Nā Paʻi Balsa maikaʻi mai ʻEkuador
ʻO Ochroma Pyramidale, i ʻike nui ʻia ʻo ka lāʻau balsa, he kumulāʻau nui a wikiwiki hoʻi i ka ʻAmelika. ʻO ia wale nō ka lālā o ka genus Ochroma. ʻO ka inoa balsa mai ka ʻōlelo Sepania no "raft".
ʻO kahi angiosperm deciduous, ʻo Ochroma pyramidale hiki ke ulu a hiki i 30m ke kiʻekiʻe, a ua helu ʻia ʻo ia he lāʻau paʻakikī ʻoiai ʻo ka lāʻau ponoʻī he palupalu loa; ʻo ia ka lāʻau pāʻoihana palupalu loa a hoʻohana nui ʻia no ka mea he māmā ke kaumaha.
Hiki ke hoʻopili ʻia ʻo Balsa Strips i loko o nā poloka balsa i hoʻohana ʻia i nā ʻili turbine makani ma ke ʻano he kumu kumu.
Hoʻohana pinepine ʻia ka lāʻau Balsa ma ke ʻano he kumu kumu i nā mea hoʻohui; no ka laʻana, ʻo ka balsa kekahi hapa o ka nui o nā turbine makani. ʻO ka balsa end-grain he mea uʻi no nā ʻili makani no ka mea he maʻalahi a paʻakikī hoʻi e hāʻawi i ka ikaika ʻoi aʻe ma mua o nā huʻa, he ʻano pono i ka ʻāpana kumu cylindrical koʻikoʻi o ka maka. Hoʻokiʻoki ʻia ke kumu lāʻau Balsa i nā ana kikoʻī, kiʻi ʻia a i ʻole kerfed (ma ka lōʻihi a me ka laula, e like me ka hōʻike ʻana, no nā ʻōkuhi hui) a laila hōʻailona ʻia a hōʻuluʻulu ʻia e nā mea hoʻolako kumu i nā pahu.
ʻO 40% wale nō o ka nui o kahi ʻāpana balsa he mea paʻa. ʻO ke kumu e hiki ai iā ia ke kū kiʻekiʻe a ikaika i loko o ka ululāʻau, ʻo ia ka hoʻopiha maoli ʻana i ka wai nui, e like me ka huila piha i ka ea. Ke hana ʻia ka balsa, hoʻokomo ʻia ka lāʻau i loko o kahi kiln a mālama ʻia ma laila no ʻelua pule e wehe i nā wai keu. Hana ʻia nā ʻūhā makani makani me ka lāʻau balsa i hoʻopaʻa ʻia ma waena o ʻelua mau ʻāpana fiberglass. No ka hana pāʻoihana, hoʻomaloʻo ʻia ka wahie ma kahi o ʻelua pule, e waiho ana i nā keʻena he hakahaka a nele. ʻO ka lakio nui o ka leo-a-ili o ka hopena o ka paia lahilahi, nā keʻena hakahaka e hāʻawi i ka lāʻau maloʻo i ka lākiō ikaika-a-kaumaha nui no ka mea he ea ka nui o nā cell.
