Western Softwood Species &Grades
WesternSoftwoodSpecies&Grades
Western Softwoods2Western TimberlandsTimber GradesThe western United States is avast wonderland of sweepinggrasslands, craggy mountains,coastal temperate rainforests, inlandforests, high desert plateaus, ragingwhite waters, pristine lakes andenormous rivers.It is also home to some ofthe most abundant and belovedpublic, private, industrial andnon-industrial timberlands in theworld. Millions of acres are setaside in perpetuity, permanentlyprotected from commercial use.On private and public landswhere timber production is amongthe shared values assigned to aforested area, harvesting is governed by county, state and federalU.S. environmental and landmanagement laws. In addition,the timber basket states of Oregon,Washington, California and Idahoare governed by some of thetoughest State Forest PracticesActs and Best ManagementPractices (laws), with the highestcompliance levels, of any timbergrowing region on the planet.These laws protect habitatfor threatened and endangeredspecies, watersheds, soils, ecosystem health and diversity,and require reforestation in sitespecific species within specifiedperiods of time (within one yearin Oregon and within three yearsin the other states).More than 21 commerciallyimportant softwood species arenative to the West. Among others,these include: Douglas fir (OregonPine) and Western Larch, WesternHemlock which is often marketedalong with several of the truefirs (Abies species) as Hem-Fir,Ponderosa and Lodgepole pines,Sugar pine, Idaho (or Western)White pine, four species of cedar(Incense, Western Red, PortOrford, and Alaskan Yellow),California redwood, andEngelmann and Sitka spruces.Only a few are shown in thisbrochure.Western species are manufacturedinto hundreds of timber productsmarketed according to specificallydefined timber grades. The rulesfor these grades have evolved overnearly a century for conveniencein referencing specific productsand to provide buyers, sellers,and specifiers with a dependablemeasure for determining timberquality. Species and grades maybe grouped, according to intendedend uses, into several broadcategories: Structural timber is gradedfor its load-bearing and loadcarrying capacity in framing andconstruction applications. Speciesgroupings simplify design. Pleaserefer to page 6. Appearance timber is gradedfor its visual characteristics, withthe highest grades reserved fortimber that is virtually clear, free ofcharacteristics and defects. Speciesare often marketed individually orin specific combinations. Pleaserefer to page 14. Factory and Shop timber isgraded for its suitability to bere-cut and further manufacturedinto doors, windows, furniture andother products. Criteria for thesegrades are determined by thepercentage of clear “cuttings”recoverable from the graded piece.Please refer to page 22. California redwood grades arespecific to the naturally durablespecies, Sequoia sempervirens,a commercially grown speciesof redwood native to northernCalifornia and southern Oregon.Redwood timber grades are basedon appearance and durability.Please refer to page 30. Special Export grades areavailable. Many manufacturersprovide timber products in thegrades and sizes determinedby the requirements of individualdestination countries. All of thegrades shown in this publicationare widely traded in the international marketplace. Other exportgrades are available throughbuyer-seller agreements.In the early days of woodproducts, independent gradingagencies developed grades forthe species in their regions. Asmodern construction practicesand building codes began torequire greater standardizationin all building materials, structuraltimber products were standardizedfor grade and size under theNational Grading Rule forDimension Lumber and groupedinto species combinations inthe early 1970s. However, thenon-structural timber products inspecialty and appearance-gradeproducts remain characterized bya variety of regionally oriented,species-specific grades maintainedby accredited grading agencies.Member Grading AgenciesThis publication offers a representative sampling of western softwood grades provided by themember agencies of the SoftwoodExport Council (SEC): Pacific Lumber InspectionBureau (PLIB), Redwood Inspection Service(RIS), a division of theCalifornia RedwoodAssociation (CRA), West Coast Lumber InspectionBureau (WCLIB), and Western Wood ProductsAssociation (WWPA).All of these agencies areaccredited by the AmericanLumber Standard Committee,Inc. (ALSC), under the U.S.Department of Commerce.RIS, WCLIB and WWPA areaccredited rules-writing agenciesand represent three, of only six,agencies in the U.S. whosegrading rules are certified asconforming to the AmericanSoftwood Lumber Standard PS-20.This U.S. product standardprovides a mechanism for timberto be of the size, grade and designvalues indicated by its labelling.
