Wood is one of the oldest natural materials used by mankind. People firstly used wood to build shelter, cook food, make tools, build boats, and make weapons. As the human population increased and science and technology developed, the use and value of wood increased as well. Today, wood is used as a massive material and also in the production of thousands of products by processing mechanically, chemically and biologically.

The fact that it is found in many parts of the world, can be used for many different purposes, can be processed easily, is aesthetically pleasing and renewable, has allowed wood to be accepted as a unique material by all civilizations for a long time.

Wood has been used as a building material for centuries all over the world. There may be some restrictions in the use areas due to its undesirable properties such as being affected by moisture and changing in size, burning, being destroyed by fungi, insects and termites, and being damaged by ultraviolet rays. However, these adverse properties can be eliminated or reduced by several techniques.

In today's world, where environmental awareness, sustainability principle, recycling, earthquake resistance, energy consumption and carbon sequestration are of great importance, the value of wood has come to the fore. Wood is a recyclable, renewable and biodegradable material. The properties of wood can vary between tree species, between habitats and even within the trunk of a single tree. The properties of wood also vary depending on the direction. In order to take complete advantage of wood and to obtain new products, its chemical, anatomical, physical and mechanical properties must be understood well.

The purpose of this handbook is to give the necessary essential technical information on wood and wood-based materials as building material. I would like to express my gratitude to the chapter authors who are experts in their study subjects for the time and effort they have spent in the preparation of the book, and I hope that this book will be useful to Forest Industrial Engineers, Forest Engineers, Architects, Interior Architects, Civil Engineers and anyone dealing with wood.

 Prof. Dr. Turgay AKBULUT