BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

City of Malolos, Bulacan

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering Department
2nd Semester, School Year 2018-2019

THREE BROAD CLASSIFICATION OF LUMBER BASED ON ITS USES/APPLICATION

1. Yard Lumber - Lumber intended for ordinary construction and building purposes.

Sub-categories: Common, Select

2. Factory/Shop Lumber - Lumber that's selected for remanufacturing purposes and intended for
non-structural applications.

Examples: doors, pencils, ladders, moldings, boxes, etc.

3. Structural Lumber (including dimension lumber) – Lumber that is visually and/or mechanically
(MSR) graded for its strength and physical working properties (appearance is secondary, unless
specified). Basic end-use classifications are organized by size classifications and performance
capabilities.

GRADES, USES AND APPLICATION

 Light Framing (2-4 inches thick and 2 inches and wider)
USES/APPLICATION: wall framing, plates, sills cripples and blocking.
 Stud grade lumber (2x2 up to 4x18)
USES/APPLICATION: for vertical uses, such as load bearing walls
 Structural Joists and Planks grades (2x5 up to 4x18)
USES/APPLICATION: floor joists, rafters, headers, small beams, trusses and general framing.
 MSR (Machined Stress-Rated) lumber (2x2 up to 2x12)
USES/APPLICATION: trusses, floor or ceiling joists or rafters.
 Finger-Jointed lumber long lengths
USES/APPLICATION: Because it is typically fabricated from dry material, it is exceptionally
dimensionally stable.
 Timbers are designed for construction uses where material larger than Joists, Planks and Studs is
required.
Two Timber Use Categories:
 Post and Timbers (5x5 and larger)
 Beams and Stringers (5 inches and thicker, width more than 2 inches greater than
thickness).
USES/APPLICATION: home, industrial, farm and in special engineered construction such as
bridges, auditoriums, stadiums and the like.
 Structural Decking (2-4 inches thick and 4 inches and wider)
USES/APPLICATION: for roofing and flooring and is valued for insulating and fire resistive
qualities
FINISHES DESIGNATIONS
 Nominal Size and Actual Size (Dimension Lumber)
 The term dimension lumber refers to
softwood species (such as pine or fir)
that are used in the building trades for
framing and other carpentry uses. The
reasons why the nominal dimension of
this lumber (what the lumber is called)
is larger than the actual dimensions
involves historical practices in the
lumber industry. Originally, a 2 x 4 was
cut as a rough green board that was
exactly 2 x 4 inches in size, but by the
time the boards were dried and planed,
the boards were smaller, approaching
the now-standard 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
in size.
 In modern lumber practices, the boards
are no longer exactly 2 x 4 inches when
first cut, but today's drying and planning methods still leave the board 1 1/2 inches thick
and 3 1/2 inches wide. The old standard of calling this board a 2 x 4 still remains, even
though in today's lumber practices, the board has never been 2 x 4 inches in size

 Nominal Size and Actual Size (Hardwood Sizing)

 The sizing standards used for hardwood lumber (such as oak, maple, birch, and
mahogany) of the type used in fine cabinetry and furniture is a bit more confusing. Not
only are different measurement standards used, but the sizing also depends on whether
the stock is surfaced on one side (S1S) or on two sides (S2S).
Nominal Thickness S1S S2S
1/2 inch 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) 5/16 inch (7.9 mm)
5/8 inch 1/2 inch (13 mm) 7/16 inch (11 mm)
3/4 inch 5/8 inch (16 mm) 9/16 inch (14 mm)
1 (4/4) inch 7/8 inch (22 mm) 13/16 inch (21 mm)
1 1/4 (5/4) inches 1 1/8 inches (29 mm) 1 1/6 inches (27 mm)
1 5/16 inches (33
1 1/2 (6/4) inches 1 3/8 inches (35 mm)
mm)
2 (8/4) inches 1 13/16 inches (46 mm) 1 3/4 inches (44 mm)
3 (12/4) inches 2 13/16 inches (71 mm) 2 3/4 inches (70 mm)
4 (16/4) inches 3 13/16 inches (97 mm) 3 3/4 inches (95mm)

 Hardwoods are rarely sold in standard dimensions the way softwoods are. Instead,
suppliers generally sell hardwoods in a unit of volume known as the board foot. One
board foot is equal to 144 cubic inches of wood. In other words, a board that is 1 inch
thick, and 12 inches wide and long contains one board foot of hardwood lumber.

 Nominal Size and Actual Size (Plywood)

 Plywood is usually sold in 4 x 8-foot sheets. The most common nominal thicknesses of
plywood are 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, but once again the actual sizes are slightly different.
A sheet of 1/2-inch plywood is really 15/32 inch thick, while a 3/4-inch sheet is 23/32
inch thick.
 Plywood is graded so that each face receives a grade of A, B, C, or D grades, with A
representing the smoothest sanded finish. For example, AA plywood has a furniture-
grade finish on both sides, while BC plywood will be graded B on one side and C on the
other.