Operating since 1903, the PacificLumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB), isa private, non-profit timber qualitycontrol inspection bureau. It isperhaps best known for its gradingrules, Export “R” List Grading andDressing Rules for West CoastSoftwood Lumber, one of the oldestand most widely used referencesin international softwood trading.PLIB provides grading andinspection services in accordancewith contract specificationsbetween buyers and sellers to over40 softwood timber manufacturersand remanufacturers in westernOregon, Washington, and in thesouthern interior of BritishColumbia, Canada.PLIB is approved by both theALSC and the Canadian LumberStandards Accreditation Board toprovide mill supervisory servicesunder the NGR, RIS, WCLIB,WWPA and NLGA rules as wellas to supervise glued andmachine-graded timber.CaliforniaRedwoodAssociationRedwood grading rules, theStandard Specifications for Gradesof California Redwood Lumber, aredeveloped and published by theRedwood Inspection Service (RIS).This inspection agency is ALSCapproved to provide mill supervisory services under the NGR,its own, and the WCLIB andWWPA grading rules and tosupervise machine-graded timber.RIS is the grading and inspection services division of theCalifornia Redwood Association(CRA) which, at the age of 80,is one of the oldest, privatenon-profit trade associationsin the forest products industry.CRA’s primary responsibility isto maintain the integrity and highquality of RIS redwood grades.In addition, CRA promotes the useof redwood timber products andprovides technical informationand support services to redwoodmanufacturers, architecturalspecifiers and builders.The birth of the West CoastLumber Inspection Bureau (WCLIB)can be traced to 1911 when fournorthwest associations joinedtogether to form the West CoastLumberman’s Association. Fortyyears later, the grading servicesdivision was established as anindependent subsidiary of theWCLA, and in 1968, the WestCoast Lumber InspectionBureau was incorporated as anindependent organization. TheWCLIB currently provides servicesto more than 110 saw mills andremanufacturers located primarilythroughout the northwesternU.S. In addition to its primaryobjective to develop and maintainuniform timber grading standardsthrough publication of the StandardGrading Rules for West CoastLumber, WCLIB provides gradingsupervision services, reinspectionand transient inspection services,grader training services, andgeneral and technical productsupport services. WCLIB isapproved under ALSC and theCanadian Lumber StandardsAccreditation Board to providemill supervisory services underthe NGR, its own, and RIS, NLGAand WWPA rules as well as tosupervise glued and machinegraded timber.With one of its predecessororganizations dating back to1906, Western Wood ProductsAssociation (WWPA) is amongthe oldest and largest private, nonprofit timber trade associations inthe world, representing more than130 sawmills in the 12 contiguouswestern states and Alaska. Inaddition to its most importantfunction in quality control as acertified rules-writing, gradingand inspection agency, WWPAprovides economic analysis,technical support to membermanufacturers, product supportservices and information toengineers, architects and builders,and business information servicesfor the industry.WWPA is approved underALSC and the Canadian LumberStandards Accreditation Board toprovide mill supervisory servicesunder the NGR, its own, and RIS,NLGA and WCLIB rules as well asto supervise glued and machinegraded timber.Grading AgenciesAll four agencies are certifiedto provide grading and inspectionservices for structural productsunder the National Grading Rulefor Dimension Lumber (NGR).PLIB, WCLIB and WWPA arealso accredited by the CanadianLumber Standards AccreditationBoard to provide gradinginspection services under theStandard Grading Rules forCanadian Lumber published bythe National Lumber GradesAuthority (NLGA) of Canada.The member companiesof the SEC member gradingagencies manufacture and shipapproximately 85% of the totalsoftwood timber productionfrom the western region.Contact InformationThe Softwood Export Councilmay be contacted at any timefor information on its memberorganizations and/or the productsof their member companies.Please refer to the SEC website:http://www.softwood.org for details.Note: Metric measures throughout this text aresoft conversions of actual U.S. sizes. Nominalsizes, such as 2x4, 2x8, etc. are usedas names and have not beenconverted into metrics units. 1999, 2004 SEC3
