Wood choice for outdoor concrete top table?

i would say cedar or cypress…

-- as technology progresses, wood workers seem to regress...all my power tools and my favorite is a chisel and a hand plane

Really not many woods will hold up to that kind of weight year after year being outdoors in the elements. You’ll have to consider the fasteners, as well, if you plan to have any. Actually being under the concrete top will help some with staying dry, especially up under the top. One wood that comes to mind that would probably hold up for some time is ipe, but it would be pretty expensive.

White oak would be good for a few years. Mahogany would be good or teak, as well as most any of the softwoods. They would be most economical to replace when the structure begins to get rickety, and they can be surprisingly strong for their weight.

You could even make a composite look good. It would last a long time. How about making the whole thing, except for maybe the braces, out of concrete ? That would be a fun project.

If you can find black locust, it will last forever. Otherwise, cypress, white oak (NOT red), cedar are good domestics. Ipe, as mentioned, is a great exotic. There was an article in FWW, IIRC, that listed the various woods in order of outdoor longevity not too long ago. Also, you might find this article of interest. HTH

-- Art

wonder if some barn beams like southern yellow pine…pretty rot resistant and fairly strong

-- as technology progresses, wood workers seem to regress...all my power tools and my favorite is a chisel and a hand plane

I think ipe is out due to cost. at least from what i’m seeing, it looks like it would run $700-$1000 and i would have to ship.

seems like southern yellow pine, cypress, or white oak would work. anyone know of good sources for 6×6 and 4×4 posts/beams in the midwest?

I Used Douglas Fir and White Oak for two different outdoor tables, both were sealed with general finsh outdoor oil.
So far,both tables have survived 3 years in the harsh seasons in Idaho.
White Oak is very durable for outdoor use, it’s also cheaper than teak,ipe or other exotic woods.
The US Constitution (Old Ironside ) was constructed of white oak.