NELMA Grade Rule Changes Approved
(More news)Effective June 15, 2008, revisions to Paragraphs 6.0, 6.2.2, 6.2.3, 6.2.4, and 6.3 of Section 3 for Eastern White Pine within the NELMA Standard Grading Rules for Northeastern Lumber will be implemented. These revisions make no changes in the provisions of the Rule EXCEPT to define incipient and advanced decay allowances.
These revisions are a result of extensive work by NELMA's Pine Subcommittee, with the intent to eliminate any reference to “Unsound Wood” as written in the rules due to the confusion between incipient decay and advanced decay. The recommendations were not meant to significantly alter the limitations of decay, but to simplify the teaching and application of the decay limitations for the Eastern White Pine grades.
The grading rule changes were approved by the NELMA Board of Directors at their meeting on April 12, 2008, and subsequently by the ALSC Board of Review on April 24, 2008. A Supplement 1 containing the revised rule will be mailed to the NELMA membership in the coming weeks. Others interested in maintaining an up-to-date grade rule book may contact NELMA to request a copy of the Supplement.
The following information reflects the specific revisions to the rule. Please also refer to the "Discussion Notes and Explanations" that were utilized in the process of discussion. If you have questions regarding this adopted change, please contact Marc Moore, NELMA's Director of Inspection Services for further explanation and interpretation of the rule.
Approved Revisions:
Revisions to NELMA Eastern White Pine provisions for decay:
· The following sentences will be added to the second paragraph of section 6.0 Eastern White Pine of the 2006 Standard Grading Rules for Northeastern Lumber, “Incipient decay shall be treated as sound. Advanced decay shall be treated as unsound.”
The heading for each of the following under the “Characteristics and Limiting Provisions” section for each grade will be ‘Decay’ as noted below.
· Under the rules for “Premium”, page 3-8, the term“Unsound Wood”would be deleted. In its place would be added, “Decay — Incipient Decay Allowed: Face, 5%; Back, 10%”
· Under the rules for “Standard”, page 3-10, the term“Unsound Wood”would be deleted. In its place would be added, “Decay — Incipient Decay Allowed: Face, 10%; Back, 30%. Advanced Decay Allowed: Face, 1%; Back, 10%. When found in combination on the same face, neither incipient decay nor advanced decay will be allowed in its maximum amount. Incipient decay will be reduced proportionately to the amount of advanced decay present (i.e., Back, If 5% advanced decay is present, no more than 15% incipient decay will be allowed).”
· Under the rules for “Industrial”, page 3-11, the term“Unsound Wood”would be deleted. In its place would be added, “Decay —Advanced Decay Allowed: Not to exceed ½ the surface area. Must not destroy the nailing edges.”
· Under the rules for “Appearance”, page 3-11, the term“Unsound Wood”would be deleted. In its place would be added, “Decay—Incipient Decay Allowed: Face, 5%; Back, 10%”
Discussion Notes and Explanations:
The back face in D Select and Finish would now have a defined limit of incipient decay of 10% which would be found on the best face of a Standard board. Currently, the rules imply that there could be 33 1/3% incipient decay.
The total amount of incipient decay allowed on a Premium board could increase slightly (5%) if both faces had incipient decay, but each face would now be clearly defined with no need to add both faces together in aggregate to arrive at a grade decision.
The total amount of incipient decay allowed on a Standard board could increase slightly (6.5%) if both faces had incipient decay, but each face would now be clearly defined with no need to add both faces together in aggregate to arrive at a grade decision. The total amount of advanced decay allowed on a Standard board could increase slightly (1%) if both faces had advanced decay, but each face would now be clearly defined with no need to add both faces together in aggregate to arrive at a grade decision.
The total amount of incipient decay allowed on an Appearance board could increase slightly (5%) if both faces had incipient decay, but each face would now be clearly defined with no need to add both faces together in aggregate to arrive at a grade decision. This limitation is the same as Premium just as it was before the proposed revision.
The total amount of advanced decay in Industrial does not change.
The proposed changes would change the provisions slightly, but they are a result of a desire to clarify the rules. These proposed changes would make the rules easier to teach and easier to grade on-line lending to more consistent grading from mill to mill.
Additional Note:
The rules do not limit the amount of incipient decay and advanced decay when found in combination together in Standard grade. The rules as written state, “or equivalent combination thereof”, meaning that neither type of decay will be allowed in its maximum amount if found in both forms on the same face. For clarification purposes the following text was approved and will also be added to Paragraph 6.2.3, “When found in combination on the same face, neither incipient decay nor advanced decay will be allowed in its maximum amount.”