ServicesServices forInternational Customers4SEC member grading agenciesare industry leaders in providingspecial services for the internationalcustomers of its member companiesand their products.These agencies are approved bythe U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) Animal & Plant HealthInspection Service (APHIS) to issueHeat Treatment Certification Usinga Kiln Facility as well as Certificatesof Debarking and Grub HoleControl, as required by EU andother countries.Upon request, they will provideInspection Certificates that attestto the accuracy of the grades andtallies shipped by their membercompanies. If any disagreementshould arise, all SEC membergrading agencies are able to provideReinspection Services anywherein the world to resolve disputes.Certificates of Kiln Dryingcertifying a moisture content ofless than 20% are also available.In addition, these agencies areapproved to prepare documentationfor individual companies in preparation for acquisition of the USDAPhytosanitary Certificates that arerequired by specific destinationcountries.All four agencies are accreditedby ALSC to supervise NGR-basedgrading and grade marking serviceson structural products for Japan.Under the Japanese Ministry ofConstruction, these SEC agenciesare approved to provide gradestamping services for machinestress-rated timber as well as forvisually graded structural dimension timber.The Japanese governmentfurther allows WWPA to providegrading supervision services inthose WWPA-JAS mills certified touse the JAS grade mark on structural products to be shippeddirectly to Japanese constructionsites.1. AgencyCertificationMark2. Mill IdentificationName or Number3. GradeDesignation4. SpeciesIdentificationGrade StampsWhile appearance-grade productsare sometimes grade stamped onthe back or ends, grade marks forappearance products do not haveto be stamped directly onto thetimber. This avoids marring thebeauty of the wood. However, theinformation revealed by a gradestamp is still required for commerce and, as such, is includedin written documentation thataccompanies a shipment.Grade-stamping requirementsfor structural timber are different.Structural grades have assigneddesign values for use in engineeringand construction. Design valuesare numerical indications ofstrength and performanceproperties, derived according torigorous testing protocols thattestify to a grade’s appropriatenessfor particular applications. Thus,building codes and other regulatoryentities that oversee design andconstruction require structuraltimber products be clearly gradestamped with an approvedregistered mark.Most grade stamps, exceptthose for heavy members 127 mmx 127 mm and larger, contain thefollowing five basic elements:5. Moisture Content& How Seasoned1. Certification MarkThe grading agency’s registeredmark. Attests to quality controlsupervision.2. Mill IdentificationReveals the manufacturing mill’sidentity. It may be a name orassigned mill number. Gradingagencies may be contacted toidentify an individual millwhenever necessary.3. Grade DesignationGrade name, number orabbreviation.4. Species IdentificationIndicates species by individualspecies or species combination.5. Moisture Content &How SeasonedIndicates the moisture content/condition of seasoning whentimber was surfaced at the mill(KD indicates kiln dried):MC15 or KD15 --- 15%maximum moisture contentS-DRY or KD --- 19%maximum moisture contentS-GRN --- over 19%moisture content (unseasoned)
Natural Characteristics& ManufacturingImperfectionsGrades are determined by thenatural characteristics of the logand any manufacturing imperfections that may occur during timberprocessing. Log characteristics willappear in a given piece of timberand affect its strength, stiffness andappearance. Manufacturing imperfections may also affect grade.Grades are determined by complexsets of criteria that consider thetype, size, closeness, frequencyand location of all characteristicsand imperfections within a piece.Natural characteristics andimperfections are evaluated inseveral ways: Timber graders visually judge thetotal effect of the various combinations of characteristics and imperfections, relative to the limitationsset forth in the grading rules foreach grade and species, and assignappropriate grades accordingly.Most timber production is graded byvisual inspection. Sophisticated, state-of-the-artcomputerized grading equipmentdigitally scans the characteristicsand imperfections in a timber piece,then electronically calculates andassigns the grade based on criteriaset forth in the grading rules. In the case of machine stressrated (MSR) timber, each pieceis non-destructively tested withstress-rating equipment to calculatethe combined effect of the characteristics and imperfections onstrength. MSR grades are providednumerically to facilitate engineering.Some of the more commoncharacteristics and manufacturingimperfections are shown below toemphasize appearance details.Tight Black KnotIntergrown KnotNot-firmly Fixed KnotSpike KnotSloughed KnotUnsound KnotWaneBark PocketPitch StreakBrown StainBlue StainMachine BurnMachine GougeTorn Grain (from Planer)Skips in DressingCharacteristicsChecked Knot5
