Now Effective: New SP Design Values

Effective June l, it's important for lumber dealers to understand that some-not all-grades and sizes of visually graded southern pine now have new design values. Earlier this year, American Lumber Standard Committee's Board of Review approved the design values changes submitted by the grading rules-writing agency, the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau.

The only design values that changed on June I apply to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2" to 4" wide and 2" to 4" thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No. 2 and lower grades (No. 2, No. 3, Stud, Construction, Standard and Utility). This also includes new design values for No. 2 Dense and No. 2 NonDense Southern Pine.

Design values for all other grades and sizes of visually graded southern pine remain the same, pending results of testing scheduled for completion later this year. As a result, SPIB issued Supplement No. 9 to the2O02 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber providing the new design values, effective June 1, 2012. The new values represent a 25Vo to 307o reduction in load-carrying capacity.

The last major change for visually graded dimension lumber occurred in 1991, when design values for southern pine and other North American species were published based on in-grade testing of full-size samples of commercially produced lumber. Since 1994, SPIB has conducted an annual resource monitoring program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory. SPIB is the first rules-writing agency to publish new design values reflecting these changes. Rules-writing agencies responsible for other species are in different stages for evaluating design values.

Dealers have options

Lumber dealers need to understand that, in spite of the lower design values now in effect, options exist for using southern pine materials. One option is to specify that a customer use a larger size and/or higher grade of visually graded southern pine lumber. Another option is to use machine stress rated lumber and mechanically evaluated lumber. Those in the building supply chain also need to understand that design values for mechanically graded lumber, timbers and specialty items did not change. For all products, sources of supply can be found within SFPA's online Product Locator at www.southernpine.com.

What about codes?

New design values are incorporated into the building codes by reference through the National Design Specification (NDS). The American Wood Council (AWC) has issued an addendum to its Design Values for Wood Construction, a supplement to the NDS, referencing the new southern pine values. AWC is submitting new span and application tables to the International Codes Council, as well as proposing other code and standard changes needed to incorporate new design values into the building codes.

State and local code jurisdictions determine adoption and enforcement timelines. Rules-writing agencies are responsible for making new design values publicly available upon approval by the ALSC Board of Review. SFPA and AWC are actively assisting these efforts by providing the new information to the design, specification, user and enforcement communities. It is then the responsibility of building code jurisdictions to determine how and when to begin enforcement.

Lmportant Next Steps

Throughout the transition period and moving forward, SFPA has continued to provide more information as it becomes available. Check southernpine.com frequently for updates. Dealers will find many of their questions answered by reviewing a comprehensive set of Q&A on the site; visit the page tagged New Design Values.

"Since last fall. SFPA has worked closely with organizations representing lumber dealers to keep them informed of the market implications these changes might have," says Cathy Kaake, SFPA's senior director of engineered and framing markets. "The intent of the sixmonth transition period was to allow the marketplace time to begin to use the new design values or switch to other southern pine grades or sizes meeting strength and stiffness requirements."

SFPA does not test lumber or establish design values. Its primary function is to market lumber products and to help users understand SP grading rules and design values.

Moving forward, the southern pine industry will fill out the full ingrade testing matrix, sampling Select Structural 2x4s, No. 2 and Select Structural 2x8s, and No.2 and Select Structural 2x10s. SPIB and Timber Products will conduct destructive tests in bending, tension and compression, plus gather stiffness and property data. Following this in-grade reassessment, southern pine will continue to be annually monitored with destructive tests.

Southern pine's strength remains comparable to other softwood species used in residential and commercial construction. "The strength and superior treatability of southem pine lumber against decay and termites continues to provide a great value for manufacturers, designers, builders and consumers." Kaake notes. "The extensive testing protocols used assure that everyone involved in the specification, sale and use of our products has the most current information about how southern pine lumber can be used confidently and economically.

"Component manufacturers, treaters and design-build professionals have many southern pine product options available to them. These customers can achieve the required product performance by identifying a particular design value, choosing from a number of visual grade selections, or specifying their choice of mechanically graded lumber."

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