FEDERAL WAY, WASH. – The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) has published a new grading rules book that replaces previous rules for grading softwood.
The publication is called WCLB Standard Grading Rules for West Coast and Imported Softwood Lumber, No. 18, 2022 and replaces Standard 17, the previous edition published by the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau (WCLIB) written in 1991 with several revisions until the release of the new edition.
“The new rule book includes all updates to the NGR grade rules as well as revisions to other grades specific to the WCLB rules. There are also several items included in WCLB No. 18 that had not been included in previous editions of the Standard 17 rule book,” PLIB president Jeff Fantozzi said in a statement.
Significant changes in the new rules include inclusion of the complete and current National Grade Rule interpretations in addition to WCLB rule interpretations. The new rules book also features updates to machine stress rated (MSR) grade tables and design value tables along with a new seasoning provision for timbers, intended to make the definition for dry timbers consistent across manufacturers.
PLIB also updated the species lists, rearranged the order of some sections, and incorporated revisions and corrections from previous editions, Fantozzi said.
When the PLIB and WCLIB merged operations in 2019, PLIB was recognized by the American Lumber Standards Committee as a lumber grading rules-writing authority, a PLIB release stated. No. 18, 2022 is the first major rules revision since the merger.
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