development, chapter 2
- [Forms of soil moisture with diagram](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Asoil-moisture-forms-diagram) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 2
- [In-plane and out-of-plane behaviour of masonry walls](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fdesign_of_timber_and_masonry_structures%3Ain-plane-out-of-plane-behavior) — Design of Timber and Masonry Structures, chapter 6
- [Out-of-plane bending of a masonry wall](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fdesign_of_timber_and_masonry_structures%3Aout-of-plane-wall-flexure-check) — Design of Timber and Masonry Structures, chapter 6