January 31, 2012
Updated Questions and Answers are now available here.
The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) has issued Supplement No. 9 to SPIB’s 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber providing new design values effective June 1, 2012. The only design values that will change on June 1 apply to visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine sized 2” to 4” wide and 2” to 4” thick (2x2s through 4x4s) in No.2 and lower grades (No.2, No.3, Stud, Construction, Standard and Utility). New design values for No.2 Dense and No.2 NonDense, pending approval by the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC), will also become effective June 1, 2012.
Design values for all other grades and sizes of visually graded Southern Pine remain the same, pending results of testing scheduled for completion later in 2012.
NOTE: The design value pages on this website are updated as new information becomes available. Check frequently for updates.
BACKGROUND: The Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) does not test lumber or establish design values. SFPA’s primary function is to market lumber products and to help users understand Southern Pine grading rules and design values.
The last major change for visually graded dimension lumber occurred in 1991 when design values for Southern Pine and other North American species were published based on In-Grade testing of full-size samples of commercially produced lumber. Since 1994, SPIB has conducted an annual resource monitoring program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Products 
Laboratory (FPL). SPIB is the first rules-writing agency to publish new values. Rules-writing agencies responsible for other species are in different stages for evaluating design values.
Please read the Disclaimer at the bottom of this page, then click the links below for more information about the new design values for visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber.
Effective June 1, 2012 -- New Design Values: ONLY No.2 and Lower Grades, 2" to 4" thick and 2" to 4" wide
Sample Span Tables based on new design values
Joists and Rafters (under revision)
Comparisons with other species (under revision)
Glossary: Physical Properties of Lumber
News Releases
Questions & Answers
Reference design values are based on normal load duration and dry service conditions. Because the strength of wood varies with conditions under which it is used, these design values should only be applied in conjunction with appropriate design and service recommendations from the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction published by the American Wood Council.
Southern Pine design values are published by the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau after approval by the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee. The Southern Forest Products Association does not test lumber or establish design values. Neither the Southern Forest Products Association, nor its members, warrant that the data or design values on which the recommended uses of Southern Pine lumber contained herein are based is correct, and disclaim responsibility for injury or damage resulting from the use of such design values.
The conditions under which lumber is used in construction may vary widely, as does the quality of workmanship and construction methods. Neither the Southern Forest Products Association, nor its members, have knowledge of the quality of the workmanship or construction methods used on any construction project, and, accordingly, do not warrant the design or performance of the lumber in completed structures.
