SPIB's Technical Committee Press Release
Originally published by: SBCA — July 23, 2012
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The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) issued a technical release regarding their Technical Committee meeting in Pensacola, Florida on July 18 and 19. The committee met to make recommendations on design values for Southern Pine dimension lumber.
As stated in the release (which can be viewed by clicking on the pdf link below),this committee provides technical advice to the SPIB Board of Governors which they incorporate into their decision making process. During this committee meeting the full in-grade design value matrix was reviewed.
Further, the release stated:
“Though the analysis is still ongoing, it appears that the wider widths and higher grades of lumber will not see the same depth of reduction in design values as the 2x4 No.2. Some of the higher grades maintained the stiffness values and showed a possible increase in tension values of 3 percent. All of the grades and sizes tested indicate a reduction in bending values of 15 - 25 percent. Compression parallel to grain may be reduced by 10 percent.
The Technical Committee made the following recommendations:
- The complete design value matrix be moved to the SPIB Board of Governors fraction.
- Based upon analysis of specific gravity data on full size pieces the committee recommended no changes to the current value of 0.55
- The properties of Prime grades were evaluated to assess the need for dedicated design values. The committee recommended that No.1 and No.2
Prime retain the same design values as the common grades.
- The committee recommended that increased values for Dense be derived using the grade model as the basis for referenced design value determination.
The next milestone will be review of design values by the SPIB Board of Governors in late August. If the Board of Governors approve new design values the approved changes will be sent to the American Lumber Standard Committee Board of Review for their review. The ALSC BOR meets next in October 2012.”