Gooperation marks monitoring of western lumber design values

for sample collection. This lumber sample represents the Douglas FirLarch lumber being produced for the marketplace. At the time of this writing, western lumber agencies are collecting samples (No. 2 grade Douglas Fir-Larch 2x4 lumber) for testing. The testing of Douglas Fir-Larch will be conducted according to applicable ASTM consensus standards and will be completed in the spring of 2012. The test data analysis will be performed by the cooperating western lumber agencies. The test results will then be reported to the ALSC board of review.

A GREAT oeel of attention has Ab."n focused on the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau's recent American Lumber Standard Committee proposal to reduce southern pine lumber design values. Western lumber producers have taken notice and affirmed their responsibility to ensure the products they sell can be used with confidence.

For the past year, western lumber rules writing and grading agencies have pursued a consensus approach to monitoring western lumber design values. A coalition of western agencies (Western Wood Products Association, West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau, Pacific Lumber Inspection B ureau, Redwood Inspection Services, and Timber Products Inspection) are working together on a monitoring program to sample and test western lumber species. According to Dr. Kevin Cheung, WWPA's chief engineer, participating agencies are shouldering equal responsibilities to insure the successful outcome of the design value monitoring program.

A Western Lumber Sampling and Testing Plan for Monitoring Western Lumber Design Values prepared by the coalition was reviewed by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory and approved by the American Lumber Standard Committee's board of review on October 20,2Ol l. The plan calls for destructive testing of lumber samples representative of production-360 lumber pieces in bending and 360 pieces in tension.

Working with statistical support from Portland State University, a total of 36 mills were randomly selected

Western agencies will review preliminary test results and discuss appropriate actions, if required, with their respective companies. WWPA staff will review preliminary test results and discuss appropriate actions, if any are needed, with WWPA membership at their spring 2Ol2 meeting in Portland, Or. The monitoring program is designed to detect any significant population shift in structural lumber properties impacting the published design values. Should the test results indicate a need for an expanded testing program, the lumber agencies will cooperate for additional sampling and testing in a timely manner.

Following the evaluation of Douglas Fir-Larch, other western species such as Hem-Fir and SPFs will be sampled and tested. This monitoring program will provide for periodic testing of western lumber in the future. The goal of the lumber monitoring program js to maintain customer confidence in the performance of westem lumber products.