SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Grading Structural Timber

Visual strength grading
Machine strength grading

Dr. Charlotte Bengtsson

SP Swedish National Testing and
Research Institute/Wood Technology
Bors
Sweden
Actual topic

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

New European standard for CE-marking
is now implemented:
EN 14081 Timber structures Strength
graded structural timber with
rectangular cross section

Development and introduction of

scanner systems
Content

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

General introduction
Strength and stiffness properties
Interrelations
Variation within timber
Grading principles and machines
Visual grading
Machine grading
Output control
Standardisation
Specially the new standard
Future development
Introduction

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Strength within desired limits requires
grading

Not only a matter of strength but also

stiffness and density

Strength classes are defined in EN338

Examples from EN 338
Characteristic property Strength class
C18 C24 C30

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Strength properties (MPa), 5%-percentile
Bending strength f m ,k 18 24 30
Tension strength, parallel to the grain f t .0 . k 11 14 18
Tension strength, perpendicular to the grain f t .90.k 0,3 0,4 0,4
Compression strength, parallel to the grain f c .0 . k 18 21 23
Compression strength, perpendicular to the grain f c ,90.k 4,8 5,3 5,7
Shear strength f .k 2,0 2,5 3,0
Stiffness properties (MPa)
MoE parallel to the grain, mean value E0,mean 9 000 11 000 12 000

MoE parallel to the grain, 5%-percentile E0, 05 6 000 7 400 8 000

MoE, perpendicular to the grain, mean value E90,mean 300 370 400
Shear modulus, mean value Gmean 560 690 750
Density (kg/m)
Density, 5%-percentile 12,k 320 350 380
Density, mean value 12,mean
380 420 460
Introduction

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Visual strength grading has a long
tradition

Formal grading rules were established

beginning of 20th century (US)

1930 and onwards visual grading rules

were introduced in Europe
Introduction

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

NDT for grading timber introduced in US
and Australia late 1950s

The Machine control system was

developed in Europe in the late 1960s

EN 519 was published 1995

Focus on softwood species

 Strength and stiffness properties

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

R=0,76
Strength MOE
Density 1500 kg/m

,64
R
=

=0
0,
66

R
Density
For defect free wood
 Prediction of strength

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Characteristics that can be Coefficient of determination R
measured non-destructively Bending strength Tensile strength
Source 1 2 3 4 1 5 6
Knots 0.27 0.20 0.16 0.25 0.36 0.42 0.30
Annual ring width 0.21 0.27 0.20 0.44 0.36 0.33 0.28
Density 0.16 0.30 0.16 0.40 0.38 0.29 0.38
MoE, bending or tension 0.72 0.53 0.55 0.56 0.70 0.69 0.58
MoE. flatwise, short span 0.74
Knots and annual ring width 0.37 0.42 0.39 0.49
Knots and density 0.38 0.38 0.55 0.61 0.64
Knots and MoE 0.73 0.58 0.64 0.70 0.76 0.78
 Coefficient of determination [-]

Prediction of strength
0,0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
0,7
0,8
0,9
1,0
0
1 tension strength, 2 bending strength

Narrow face knot

1

Wide face knot

2
Number of predictors

Knot cluster
3

Ring width
4

Density
5

Latewood
6

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Strength reducing characteristics

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Most important
Knots
95 % of failures in redwood (Sequoia S.)
91 % of failures in Norway spruce

Less important
Compression wood (hard to detect but seldom
causes failure)
Top failure (much less frequent than knots)
Slope of grain (not easy to detect)
Knot variation along a timber piece

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Norway
spruce

150 mm
Visual Grading

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Basis
Rules with criteria for each grade
Trained graders
Advantages
Simple and cheap
Easy to check the quality
Disadvantage
Low capacity
Low yield

Only visually recognisable characteristics

can be used
Only simple combinations possible
Machine Grading

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Non-destructive testing to predict strength,
stiffness and density
Assignment to a grade

Machine strength grading is usually

complemented with visual override
requirements

Combinations possible
Two systems: machine control and output
control
 Production of machine strength graded
timber in Sweden

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

1200000

Total
1000000
Export to UK
Sweden
800000 Export to Norway
Volume [m]

Other

600000

400000

200000

0
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Year
Machine grading principles

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Measurement of bending stiffness
Optical detection of knots and other
characteristics
Near-Infrared-Reflection spectroscopy (NIR)
Resonant vibrations
Wave propagation speed
Neural nets
Deconvolution technique.
Radiation methods
micro waves
x-ray
-radiation
 Typical bending type machine
Press

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

roller

Displacement
Air Air

Timber
Load
roller

Reference Reference
Loadcell Com puter roller
roller

EI=Fl3/48
Machines mesuring vibrations

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

E A = 4 L f A1
2 2
Accuracy of grading machines

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

100
Grading C30 and better
90
80
70
60
Yield (%)

CoV=0.05
50
CoV=0.1
40
CoV=0.2
30
20 CoV=0.3
10 CoV=0.4
0
0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0
Coefficient of determination, r2
Accuracy of grading machines
100

