SPIB Withdraws SYP Design Value Recommendations
Originally published by: NAHB — October 22, 2012
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In a letter submitted to the American Lumber Standard Committee’s (ALSC) Board of Review on Oct. 17, the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) announced it was withdrawing its submission of proposed lumber design values for the remaining grades and species of visually-graded Southern Pine lumber. The proposed design values were to be considered at an Oct. 18 meeting of the Board of Review. The withdrawal comes in response to comments from the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), which acts as a technical advisor to the Board of Review.
SPIB’s submission had proposed changes in lumber design values for Southern Pine of approximately -15% to 25% for bending, -10% for compression parallel to grain, -150 psi to an increase of 50 psi for tension and -100,000 psi to no change for modulus of elasticity.
SPIB requested additional time to review and respond to FPL’s comments, and to meet with FPL staff as necessary to resolve any outstanding issues. While both SPIB and the Board of Review expressed a desire to move expeditiously, it is unlikely a revised submission would be prepared until late in 2012. The Board of Review has not announced its schedule for the upcoming year, but NAHB does not anticipate another meeting until at least January 2013.
During the Oct. 18 Board of Review meeting, grading agencies for the other major species groups (Spruce-Pine-Fir, Douglas Fir-Larch and Hem-Fir) provided updates on the sampling and testing programs for their respective species. Data from annual monitoring of Canadian sources of Spruce-Pine-Fir and from testing of Douglas Fir-Larch have been provided to the Board of Review and suggest no changes necessary at this time to the lumber design values for those species. Testing of Spruce-Pine-Fir from U.S. sources and of Hem-Fir is ongoing, with completion expected in early 2013.
