The growth stresses of trees can be evaluated by means of the analysis of the end splitting on green and dry boards. Thus, this work aimed to study the evolution of the splitting length during the process of natural drying in the sawn wood of 24-year-old Liquidambar styraciflua, as a function of different diameter classes (upper, middle and lower) and two vertical positions along the stem commercial height. According to the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that the end splitting on green and dry boards was influenced only by the diameter class, where the upper class presented the greatest length of splitting while the lower class showed the smallest length. A strong relationship between the end splitting of dry board and green board was verified.
sawn wood; growth stresses; splitting