Excerpt from A Treatise Of Iron And Steel, Vol. 2: Materials Of Engineering

1. Comparison with other Materials of Construction. - As has already been seen, the stones, both natural and artificial, have but limited application in mechanical engineering. While their hardness, density, infusibility, and especially their immunity from injury by oxidation, are all valuable qualities, which fit them peculiarly for use in foundations, in architectural constructions, and in positions where compressive stresses and the action of natural destructive agencies only are to be encountered, their comparatively slight tensile strength, the impossibility of making strong joints, and their deficiency in elasticity and resilience, render them totally useless for the majority of the constructions of the engineer.

The several kinds of timber have a wider range of application, and those most used unite great strength with lightness, and are easily worked. There are many kinds of structures, in which wood, therefore, may be used with advantage, and it is not unusual to construct, in timber, framing which is intended to resist considerable forces. In bridge and roof construction, large quantities of timber are employed, vast quantities are used in house-carpentry, and, on account of its lightness, cleanliness, and the ease with which it can be shaped, it is the only material used by the joiner and the cabinet-maker.

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