ENHANCING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF RHIZOPHORA APICULATA THROUGH ENGINEERED LAMINATED BOARDS

According to Duke (2006), Rhizophora apiculata is a species of plant in the Rhizophoraceae family. The main agroforestry uses from this species are soil stabilization, coastal protection, wildlife/marine habitat for marine fauna and also as timber products which are fuelwood, charcoal, dyes, and traditional medicines (Alongi 2008; Mazda et al., 2007). On properties perception, wood density is a critical characteristic defining the mechanical properties of the wood and its performance with high wood density has been found to decrease vessel implosion by reducing the mechanical stresses associated with the negative pressure in the water column during drought (Santini et al., 2013). Mechanical Test The mechanical test was executed based on the standard specifications, American Standard Testing Method, Standard Test Methods for Mechanical Properties of Wood-based Structural Material, ASTM D 143-2 (Wahab et al., 2018b; Khalid et al., 2015; Anonymous 1974) with modification.