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

90
80
70
60
Yield (%)

50
C30
40
30
20 C40
C24
10
0
0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0
Coefficient of determination, r2

CoV=0,1
Grading machines on the European market
Name Principle Number

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Computermatic/Micromatic Flatwise bending, measurement of 23 (SE, NO, Ireland,
deflection UK?)
CookBolinders/Techmach Flatwise bending, measurement of 2 (SE, NO, UK?)
load
Grademaster X-ray and scanning 6 (GE)

GoldenEye 702 X-ray 14 (GE)

EuroGreComat 704 X-ray and bending 10 (GE, SE)

GoldenEye 706 X-ray and vibrations 4 (GE)

GoldenEye 80/1 X-ray and laser scanner 6 (GE)

GoldenEye 80/2 X-ray and laser scanner 13 (GE)

VM Grader 1.0 Visual grading & gravimetric density 3 (GE)

Dynagrade Vibrations in longitudinal direction 61 (SE, NO)

Raute Timgrader Flatwise bending, measurement of ? (FI)

load
Newnes X-ray ?

Ersson ESG-240 Flatwise bending, measurement of ?

load
Metriguard 7200 HCLT Flatwise bending, measurement of 145 wordwide (3 in
load Europe)
Sylvatest Ultrasonic waves ? (Switzerland)
Standardisation

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

EN 14081 Timber Structures Strength graded
structural timber with rectangular cross section,
allowing CE-marking of graded structural timber,
becomes mandatory September 2007
This standard replaces EN 519

Four parts
Part 1: General Requirements
Part 2: Machine Grading; additional requirements for
initial type testing
Part 3: Machine Grading; additional requirements for
factory production control
Part 4: Machine Grading; Grading machine settings
for machine controlled systems
Standardisation

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

New procedure for derivation of machine
settings

Two principles
Machine control
Output control

The standard covers both visual and machine

strength grading

Visual override requirements as previously

Machine control

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Machine control, mainly used in Europe
Settings based on testing, at least 900 pieces from one
country or group of countries

1. Establish database containing raw material

arranged in sub-samples
2. Optimum grading
3. Model building
a b
t h
(IP )
c
f mod,h =150 =k
50 150
Machine Control

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

4. Settings for actual grades when one sub-
sample is left out. Repeat for all combinations.

5. Determine production settings

6. Grade by using the production settings to

assigned grades
Machine control

7. Establish size matrix

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Optimum Assigned grade
grade C35 C24 C18 Reject
C35 554 894 13 0
C24 34 414 60 0
C18 1 27 6 0
Reject 0 74 28 2

8. Elementary cost matrix

Optimum Assigned grade
grade C35 C24 C18 Reject
C35 0 0,57 1,3 0
C24 1,53 0 0,69 0
C18 3,15 1,11 0 0
Reject 5,418 2,025 0,685 0
Machine control

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

9. Global cost matrix

Optimum Assigned grade

grade C35 C24 C18 Reject
C35 0 0,362 0,158 0
C24 (34*1,53)/589=0,088 0 0,387 0
C18 0,005 0,021 0 0
Reject 0 0,106 0,179 0

10.Check wrongly upgraded cells

11.Check characteristic values
Output Control

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Used in USA and Australia

Preliminary setting based on limited testing (60

pieces per grade and dimension)
Proof-loading of limited number of pieces per
shift (5 pieces per grade and dimension per
shift)
CUSUM control procedure to follow for
controlling the grading
If the grading is in control adjustment of the
settings is allowed to increase the yield
(requires extra proof-loading)
Future development

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Introduction of scanner systems for
automatical visual grading and for visual
override requirements
Machine grading at higher speed
Pregrading of logs (scanning)
Combination of measurements
Development of the new standard 14081
(mainly concerning the rawmaterial regions)
New machines?
References
Bostrm L et al. (2000) Control of Timber Strength Gradong Machines, SP

SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute

Report 2000:11
Hoffmeyer P (1995) Styrkesortering ger mervrde, Danmarks Tekniska
Universitet, Laboratoriet for Bygningsmaterialer, Teknisk Rapport 333 1995
(Danish, Swedish)
Johansson C-J (2002) Grading of timber with respect to Mechanical properties,
Vxj Universitet and Swedish National Testing and Research institute
Johansson C-J et al. (1998) Laminations for glued laminated timber
Establishment of strength classes for visual strengt grades and machine
settings for glulam laminations of Nordic origin, SP Report 1998:38
Ziethn R (2006) Proof-loading a new principle for machine strength grading of
timber, Licentiate thesis, Vxj University
Bengtsson C, Fonselius M (2004) Settings for strength grading machines
evaluation of the procedure according to prEN 14081, part 2, paper
presented at CIB W18 in Estes Park, USA.
Stenman B (2006) personal communication
Denzler J (2006) personal communication
Moloney S (2006) personal communication
vrum A (2006) personal communication
Steiger R (2006) personal communication
Uskoski D (2006) personal communication
EN 14081(four parts)
EN 519
And lots of publications listed in the reference lists of the publications given above