Cord (unit)
The cord is a unit of measure of dry volume used in Canada and the United States to measure firewood and pulpwood. One cord, also commonly called a full cord or bush cord, is defined as 128 cubic feet (3.62 m3), [1], corresponding to a woodpile 4 feet wide × 4 feet high × 8 feet long. In Canada it is legally defined by Measurement Canada.[2] In the United States, the cord is defined by statute in most states. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 130, section 2.4.1.2 [3] defines a cord and provides uniform regulations related to the sale of fireplace and stove wood. In the metric system, wood is usually measured in steres or cubic metres: 1 stere = 1 m³ ≈ 0.276 cords.
Other non-legal definitions of firewood volume include standing cord, kitchen cord, running cord, face cord, fencing cord, country cord, long cord, and rick. A face cord is defined as 1/3 of a full cord. It is therefore typically a pile of stacked wood with logs (split or unsplit) 16 inches in depth x 4 feet high x 8 feet long. According to the Weights and Measures Act in Canada, the only true definable cord is a full cord and all other fractions thereof.
The name "cord" probably comes from the use of a cord or string to measure it.[4]
References
- ^ British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range. "Glossary of Forestry Terms in British Columbia" (.PDF). Retrieved 2008-09-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Measurement Canada (2006). "Buying Firewood? Don't Get Burned".
- ^ NIST, Weights and Measures Division (2006). "Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality". NIST Handbook 130 - 2006 Edition. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Oxford English Dictionary