Structural Timber & Ratings
Structural timber is the most common framing material used in construction due to its strength, durability and ease of use.
Barwon Timber stocks a large range of structural timbers. Different species of timber have different structural ratings. This can depend on the species and also if the material is green or kiln dried.
Most pine is machine grade, but most other timber is F rated. The difference in structural grading is outlined below.
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Using MGP in place of F Graded Timber
It’s important to note that although MGP material may be substituted for F graded material, F graded material must not be used where MGP material has been specified.
This is because the MGP grades have design tables for a range of properties, whereas F grades are based on bending strength only. So it is possible that the architect or builder who has specified an MGP grade for a structural member is relying on design characteristics such as compressive strength or shear strength, which would not be accounted for in an F graded piece.
Below are the three main MGP grades and the F grades they can replace.
MGP 10 can replace F5
MGP 12 can replace F8
MGP 15 can replace F11
An F grade is a measure of the bending strength of a piece of timber. ‘F’ stands for force in megapascals (MPa) and is the amount of force a piece of timber can withstand without bending beyond an acceptable limit. A piece graded to F11, for example, will have a safe working stress in bending of 11 MPa.
Here are the colour codes used for the most common softwood F grades.
– F4: Red
– F5: Black
– F7: Blue
– F8: Green
– F11: Purple
Structural Timber and Ratings FAQs
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Mechanical stress grading is used to measure the tension in a piece of timber, and it’s measured by how much force will be needed for that specific task. The timber is graded based on its own measurements with an F or MGP system.
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Of the many tree species in this world, there are more than 30,000 species with various properties that make them valuable for different purposes.
It is inevitable that there will be a large range of properties within each species and some overlap between the groups. If you need more information about a species of timber, for a specific grade please contact our timber team.
For further information on structural timber or to check stock availability, contact out Timber team.
If at any stage yo feel you need further information on our cladding and lining range, speak to our Timber team as we are always happy to answer your questions and give advice and guidance.
You can use this contact form or call us direct on (03) 5229 0080
If close by just pop into our store: Barwon Timber, 50 Fellmongers Rd, Breakwater, (Geelong), Victoria 3219