Commercial Lumber, Round Timbers and Ties

The Commercial Lumber, Round Timbers and Ties online PDH course is part of our Structural Engineering Course Category provides guidance on grading, standards, and specifications for wood commercial products. When sawn, a log yields round timber, ties, or lumber of varying quality.

In a broad sense, commercial lumber is any lumber that is bought or sold in the normal channels of commerce. Commercial lumber may be found in a variety of forms, species, and types, and in various commercial establishments, both wholesale and retail. Most commercial lumber is graded by standardized rules that make purchasing more or less uniform throughout the country.

This course is based on Chapter 6 of the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL–GTR–190 “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material”.

This online PDH course is intended for use by civil and structural engineers, design and construction professionals, students and others interested in learning about lumber type, grade, design and sizing of elements.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain different lumber grades, sizes and typical usage
• Explain the difference between hardwood and softwood lumber
• Categorize various lumber and choose the right type for a given set of circumstances
• List different lumber grades and typical sizes
• Explain various types of treatments to increase the durability and service life