Structural TimberIntroductionStructural GradesStructural products are manufactured primarily from second andthird-growth timber. Pieces areevaluated either visually, mechanically or scanned digitally withgrades assigned primarily on thebasis each member’s strength,not its appearance. Grading ruleslimit natural characteristics andthe manufacturing imperfectionsthat affect strength and influencethe end uses appropriate to eachgrade, species and size. Eachspecies and grade has assigneddesign values.Design values for structuraltimber are derived using AmericanSociety for Testing and Materialsstandards, or criteria deemedappropriate by the National Instituteof Standards and Technology, withthe advice and counsel of theUSDA Forest Products Laboratory.General classifications for structuraltimber in western species areexplained below. Nominal sizesare used as “names.” Metricreferences throughout this textare based on a soft conversionof actual, surfaced sizes (with1" equaling 25.4 mm).Dimension Lumber grades,based on the National GradingRule, are divided into threecategories for size and four forstrength.SpeciesCombinationsSome western species shareperformance properties. Theseare grouped together to simplifymarketing, design and engineeringand allow design values to bedeveloped and assigned perspecies combination rather thanindividually.With grades and design valuesassigned per species combination,adjustment factors can be appliedto calculate the performance ofdifferent sized members in enduse. U.S. design values and adjustment factors for western speciesare provided in the RIS, WCLIBand WWPA grade rule books andare published by various governmental agencies in destinationcountries.Structural timber productsare generally bought, sold andspecified for end use according tothe species combinations shownin Table 1. Because of uniquedurability characteristics, Californiaredwood and the western cedarsare marketed as distinct species.Size: The first size categoryincludes products from 38 x 38mm through 89 x 89 mm. (In theU.S., these sizes are referred to as2x2 through 4x4, which reflect thenominal, unseasoned, and unsurfaced sizes of 2" x 2" and 4" x 4".)Sizes are available in StructuralLight Framing, Light Framing andStud strength categories.Strength: Structural LightFraming (SLF) grades are intendedto fit engineering applicationswhere the highest design valuesare needed in light framing sizesfrom 38 to 89 mm thick x 38 to89 mm wide.SLF grades include:SELECT STRUCTURAL*No. 1*No. 2*No. 3Strength: Light Framing (LF) gradesin these sizes (from 38 to 89 mmthick x from 38 to 89 mm wide)are intended for framing useswhere highest strength values arenot required such as for wall framing, plates, sills, cripples, blockingetc.LF grades include:CONSTRUCTION*STANDARD*UTILITYSize: The second size categoryincludes products from 38 x 38mm through 89 x 337 mm (U.S.nominal sizes 2x2 through 4x14).Products in this size range maybe graded as Stud grade.Photo: Douglas fir, world renownedfor its combination of strength,dimensional stability and beauty,is the dominant species for singlefamily and multi-storey woodframing throughout the westernU.S.6* Grades marked with an * are shown in photographs on the following pages.
Table 1Douglas Fir - LarchDouglas Fir – Pseudotsuga menziesiiWestern Larch – Larix occidentalisDouglas Fir – SouthDouglas Fir-South - Pseudotsuga menziesii(grown in AZ, CO, NV, NM and UT)Hem-FirWestern Hemlock – Tsuga heterophyllaNoble Fir – Abies proceraCalifornia Red Fir – Abies magnificaGrand Fir – Abies grandisPacific Silver Fir – Abies amabilisWhite Fir – Abies concolorSPFS Spruce-Pine-Fir(South)Sitka Spruce – Picea sitchensisEngelmann Spruce – Picea engelmanniiLodgepole Pine – Pinus contortaEngelmannSpruce/Lodgepole PineWestern WoodsAlpine Fir – Abies lasiocarpa(or Subalpine Fir)Ponderosa Pine – Pinus ponderosaSugar Pine – Pinus lambertianaIdaho White Pine – Pinus monticola(or Western White Pine)Mountain Hemlock – Tsuga mertensianaAlpine Fir/Hem-FirCalifornia RedwoodCalifornia Redwood – Sequoia sempervirensWestern CedarsIncense Cedar – Libocedrus decurrensWestern Red Cedar – Thuja plicataPort Orford Cedar – Chamaecyparis lawsonianaAlaskan Cedar – Chamaecyparis nootkatensisStrength: Stud grade is anoptional all-purpose grade (insizes 38 to 89 mm thick x 38to 337 mm wide) for verticalinstallations in load-bearingapplications, such as for wallframing.There is only one grade:STUD*Size: The third size categoryincludes products from 38 x 114mm through 89 x 438 mm (nominal 2x5 through 4x18). These sizesare categorized as Structural Joists& Planks.Strength: Structural Joists &Planks (SJ&P) are intended to fitengineering applications for timber114 mm and wider, such as floorjoists, rafters, headers, small beams,trusses and general framing.Alternate CombinationsPonderosaPine/SugarPineSJ&P grades include:SELECT STRUCTURAL*No. 1*No. 2*No. 3Additional Special Dimensionstructural products includeStructural Glued and MachineStress-Rated (MSR) timber.ALSC-certified grades for redwood with assigned design valuesinclude DECK HEART and DECKCOMMON. These are classified asSpecial Purpose structural grades,specifically intended for residentialdeck construction and available in38 x 89 mm and 38 x 140 mmonly. RIS can provide redwoodproducts graded to NGR specifications upon request. Redwoodstructural and appearance gradesare shown on pages 30 and 31.En
Timber Grades Western species are manufactured into hundreds of timber products marketed according to specifically defined timber grades. The rules for these grades have evolved over nearly a century for convenience in referencing specific products and to provide buyers, sellers, and specifiers with a dependable measure for determining timber .
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