Inferior Canadian Lumber Documentation 2

[msquared48]

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.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[dik]

I've passed this on to a 'Lumber Buddy' who specialises in wood/timber design... he may be aware of it.

Dik

 

[msquared48]

I cannot not find my printed copy - I looked last night, but think it may still be on the hard drive of an old deactivated computer I have in storage. I'll have to restart it and see if the information on the hard drive can be copied to a flash drive.

Let me know if your friend has anything. Thanks.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[Triangled]

Was this it? “The wood was shipped directly to dozens of greater Seattle-area construction sites in recent months by B.B.M. Lakeview Wholesale Lumber of Surrey, B.C. At some point, the original grade stamps had been sanded off the lumber and replaced with labels indicating structure-rated wood, officials say…………”

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...VNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kusDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3978,3825777

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19901116&slug=1104488

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...dU9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=hoYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3225,5140567

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19901120&slug=1105223

 

[msquared48]

Yep, that's the circumstance - summer of 1990, OK. Time flies...

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

 

[Triangled]

"Moga Timber Mill Ltd., and A.P. Timber Mill Ltd., also of Surrey, were each charged with one count of fraud involving more than $1,000 (Canadian).

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/?date=19920224&slug=1477527

might be able to find their mill stamps from the canadian wood council

 

[msquared48]

Crap. Now they refer to 1988, and I thought I was safe.

Thanks again.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[msquared48]

Those two mills must have closed down, been renamed, or bought out. I can't find them listed anywhere.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[MikeHalloran]

It appears that the fradulent stamps were those of a third party, Macdonald Inspection Services.

{
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/?date=19901118&slug=1104914

An image of a Macdonald's stamp may be found within this document:

http://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

 

[msquared48]

Mike:

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

 

[Triangled]

From a friend is a certified visual grader for lumber.....

"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. "

 

[msquared48]

Well, I finally found my copy of the original bulletin and suspect grade stamps from 1990. See attached.

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