Professional Documents
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Productionprocess
p
inthemillpriortopackingand
p
p
g
shipping
Sorting ofproductsintogroups
withsimilarcharacteristicsandproperties
Appearance grade
St t l grade
Structural
d
Sorting Criteria
Sorting Criteria
- visual appearance
Grading
g is simply
p y sorting
gap
production run into groups
g p that have
similar properties. The grouping of the properties can be any
mixture of appearance and structural properties. In order to give
some uniformity across the industry there are standards for the
sorting of timber products. Many of these are Australian Standards,
but some are industry-based standards.
Grading standards make it easier for a designer to communicate
what is required in a piece of timber to the supplier. A grade
designation refers to a full suite of structural, utility or appearance
properties. Thus reference to a grade designator will mean that the
timber supplied should have the properties that enables it to meet
th
those
grading
di requirements.
i
t
2
Grading rules
Gradingrules
knotsize&frequency(locationunimportant)
splits,cracks,checks(sizeandfrequency)
colour grain uniformity
colour,grainuniformity
utility want,wane,cup,bow,
spring,twist
Feature grade
makes a feature
of natural
characteristics
h
t i ti
eg knots
Select grade
clear, uniform wood.
Free of natural characteristics
eg no knots,
k t gum veins
i etc.
t
Structural Grading
StructuralGrading
Criterion for sort is estimated
structural properties of timber
Lower strength
Lower stiffness
Higher strength
Higher stiffness
Usedforclassificationoftimberwithdefinedstructural
properties includesframingforhousing
Eachgradeassociatedwithasuiteofstructuralproperties
4
Structural grading is the process of sorting the timber on the basis of estimates
of the structural properties of the timber. The only way in which we can know the
strength of timber for sure is to break each and every piece. The process of
structural grading is sorting by some characteristics of the timber that are
reasonably well correlated with all of the structural properties.
Structural properties awarded to each grouping are generally as follows:
Strengths - close to the lowest expected in each grouping or grade typically
this is taken as a characteristic strength based on the lower 5th %
%ile
ile..
Stiffness - a characteristic stiffness based on the mean stiffness is used.
This
is appropriate for use in floors, frames and systems where there is load
sharing between the parallel elements. It is also quite appropriate for the
prediction of the deflected appearance of structures.
Anyone who specifies timber that has a structural function must understand the
principals of Structural Grading.
5
Structuralgrading
TimberStressGrades
b
d
Structurallygraded
yg
productsneedtobe
assignedpropertiesfor
designers to use
designerstouse
TABLE 2.4
STRUCTURAL DESIGN PROPERTIES
FOR F-GRADES
Stress
Grade
F34
F27
F14
F11
F8
F7
F5
F4
Bending
(f 'b)
100
80
40
35
25
20
16
13
Structural
Structural
properties
properties
Strength
Compression
parallel to
grain
(f 'c)
75
60
30
25
20
15
12
9.7
Characteristic short
duration average
modulus of elasticity
parallel to grain, Mpa
(E)
21 500
18 500
12 000
10 500
9 100
7 900
6 900
6 100
Deflection
Stiffness
6
Structuralgrading
TimberStressGrades
b
d
Limitednumberofgradedescriptions
F gradesystem generalvisualgradedtimber
MGPgrades machinegradedsoftwoods
GLgrades gluedlaminatedtimber
A grades visuallygradedVictorianAsh
Used by producers
Grading method
Used by designers
Design properties
F- grades
AS 1720.1
MGP grades AS 1720
1720.1
1
GL grades AS 1720.1
A - grades AS 1720.1
Structuralgrading
St
StressGrades
G d
Stressgradeisassignedtoapackage oftimber
Stressgradegivesstructuralproperties
g
g
p p
Eachpieceinapackagecanbetakentohavethoseproperties
Inmostcases,timberhassignificantlygreaterstrengththanthe
stressgrade(5th%ile)
Stiffnessisfrequentlyclosetothestiffnessassignedtothe
q
y
g
stressgrade(mean)
10
VisualStressGrading
3StepProcess
Visual grading
sorts into
Structural Grades
Step 1
#1
#2
#5
#3
#4
Step 2
For each species,
Tables in rules assign
g
an F-grade to each of
the structural grades.
F?
F?
F?
F?
F?
Step 3
An F
F-grade
grade may
be stamped
on each piece.
12
VisualStressGrading
Example
l seasonedtallowwood
Tallowwood
Australian Hardwood
sorts into
Structural Grades
Step 1
#1
AS 2082
AS 2082
Visual grading
#2
#5
#3
#4
F11
Step 2
Step 3
An F
F-grade
grade may
be stamped
on each piece.
14
Grade stamp
Gradestamp
StressGrade
Stress Grade
(F5)
Grade Method
(Visual Stress Grading)
Grading standard
(AS2858)
Mill / producer
Moisture condition
(Seasoned)
Species
(radiata pine)
15
End
Grading Presentation
16