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UDC 691.11

SECTION 2/3 SHEET 15

REVISED NOVEMBER 1991 s2.00

Basic sizes of socftwoods and

hardwoods
The UK imports timber from many parts of the world
in addition to producing some of its own. This
provides a wide choice of species for the user but,
since there is as yet no effective international
standardization of measurement, it also results in
a relatively wide range of basic sizes. For example,
European softwoods are cut to metric sizes where-
as North American softwoods are cut and marketed
in imperial units. The sizes quoted are rounded off
to the nearest millimetre. North American timber is
imported in two different ways, as sawn sections
and also as surfaced pieces.
BS 4471 :1987, Sizes of sawn and processed soft-
wood, covers the sizes available from supplying
countries with details of acceptable tolerances and
further machining which may be carried out for
particular end uses.
Most hardwoods are imported as sawn sections
and the majority are cut to specific thickness. Par-
cels of hardwood are defined in BS 5450 Sizes of
hardwoods and methods of measurement as con-
sisting of three product groups:
- specified widths, square edged
- random widths, square edged
- random widths, waney edged
The standards for both softwoods and hardwoods
quote the moisture content on which the sizes are
based and describe how actual sizes at other
moisture contents can be estimated. Timber is a
hygroscopic material and its width and thickness
will vary with changes in moisture content. See
TRADA WI Sheet Moisture in timber for details.

SOFTWOOD Tables 1 and 2 show the sizes of timber available

in the UK. However, there are three normal forms
Sawn section sizes -from BS 4471: 1987
in which softwood is sold to the user and specifier

- sawn
TABLE 1. Basic cross-sectional sizes of sawn soBwood
- at 20% moisture content - regularized for certain structural uses to give, for
example, uniformity of depth for floor joists.
Thickness - planed
(mm) cMdt *A
T The specification for all of these types may refer
75 100 125 150 175 200 !25 250 300
16 X X X X
back to the original sawn size, ie before machining.
19 X X X X
The section sizes quoted in BS 4471 are based on
22 X X X X X X X
a moisture content of 20%. A 1% change in size for
25 X X X X X X X X X
32 X X X X X X X X X
every 5% change in moisture content is required
36 X X X X with a maximum size being set at 30% moisture
38 X X X X X X X X X content.
44 X X X X X X X X X
47 X X X X X X X X X
50 X X X X X X X X X
Lengths
63 X X X X X X
75 X X X X X X X X TABLE 2. Basic lengths of sawn sofiwood (m)
100 X X X X X X
150 X X X
200 X
250 X
300 X

Note: Certain sizes may not be available in the normal

range of species and grades which are generally No minus deviation permitted, overlength unlimited.
available
NOTE: Lengths over 6m may not be readily available.
Regularking
It has become common practice over many years
for constructional timber, such as floor joists, to be
regularized to ensure a uniform width. This is done
by machining either one or both edges.
The following reductions apply to timber to be regu-
larized.
3mm off the width only for timber up to and
including 50mm.
5mm off the width for timbers over 150mm.
It is important to note that these reductions are not
additional to the re-sawn allowance referred to in
re-sawn softwood sections.
Deviations allowed on widths after regularizing:
no minus deviation; plus 2mm.
For example, a piece of 200mm width may be
reduced to 195mm by regularizing. Regularized
timber is sometimes referred to as precision timber
and may be colloquially referred to as shot.
CLS / ALS timber
Timber surfaced in accordance with Canadian
Standards Association Standard 0141 Softwood
lumber or National Bureau of Standards NBS PS
20-70, is known as CLS (Canadian Lumber Stand-
ards) or ALS (American Lumber Standards). The
timber is surfaced on four sides (S4S) and has
rounded edges not exceeding 3mm radius. The
sizes are included in BS 4471: 1987 as shown in
Table 3.
TABLE 3 Sizes of surfaced North American
(CLS or ALS) softwood
Thickness (rn~ Width (mm)
38 63
38 89
38 114
38 140
38 184
38 235
38 285
Note: The figures shown in Table 3 have been con-
verted from the original imperial sizes and have been
rounded off to the nearest millimetre for commercial
application.
Planing
Permissible reductions for a number of purposes
appear in Table 4. No minus deviation is permitted;
plus 1 mm is allowed.
Any finished sizes in British Standards covering
particular timber products and components will
take preference over those contained in Table 4.
For example, a sawn section of 50 x 150mm can
be reduced by 3mm on the 50mm face and 5mm
on the 150mm face. See Figure 1.
TDLE 4. Maximum permitted reductions from basic sizes sawn so@-
wood to finished sizes by phning of two opposedfaces
Application Basic sizes (mm)
15 up to and Over 35 up to Over 100 up to
including and including .,--,=
35 100
Reduction from basic sizes* (mm)
Constructional timber 3 3 5 5
Matching t and 4 4 6 6
interlocking boards 5)
Wood trim other than 5 7 7 9
that specified in BS
584**
Joinery and cabinet 7 9 11 13
work
* This is inclusive of any resawing allowance as specified
t The reduction of width is overall the extreme size and is exclusive of any
reductions of the face by machining of a tongue or lap joint
P Not applicable to floorings, see BS 1297
**Now replaced by BS 1186: Part 3
The resulting piece will usually be described as its
nominal size, ie 50 x 150mm planed and not by its
finished size.
Planed timber may also be referred to as wrought,
wrot, processed, dressed or surfaced timber, al-
though these terms can be confusing.
The reduction in width relates to square edged
boards and does not include further reduction of the
face width caused when planing to t and g or similar
profiles.
For example, when a 150mm width board is ton-
gued and grooved, the reduction in width will be
measured to the end of the tongue and is not the
measurement of the face of the board that will show
when laid as a flooring board. The permissible face
measurement of the board when the tongue is
pushed into the groove can be 137mm.
See Figure 2.
For flooring and wood trim the following British
Standards are available:
BS 1297 Tongued and grooved softwood
flooring
BS 1186 Part 3 Specification for wood trim and
its fixing.
Resawn sofiwood sections
When timber sections are resawn from larger sizes
the standard permits up to a 2mm reduction; the
resulting pieces must be described as Resawn ex
larger. For example, two pieces 50 x 73mm could
be produced when flat sawn from a 50 x 150mm
piece. These may be then be described as 50 x
75mm Resawn ex larger. See Figure 3.
 150mm
150mm
145mm I
50mm 47mm 73mm 73mm

