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What Is Ekki?

Ekki is a timber that grows in the tropics, particularly in the rainforests of West Africa. Also known as Azobe, the trees are fairly large, reaching heights of between 100-150 feet on average (that’s up to 45m tall), and with a trunk diameter of 5-6 feet. Because of its large size, the timber is available in bigger cuts, which is perfect if you need sizeable beams such as longitudinal railway sleepers or beach groyne posts for sea defence. The sapwood of Ekki is a vibrant pink whilst the surrounding heartwood has a dark red/brown hue with a beautiful grain, making it a popular choice for projects with an aesthetic purpose.

Why Choose Ekki?

Ekki is one of the most durable (durability class 1), strong timber species available. It is incredibly dense and hard, withstanding a lot of wear and tear without budging. In fact, it is so dense (1.2ton/m3) that if you place Ekki in water, it will sink.

Generally, Ekki is considered one of the strongest timbers in the world. With interlocking grains, it is less prone to splitting than other woods, and is naturally resistant to fungal or insect infestations and rot, making it also a favourite choice as fendering for ports, marinas and harbours.

Natural characteristics include:

  • Crushing Strength @ 96 MPa
  • Static Bending Strength @ 162 MPa
  • Modulus of Elasticity @ 21420 MPa

For more details, please download the CIRAD technical sheet below:

Sawn standard sizes for quick delivery include:

(mm) 50 100 150 200 250 300
40 x x x x
50 x x x x x
60 x x x x x
80 x x x
100 x x x x x
150 x x x x x
200 x x x x x
300 x

Main Uses of Ekki

We provide Ekki to our clients for a wide variety of applications. Because of its durability, it is a We provide Ekki to our clients for a wide variety of applications. Because of its durability, it is a popular choice for external projects, such as decking. Its resistance to rot and marine borers makes it suitable for marine uses also. We provided Ekki for the construction of Hastings Pier and for Bournemouth Sea Defences.

Other uses include:

  • Railway sleepers
  • Lock gates
  • Bridges
  • Jacking timbers
  • Boat building
  • Fenders

Sustainably Sourced Ekki

All our Ekki is sustainably sourced from FSC-certified forests. These areas of woodland and rainforest are protected by strict rules and regulations, preventing deforestation and allowing all species in the area to continue thriving. Responsibly managed timber felling is better for everyone, supporting local communities and working towards a better environment for the entire planet.

Ekki For Civil and Marine Projects

When providing Ekki for civil and marine projects, we can source lengths up to 10M+, depending on stock levels. This timber can be sawn, planed, drilled and chamfered, direct from our partner sawmills in Europe for quick delivery. For longer lead-time projects, we can also deliver the timber directly from Africa at a significant cost saving.

If you are interested in learning more about the suitability of Ekki for your project, or you would like to get started on an order, feel free to get in touch with our timber team and we will be more than happy to help.

Ekki beams

Ekki decking

Ekki related insights

5 things you didn’t know about Ekki

5 things you didn’t know about Ekki

Ekki is a naturally durable timber that’s amongst the hardest species on the planet. Subsequently it is the ideal material for use across a multitude of applications looking for a very long service life durability.

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Using timber for piers

Using timber for piers

EcoChoice have a had strong presence in the marine construction industry for many years, and in particular we have specialist experience in delivering timber components to piers, pontoons and marinas. In this article we look at the type of timber that we use for piers, why we use it, and look at two of the piers that we have helped with in recent years – Southend Pier and Hastings Pier.

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Why use Ekki timber?

Why use Ekki timber?

Ekki is one of the main species of timber that we sell here at EcoChoice. In this article we explain what Ekki is, look at the key benefits of using it and why it is so popular, and look at some of its main uses.

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