The recent approval of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s (SPIB) new design values for visually graded Southern Pine lumber by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) Board of Review has generated more questions among producers and customer groups.
The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) facilitated a task group of industry leaders representing key customer groups to develop answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding new design values and their implementation. This new collection of questions and answers is now available at www.southernpine.com.
SPIB issued Supplement No.9 to the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber providing new design values effective June 1, 2012.
The only design values that will change on June 1 apply to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2 to 4-in-wide and 2 to 4-in-thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No.2 and lower grades (No.2, No.3, Stud, Construction, Standard and Utility).
What about dense and nondense lumber? What about prime lumber grades? What happens between now and June 1?
These are among the new questions answered in SFPA’s updated web pages. A helpful table is included listing the new design values for Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine, effective June 1, 2012.
Answers address transition issues, how to obtain similar load-carrying capabilities, and why only some grades and sizes are affected at this time. More than two-dozen questions are answered in this updated collection, including a supplemental set of questions with answers providing important background information on this issue.
“The effective date of June 1 allows for an orderly transition to the new design values,” says Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s senior director of engineered and framing markets. “These answers address the most common questions raised since the ALSC’s decision earlier this month,” she adds.
The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) continues to facilitate the dialog about new design values and their implementation. Between now and June 1, SFPA will provide more information as it becomes available; check www.southernpine.com frequently for updates. BD+C
Related Stories
| May 25, 2011
Developers push Manhattan office construction
Manhattan developers are planning the city's biggest decade of office construction since the 1980s, betting on rising demand for modern space even with tenants unsigned and the availability of financing more limited. More than 25 million sf of projects are under construction or may be built in the next nine years.
| May 25, 2011
Olympic site spurs green building movement in UK
London's environmentally friendly 2012 Olympic venues are fuelling a green building movement in Britain.
| May 25, 2011
TOTO tests universal design at the AIA conference
If you could be 80 years old for 30 minutes—and have to readjust everything you think you know about your own mobility—would you do it?
| May 20, 2011
Hotels taking bath out of the bathroom
Bathtubs are disappearing from many hotels across the country as chains use the freed-up space to install ever more luxurious showers, according to a recent USAToday report. Of course, we reported on this move--and 6 other hospitality trends--back in 2006 in our special report "The Inn Things: Seven Radical New Trends in Hotel Design."
| May 19, 2011
BD+C’s "40 Under 40" winners for 2011
The 40 individuals profiled here are some of the brightest stars in the AEC universe—and they’re under the age of 40. These young architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and developers stood out among a group of 164 outstanding entrants in our sixth annual “40 Under 40” competition.
| May 18, 2011
Sanford E. Garner on the profitability of being diverse
Sanford E. Garner, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP ND, NCARB, founding partner and president of A2SO4 Architecture, LLC, Indianapolis, on gentrification, the profitability of being diverse, and his goals as NOMA president.
| May 18, 2011
8 Tips for Designing Wood Trusses
Successful metal-plate-connected wood truss projects require careful attention to detail from Building Team members.
| May 18, 2011
Major Trends in University Residence Halls
They’re not ‘dorms’ anymore. Today’s collegiate housing facilities are lively, state-of-the-art, and green—and a growing sector for Building Teams to explore.
| May 18, 2011
Former Bronx railyard redeveloped as shared education campus
Four schools find strength in numbers at the new 2,310-student Mott Haven Campus in New York City. The schools—three high schools and a K-4 elementary school—coexist on the 6.5-acre South Bronx campus, which was once a railyard.
