Standards Update
02 May 2005
NZS3603 AMENDMENT 4 PUBLISHED
NZS3603 Timber Structures standard, Amendment 4, was published on 31 March 2005. This standard is the head standard for timber design and sets out the characteristic stress values for structural timber.
New terms for structural timber grades have been introduced and new stress values assigned to those grades.
All the new grades, apart from one (unverified No 1 framing) must be verified in accordance with the requirements of NZS3622:2004 Verification of Timber Properties.
AMENDMENT 4 TO BE CITED IN BUILDING CODE
Amendment 4 is now with the Department of Building & Housing (DBH) to be cited in the approved documents of the Building Code. The timing of the standard being cited is not known but we anticipate it to be about five months away. There will be an eight week period for public comment and a couple of months for review of submissions. The DBH will then decide on any conditions (such as a phase in period) associated with the citing. So potentially the new grades detailed in NZS3603 could become a legal requirement of the Building Code within five months.
NZS3604:1999 TIMBER FRAMED BUILDINGS
NZS3604 is currently under review. A Standards Committee has been formed to amend this standard. It is likely that new span tables will be developed for verified grades (MSG8/VSG8) and the unverified No 1 framing grade. Depending on how long this standard takes to amend it may be cited in the Building Code at the same time as NZS3603.