Figure I r
Reduction of sawn sizes by planing

Planing allowance - up to 6mm

5ommLL
4
overall ie 3mm at each end 4mm
Sawn face width 150mm Figure 3.
Resawn sections

1Finished face width137mm /

Figure 2.
Measurement of tongued and grooved boards

TABLE 5. Basic cross sectional sires of sawn hardwoods WARDWOODS

(From BS 5450: 1977) based on a moisture content of 15% Measurement of hardwoods is given in BS 5450,
1977, and can be more complex than measure-
Thick- Nidt hi ment of softwood. Most hardwoods are imported in
T T
ness 50 125 175 200 225 250 300 specific thicknesses but random widths, which are
(mm) within an agreed and accepted range. They may
19 X also be imported as cut-to-size dimension stock or
25 X X X as logs sawn through and through. British. hard-
32 X X
woods will typically be sawn through and through
38 X X
(see Figure 4) and cut to size on order. Through and
50 X X
63 X X
through sawing results in planks of uniform thick-
75 X X ness which may be tapered along their length and
100 X X will have waney edges.

NOTE: Designers and potential users should check

TABLE 6 Permissible deviation on hardwood the availability of required sizes in the species
basic thicknesses or widths desired. They should also note that a moisture
(From BS 5450: 19 77) content of 15% is achievable only by kiln drying.

Reduction of basic hardwood sizes by planing

]
The permissible reduction of basic sizes for a num-
ber of purposes of sawn hardwood by processing
(ie planing) two opposed faces is given in Table 7.

TABLE 7. Reductions from basic hardwood sizes tofinished size by

processing two opposedfaces (From BF 5450: 1977)

End use of product Reduction from basic size to finished size

for basic sawn sizes of width or thickness (mm)
15-25 26- 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 300
Constructional 3 3 3 5 6
timber, surfaced -
Flooring, matchings, 5 6 7 7 7
interlocked boarding
and planed all round
Trim 6 7 8 9 10
Joinery andcabinet 7 9 10 12 14
work

Figure 4.
Permissible deviation for all finished sizes after processing is plus or minus 0.5mm. Through and throughsawn log

3 9002528
TIMBER SPECIFIGlTIONS

The details given in the tables relating to the sizes,

length and availability of softwood and hardwood
should be used when specifying timber,
There may be instances when either the size or
lengths required vary from the British Standard. It
is essential that consultation with the timber trade
takes place at the time of design and specification,
otherwise supply difficulties can occur.
The timber trade has always operated on a basic
or nominal size, so that when specifying planed
timber, allowances should be made to ensure that
the finished sizes are as intended.
For example, the use of Table 3 Reduction of sawn
softwood sizes by planing will show you that a
sawn width of 150mm could finish as a width of
145mm after planing. If 150mm finished width is
required, then 175mm nominal size should be spe-
cified, with an instruction calling for 150mm finished
width.
It is still true to say that the timber trade, as it always
has been, is capable of supplying a very wide range
of sizes and lengths sawn or planed. However,
wherever possible specifiers should adhere to the
information given in the following British Standards:

REFERENCES

BRITISH STANDARDS OTHER STANDARDS

BS 6100: Section 4. Glossary of building and civil CANADIAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION. Soft-
engineering terms. wood lumber. CSA Standard 0141-I 970 Rexdale,
Section 4.1. Characteristics and properties of CSA, 1970
timber and wood based panel products. 1984.
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. American
Section 4.2. Sizes and quantities of solid timber.
softwood lumber. PS 20-70. Washington, NBS
1984.
1970.
BS 1186 : Timber for and workmanship in joinery
Part 3 Specification for wood trim and its fixing.
1990.
BS 1297 : Tongued and grooved softwood flooring. TRADA WOOD INFORMATION SHEETS
1987.
4-14 Moisture in timber.
BS 4471: Specification for sizes of sawn and pro-
cessed softwood. 1987. Prices and a full list of publications are available on
request.
BS 4978: Softwood grades for structural use. 1988
BS 5534: Code of Practice for slating and tiling.
Part 1. Design.1 990
Acknowledgements

Extracts from British Standards reproduced by kind

permission of the British Standards Institution.

TIMBER RESEARCH 8s DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

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Whilst everyeffortis made to ensure theaccuracyof adweglven. the Association cannotaccept liabilityforlossordamagear~s~ngfrom the useofthe Information suppIled.
0 TRADA 1991 Printed in England