Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
(OP)
In the late 80's, in the Seattle Metropolitan area, there was an issue with lumber grading from a certain mill in Canada. Some projects were constructed with this material and have to have changes made due to them. It was a big concern about this at the time, and a lot of repercussions.
Does anyone here have any of the documentation for this event from Seattle DCLU or otherwise they can share here? I cannot find the copy I received at the time, but I know it did have pictures of several of the grade stamps involved. I need to get my hands on it as I am looking at putting some new telecom equipment on the roof of an existing four story wood framed apartment over a PT podium slab that was designed and constructed in the same era. My guts tell me there could be a problem here...
Thanks all.
Does anyone here have any of the documentation for this event from Seattle DCLU or otherwise they can share here? I cannot find the copy I received at the time, but I know it did have pictures of several of the grade stamps involved. I need to get my hands on it as I am looking at putting some new telecom equipment on the roof of an existing four story wood framed apartment over a PT podium slab that was designed and constructed in the same era. My guts tell me there could be a problem here...
Thanks all.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering






RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Dik
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Let me know if your friend has anything. Thanks.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat...
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat...
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive...
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Beyond those articles though, I know that a representative King County DCLU did put out a letter to local engineers with an attachment with images showing the grade stamps involved.
Although it looks like from the 1990 date that the building I am investigating may not be involved in the lumber grade scam, I would still like to locate those grade stamps for future reference.
Thanks Triangled.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
BBM Lakeview and the two mills that have been charged have long been suspected as the source of the lumber-grading fraud." http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive...
might be able to find their mill stamps from the canadian wood council
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Thanks again.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
{
Grade marks on the suspect lumber had at some point been sanded off and replaced with stamps indicating a superior, structure-grade quality. The grade-stamp symbol was that of MacDonald Inspection Services, a Coquitlam, B.C., firm that authorizes numerous British Columbia mills to use its name as a guarantee of quality. Code numbers on the stamps indicated the wood came from either Moga Timber Mill Ltd. or A.P. Timber Co. Ltd., two small Surrey mills that apparently sold the lumber to B.B.M.
} ... from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive...
An image of a Macdonald's stamp may be found within this document:
www.tboake.com/2013/canadianwoodframe61010.pdf
Presence of the Macdondald stamp alone does not identify the lumber as suspect.
I was not able to figure out which 'mill numbers' correspond to the miscreants' product.
... but Macdonalds should know; call them.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
I found a link to MacDonald earlier today and sent them an email. I guess they are currently listed as:
Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency, Inc
MacDonald Inspection Services (a division of CSI)
and they are located in Langley, BC. There are at least two different certification stamps involved. I'll see if they respond... Thanks.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
"a good place to start is to find out which grading agency issued the stamps to the mill(s).
All Canadian mills must comply with NLGA rules. Here's a link which shows stamps:
http://nlga.org/content/our-members
The mills in question stamped their for-sale lumber with one of the grading agencies listed.
I believe Surrey is in B.C. and the certified agencies typically cover a certain geographical region.
You might call NLGA but they may be reluctant to discuss or hand out information concerning such an embarrassing and scandalous instance. "
RE: Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation
Just take note in any remodel projects you may be involved in he PNW region... Not sure if all the bad lumber was replaced or not.
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering