PS 20 -15 Review Task Group Recommendations  July 20 19 
The PS 20 -15 Review Task Group met on June 13, 2019 and decided on the following revisions to the 
current PS 20 -15. T he specific proposed changes to PS 20 -15 broken out by Section 
Section Type Changes Rationale 
Cover Editorial Voluntary Product Standard PS 20 -1520 
American Softwood Lumber Standard 
Supersedes Voluntary Product Standard PS 20 -1015 
April 2015 2020 Update of dates 
required 
Preface Editorial Voluntary Product Standard 
PS 20 -1520 
(Supersedes Voluntary Product Standard PS 20 -
1015) Update of dates 
required 
Key Words Editorial Accreditation; ALSC Board of Review; 
certification of grading rule; DOC PS 20 -1520; 
lumber inspection; lumber sizes; moisture 
content of lumber; National Grading Rule; 
softwood lumber standard Update of dates 
required 
Page 9 Editorial AMERICAN SOFTWOOD LUMBER 
STANDARD 
Effective April, 2015 2020 
[This Standard , which was initiated by the 
American Lumber Standard Committee, has 
been developed under the Procedures for the 
Development of Voluntary Product S tandards 
of the U.S. Department of Commerce to 
supersede PS 20 -1015 “American Softwood 
Lumber Standard.”] Update of dates 
required 
Section 
1.1.3 Editorial 1.1.3 It This Standard establishes the 
principal trade classifications and sizes of 
softwood lumber for yard, structural, factory 
and shop use. It provides for the classification, 
measurement, grading and grade marking of 
rough and dressed sizes of various items of 
lumber including finish, boards, dimension 
and timbers. Terms and procedures are 
defined and discussed to provide a basis for 
the use of uniform methods in the grading, 
inspection, measurement and description of 
softwood lumber. Improved readability 
Page 1 of 5                                                                                   
  
     
   
 
    
 
      
    
     
   
    
  
      
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
       
         
       
      
        
       
       
      
      
      
       
      
      
       
        
       
      
      
      
      
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
     
      
     
        
      
   
  
            
     
       
     
    
  
 
 
 
  PS 20 -15 Review Task Group Recommendations  July 20 19 
Section Type Changes Rationale 
Section 2.6 Task group 
recommended 
change 2.6 Design values —Published design 
data that are representative of the 
strength and stiffness of specific grades 
and species/species groups of lumber. 
Strength and stiffness property values of 
structural lumber products published for 
design use. These values are determined 
for specific grades and species/species 
groups and reflect the fact that wood is an 
orthotropic material. The group felt that 
the proposed 
language met the 
spirit of what 
NCSEA had 
commented on, while 
improving upon the 
PS20 -05 language 
NCSE A was 
asking to restore. 
Section 2.8 Task group 
recommended 
change Lumber that displays the official grading 
mark of an agency that is made by rubber 
stamps, ink jet sprayers, tags and/or other 
methods when found acceptable by that 
agency. A grade mark i s owned by the 
grading agency and is applied to lumber 
that conforms to the requirements of a 
designated grading rule. Except for marks 
used in connection with Certificates of 
Inspection or Reinspection, all grade marks 
shall indicate the following: 1) the mill 
number, name, or abbreviation; 2) the 
agency symbol; 3) the species or 
combination of species of the lumber; 4) 
whether the lumber was dry or green when 
manufactured (but, see 6.2.6) ; and 5) the 
appropriate grade. Where required by the 
grading rules, grade marks shall also 
denote rule paragraphs under which the 
lumber was graded or other similar 
information. This addition is 
intended to 
encourage the user to 
look at grade marking 
section 
Sections Task group Add a new Section The group felt that 
2.9-2.15 recommended 
change 2.9 Grade – A minimum standard 
specifying the permitted characteristics of 
lumber, having regard to the end use for 
which the lumber is intended. 
Renumber Sections 2.9 -2.14 
Delete Section 2.15 
2.15 Lumber grades – 
Manufacturing categories of lumber that 
provide the extent and limitations of the 
characteristics permitted in the particular 
grade. the n ew description 
provides a clearer 
definition of what a 
grade is . 
Page 2 of 5                                                                                   
  
     
 
  
  
 
      
      
       
         
          
         
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
    
    
   
    
    
   
  
 
     
   
      
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
    
    
   
    
    
   
   
     
  
    
     
   
    
     
    
   
   
   
   
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  PS 20 -15 Review Task Group Recommendations  July 20 19 
Section Type Changes Rationale 
Section Task group Nominal size --The label designation for Additions to section 
2.16 recommended 
change and 
editorial 
changes lumber size categories that does not 
reflect the dressed size. The nominal size 
is greater than the dressed size i.e., a dry 
“2 by 4 ” is surfaced to 38 .1 mm by 8 98.9 
mm (1 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches) [see 3.4.4] . reinforce the concept 
that no inferences shall 
be drawn that the 
“nominal sizes are 
dressed sizes” and 
address conversion 
from conventional 
(inch) units . 
Section Task group Agency Members Because of 
9.3.1 recommend ed 
change Allotted 
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau 2 
Western Wood Products Association 2 
Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau 2 
West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau 
Redwood Inspection Service 1 
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers 2 
Association 1 
Northern Softwood Lumber Bureau 1 
National Lumber Grades Authority 1 
Each other agency qualifying under this 1 
category consolidations the 
agency 
representations 
need to be updated. 
Section Task group Agency Members Because of 
11.3 recommended 
change Allotted 
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau 2 
Western Wood Products Association 2 
Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau 2 
West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau 
Redwood Inspection Service 1 
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers 21 
Association 
Northern Softwood Lumber Bureau 1 
International Code Council 1 
National Fire Protection Association 1 
National Association of Home Builders 1 
National Lumber Grades Authority 1 
Canadian Inspection Agencies 
American Society of Civil Engineers 1 
American Institute of Architects 1 
Consumer s Organizations 1 
Lumber Wholesalers 1 
Lumber retailers 1 
U.S. Non -rules Writing Agencies 2 consolidations the 
agency 
representations 
need to be updated. 
Also, Canadian 
Inspection Agencies 
is changed to 
National Lumber 
Grades Authority to 
match 9.3.1 
Section Editorial D1164 -183 The references 
12.1 ASTM change dates are updated to 
Standards D4444 -183 the latest version 
SI10 -1602 
Page 3 of 5                                                                                   
  
     
 
 
  
 
  
                                  
 
         
 
 
                                       
                                           
                                  
 
          
                                                    
                         
                        
                                                   
                           
                                                   
 
 
                             
                                          
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
      
      
       
       
    
       
    
 
  
 
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
   
 
  PS 20 -15 Review Task Group Recommendations  July 20 19 
Section Type Changes Rationale 
Appendix A Task group DOUGLAS FIR The pseudo firs are 
Commercial recommended Douglas Fir13 Douglas -fir Pseudotsuga 
menziesii removed from Firs and 
Names change Bigcone Douglas fir Bigcone Douglas Fir P.macrocarpa 
FIR: 
Balsam Fir14 balsam fir Abies balsamea 
Fraser Fir Fraser fir A. fraseri 
Douglas Fir15 Douglas fir Pseudotsuga 
menziesii 
Bigcone Douglas fir Bigcone Douglas fir P. macrocarpa 
Noble Fir noble fir Abies procera 
Alpine Fir  subalpne fir (alpine fir) A. lasiocarpa 
California Red Fir California red fir A. magnifica 
Grand Fir grand fir A. grandis 
Pacific Grand Fir Pacific silver fir A. amabilis 
White Fir  white fir A. concolor 
LARCH: 
Western Larch western larch Larix occidentalis 
Tamarack  tamarack L. laricina given separate 
category and 
Tamarack is moved to 
the Larch categor y. 
Appendix Editorial D2. EFFECTIVE DATE Update of dates 
D2 change Voluntary Product Standard PS 20 -2015, American 
Softwood Lumber Standard, a voluntary standard required 
Effective developed under the Department of Commerce 
Date procedures, shall be effective April, 20 2015 for products 
produced thereunder on and after that date. The 
Standard being superseded, American Softwood Lumber 
Standard PS 20 -1510, is effective fo r products produced 
thereunder through March, 20 2015. 
Appendix Editorial D3. HISTORY OF THE STANDARD Update of dates 
D3 History change Early in 1922 Secretary of Commerce Herbert 
Hoover, responding to a request from the lumber required 
of the industry, offered the cooperation of the 
Standard Department in activities directed toward 
simplification, standardization, and development 
of adequate quality guarantees for the lumber -
consuming public. […… ……… (text 
unchanged )…………………………… ] The 
significant provisions added to PS 20 -70 were: 1) 
separate size standards for dry and green lumber, 
under nominal 5 -inch thickness, were established 
in order to achieve greater uniformity in the 
dimensions of seasoned and unseasoned lumber at 
the point of use; 2) an i ndependent National 
Grading Rule Committee was created to establish 
and maintain a national grading rule for 
dimension lumber conforming to PS 20; 3) an 
independent Board of Review was formed to 
assure uniform approval of grading rules and of 
agencies to g rade under these rules, and to 
enhance enforcement of the accreditation program 
; 4) the composition of the American Lumber 
Standard Committee was expanded to reflect a 
broader representation of interests; and 5) uniform 
methods for assignment of design va lues were 
accepted. Non -substantive changes were made to 
the Standard in 1985, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, and 
2010, and 2015 .  The Standard was reviewed in 
20194 to assure it reflected the needs of 
manufacturers, distributors and consumers. 
Page 4 of 5                                                                                   
  
     
 
   
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
 PS 20 -15 Review Task Group Recommendations  July 20 19 
Section Type Changes Rationale 
Appendix 
D4 Current 
Edition Editorial 
change D4. CURRENT EDITION 
The current edition, PS 20 -2015, has the same 
technical requirements and administrative 
structure for implementing and enforcing the 
Standard as its previous edition. This new edition 
was based on the recommendations resulting from 
an extensive technical and editorial review of PS 
20-1510 conducted by the Standing Committee 
with the assistance from the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology in 20 1914. Update of dates 
required 
Page 5 of 5