The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) issued a detailed response to the partly false and very confusing statements made by the North Carolina Building Code Council. The following rectifications were made:
1.) According to authorities in North Carolina, European construction timber “does not meet the building code requirements”.
Response: Even though the current economic recovery has led to an increase in imports of European lumber by the US and North Carolina, it has been accepted and used in the country for decades.
2.) European lumber could “cause catastrophic failures in wall, floor and roof framing”.
Response: The PLIB is not aware of any cases of catastrophic failures in wall, floor and roof framing applications.
3.) “A primary concern is the specific gravity or wood density that affects the performance of fastening devices, such as nails, screws or gusset plates.”
Response: One part of the North Carolina building code prescribes a minimum specific gravity value for wood. All European types of wood with the exception of one fulfil this minimum requirement.
4.) European lumber should “only be used as an alternate material”.
Response: In North Carolina, many North American species are commonly used which are not one of the four main species which the code is based on. These types of wood may not meet the prescriptive code requirements either. Therefore, like wood imported from the EU, they must also be reviewed by the code official before being used.
The PLIB was founded in 1903 and is a non-profit, accredited lumber and wood products inspection and certification agency.
