WoodTimber85.33 board feet

8x8x16 — Weight and Board Feet

A 8x8 cut to 16 ft: 85.33 board feet of nominal section, and 5.8403 cubic feet of actual material to carry. Weight depends on the species, so it is tabulated below.

Quick specification8x8x16

Nominal size8 × 8 in
Actual size (dry)7.25 × 7.25 in (184.15 × 184.15 mm)
Length16 ft (192 in)
Board feet85.33 bd ft
Actual volume5.8403 ft³
Weight (Spruce (Sitka))156.78 lb (71.11 kg)
Weight per foot9.799 lb/ft

Board feet is a nominal-section convention; volume and weight use the actual section. The two are not interchangeable and are not meant to agree.

Weight by speciesall species in the database, lightest first

Wood database
SpeciesDensity8x8x16 weight
Balsa0.16 g/cm³58.34 lb · 26.46 kg
Cedar (Western Red)0.37 g/cm³134.9 lb · 61.19 kg
Poplar (Yellow)0.42 g/cm³153.13 lb · 69.46 kg
Basswood0.42 g/cm³153.13 lb · 69.46 kg
Redwood0.42 g/cm³153.13 lb · 69.46 kg
Spruce (Sitka)0.43 g/cm³156.78 lb · 71.11 kg
Cedar (Eastern Red)0.47 g/cm³171.36 lb · 77.73 kg
Hemlock (Western)0.47 g/cm³171.36 lb · 77.73 kg
Cypress (Bald)0.48 g/cm³175.01 lb · 79.38 kg
Fir (Douglas)0.53 g/cm³193.24 lb · 87.65 kg
Pine (Southern Yellow)0.55 g/cm³200.53 lb · 90.96 kg
Mahogany (Honduran)0.55 g/cm³200.53 lb · 90.96 kg
Cherry (Black)0.56 g/cm³204.17 lb · 92.61 kg
Larch0.58 g/cm³211.47 lb · 95.92 kg
Teak0.63 g/cm³229.7 lb · 104.19 kg
OSB (Oriented Strand Board)0.65 g/cm³236.99 lb · 107.5 kg
Walnut (Black)0.66 g/cm³240.63 lb · 109.15 kg
Ash (White)0.67 g/cm³244.28 lb · 110.8 kg
Birch Plywood0.68 g/cm³247.93 lb · 112.46 kg
Birch (Yellow Birch)0.69 g/cm³251.57 lb · 114.11 kg
Bamboo0.7 g/cm³255.22 lb · 115.77 kg
Maple (Hard Maple)0.705 g/cm³257.04 lb · 116.59 kg
Beech (American)0.72 g/cm³262.51 lb · 119.07 kg
Oak0.75 g/cm³273.45 lb · 124.03 kg
MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)0.75 g/cm³273.45 lb · 124.03 kg
Hickory0.82 g/cm³298.97 lb · 135.61 kg
Rosewood (East Indian)0.85 g/cm³309.91 lb · 140.57 kg
Ipe1 g/cm³364.6 lb · 165.38 kg

Weights are derived, not quoted: density at about 12% moisture content × actual volume. Treat them as a floor — green stock stays heavier until it dries. The spread across species is roughly six to one, so a freight or support estimate that assumes one figure for “a 8x8” can be wrong by a large margin.

Board feet explainedhow 85.33 bd ft is arrived at

A board foot is 144 cubic inches of nominal section — a board an inch thick, a foot wide and a foot long. Lumber is bought and sold on that basis, so the calculation uses the nominal thickness and width rather than the dressed ones:

(8 × 8 × 16 × 12) ÷ 144 = 85.33 board feet

The rated price therefore covers more wood than is delivered, which is the long-standing convention rather than an error. The actual volume of material in the same piece is 5.8403 cubic feet.

Lengthhow 16 ft compares with the rest of the table

LengthBoard feetActual volumeWeight (Spruce (Sitka))
8x8x6322.1901 ft³58.79 lb
8x8x842.672.9201 ft³78.39 lb
8x8x1053.333.6502 ft³97.99 lb
8x8x12644.3802 ft³117.58 lb
8x8x1474.675.1102 ft³137.18 lb
8x8x1685.335.8403 ft³156.78 lb

Frequently asked questionsabout a 8x8x16

How much does a 8x8x16 weigh?

In Spruce (Sitka), about 156.78 lb (71.11 kg). Across the species in this database it ranges from 58.34 lb in Balsa to 364.6 lb in Ipe.

How many board feet is a 8x8x16?

85.33 board feet, calculated from the nominal section: (8 × 8 × 192) ÷ 144.

What are the actual dimensions of a 8x8x16?

7.25 × 7.25 inches in section, 16 ft long — 184.15 × 184.15 millimetres by 16 feet. The nominal 8 × 8 inch call size is the rough green section.