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ALSC Rejects Timber Products Proposal for Audited Stress Rating Program

Picture of Suz-Anne Kinney Suz-Anne Kinney : February 28, 2012

Lumber Market

The American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) Enforcement Committee rejected a proposal by Timber Products (TP) that would allow TP certified mills to maintain current or close to current southern pine design values by using visual grade quality assurance procedures.

TP submitted the proposal to the ALSC early in December, when it was unclear exactly 1) which dimensions of lumber would be included in the new visually graded design values for southern yellow pine and 2) when these new values would go into effect. At the time, a January 5, 2012 meeting was scheduled in order to decide these two issues. At that meeting, the ALSC Board of Review (BOR) removed the uncertainty and voted to adopt new standards for visually graded lumber, 2" x 4" thick to 2" x 4" wide, No. 2 and lower grades effective June 1, 2012.

Under the proposed Audited Stress Rating (ASR) program, mills that visually inspect their lumber in order to grade it would have been able--once they had been audited and certified--to claim stress ratings for No. 2 lumber that would be higher than those specified in the new standards.

During the ALSC Enforcement Committee meeting on the proposal, which was held on February 24, 2012, the Committee thoroughly vetted comments in support of and against the program. Among the issues addressed during the meeting:

How the ASR program offers a cost-effective option to mills that visually grade lumber and who cannot currently get financing for machine grading equipment.
Whether the ASR program is a quality assurance program or whether it establishes new SYP design values (something that only the SPIB has the authority to develop).
Whether the ASR program is necessary considering the effective date for the new design values gives mills six months to either find new markets for lumber with lower stress ratings or purchase machine grading equipment.

At the end of the meeting, the ALSC Enforcement Committee decided not to send the ASR proposal forward for further consideration.