Square Sawn Timber vs Surfaced Timber 1

[Enhineyero]

Hi All:

I am doing a bit of a study with regards to timber construction. When I started out in civil engineering, concrete was the preferred material for construction (Which indicates how young I am). Now I am trying to pack up some knowledge with regards to timber construction/design, since timber is a preferred material for restoration works of old structures in my area. I have encountered in my reference code (BS5268:1991) the words square sawn timber and surface timber.

My understanding of what was written is that square sawn timber is a product direct from the mill, while surfaced timber is a sliced portion of the square sawn timber, am I understanding this correctly?

My lack of knowledge with regards to what sizes does come out directly from the mill leads me to question of this nature, that If I will use a square joist of say 6" or 150mm, would the timber be surfaced or square sawn? How about if I will have a floorboard of 1" thick x 5" wide?

 

[hokie66]

Sawn timber is straight out of the saw. When it goes through a planer/sizer/thicknesser/surfacer, it of course becomes smaller. The sizes available either rough sawn or sized will depend on which country you are in, and what standard sizes are used. The type surface after the sizing will also vary, depending on the product.