The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) is recommending to the British Standards Institution (BSI) that the national annex to structural timber standard BS EN 336:2003 be amended from 44mm to 45mm for machined structural carcassing.
It follows a survey commissioned by the TTF, ConFor and UK Forest Products Association into the use of 44mm and 45mm machined carcassing in the UK industry.
The report, undertaken by Nick Moore of timbertrends, found that the 45mm product is now by far the most popular product on the market, with an 83% share of the imported and UK-produced 44mm and 45mm machined carcassing market.
But currently only the 44mm product is cited in the standard’s informative index (table NA.4) as a commonly available PAR target size.
The TTF’s National Softwood Division has decided that only 45mm should appear in the guidance, as it is now the most common size.
Concern over an apparent lack of standardisation of thickness in C16 and C24 machined carcasssing has been expressed in the timber trade for years, with some traders worried that customers and the trade are confused by the situation.
For more on the machined carcassing survey, visit www.ttf.co.uk.