MANUFACTURING CLASSIFICATION OF LUMBER

 Rough Lumber
 Lumber that has been sawed but has not had its four longitudinal surfaces finished. Saw
marks show on each surfaces.
 Typically available in thicknesses from 1" (referred to as 4/4) to 4" (referred to as 16/4).
  It is used for furniture or specialty manufacturing where custom cutting and shaping is
required.
 Usually rough lumber is cut from trees such as oak, and may be available in a variety of sizes
for shipping.
 This lumber tends to be less costly and some people prefer working with it because it gives
them greater control.
 Rough sawn lumber is slightly larger than finished lumber, and it is available in a range of
sizes.

 Dressed Lumber
 Lumber whose surfaces have been finished (by planning or other means) so that the saw
marks on the surfaces are removed.
 Surfaced lumber has been surfaced by a machine on one side (S1S), two sides (S2S), one
edge (S1E), two edges (S2E), or combinations of sides and edges (S1S1E, S2S1E, S1S2, S4S).
 They are typically available in ¾" thicknesses and in limited widths and lengths.
 Usually easier for the less-equipped woodworker to use.
 Easy to see the grain, figure and color
 Uniform in thickness
 Lighter, costs less per board foot to ship

 Worked Lumber
 Lumber that has been dressed and has also been matched, shiplapped, or patterned.
 Typical patterns:

NSCP PROVISIONS ON DIMENSION/SIZE REDUCTION

 ASEP recognizes the need for an up-to-date structural code addressing the design and
installation of structural systems through requirements emphasizing performance.
 National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP Volume I) is designed to meet these needs
through various model codes/regulation, generally from the United States, to safeguard the
public health and safety nationwide.
 This updated Structural Code establishes minimum requirements for structural systems using
prescriptive and performance-based provisions.
 It is founded on broad-based principles that make possible the use of new materials and new
building designs. Also, the code reflects the latest seismic design practice for earthquake-
resistant structures.
NSCP Volume I, 6th Edition, 2010

Chapter 6: Wood

 Section 601.1: Scope

 The quality and design of wood members and their fastening shall confirm to the
provision of this chapter.
 Section 603.4.6: size of Structural Members
 Sizes of lumber referred to in this code are nominal sizes.
 Computations to determine the required sizes of members shall be based on the net
dimension (actual size) and not the nominal sizes.
 The rough size lumber shall not be less than the nominal size and the reduction in the
face dimensions of dressed lumber shall not be more than 6mm of the nominal size.
 Section 615.3.5: Size Factor Adjustment
 When the depth of a rectangular sawn lumber bending member 125mm or thicker
exceeds 300mm, the bending values, Fb shall be multiplied by the size factor, CF, as
determined by the equation:
300 1⁄
CF = ( ) 9
d
Where: CF = size factor
d = depth of beam, mm
 For the beams of circular cross-section that have a diameter greater than 340mm, or
300mm or larger square beams loaded in the plane of the diagonal, the size factor, C F,
may be determined on the basis of an equivalent conventionally loaded square beam of
the same cross-section area.
 Size factor adjustments are cumulative with form factor adjustments specified in Section
615.3.7, except for lumber I beam and box beams, but are not cumulative with
slenderness factor adjustments specified in Section 615.3.6.
 The size factor adjustment shall not apply to visually graded lumber 50mm to 100mm
thick or to machine-stress-rated lumber.

WHAT IS BOARD FOOT?

 The amount of lumber is expressed in terms of Board Feet. A Board Foot is a piece of lumber 1
foot (12 inches) long, 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick which is equal to 144 cubic inches. If all
dimensions are expressed in inches, the amount in board feet is equal to: (t x w x l)/ 144.
 In the Philippines, it is customary to express width and thickness in inches while we use feet to
express length. So a 2 x 3 x 10 means 2 inches thick by 3 inches wide and 10 feet long piece of
lumber computed as (t x w x l)/12.

 Board Foot can be express in:

Abbreviation

1 Board Foot Bd Ft BF FBM

1000 Board Feet MBd Ft MBF MFBM
1000000 Board Feet MMBd Ft MMBF MMFBM
 Calculating Board Feet with Length in Inches
1. Measure the length, width, and depth in inches.
2. Multiply these three measurements together.
 3. Divide the product by 144.
 Calculating Board Feet with Length in Feet (Philippines)
1. Measure the length in feet.
2. Measure the length in feet.
3. Multiply the three measurements together.
4. Divide the product by 12.
 Calculating Cost by Board Foot
1. Calculate board feet for each piece of wood.
2. Add the board footage together.
3. Multiply by the price per board foot.

Did you know?

 The most expensive wood in the Philippines is Narra which cost 133.33+PHP/Board Foot.

(forestry.denr.gov.ph 2016)