Materials and Properties

Important Note – These are descriptions to changes implemented in version 9.3 and may not reflect current program behaviour.

1. Nordic Lam Materials

   The program now includes database files for Nordic Lam beams, joists and columns. Sizer has been modified to employ many of the customized design procedures of Nordic Structures. These can be found in the Readme documentation for the Nordic custom version of Sizer.

2. Weyerhaeuser Materials

   The program now includes database files for Weyerhaeuser TimberStrand LSL, Microllam LVL, and Parallam PSL materials for beams, wall studs and columns. Sizer has been modified to calculate the size factor for these products when custom section sizes have been selected.

3. MSR and MEL Size Factor for Tension (Bug 2987)

   For MSR and MEL materials, the program was applying a size factor for tension parallel-to-grain, K_zt, of 1.3, the factor for visually graded lumber. It now uses a factor of 1.00, as per Clause 5.4.5.3 of CSA O86-09. This applies to columns and wall studs loaded in uplift.

4. System Factor for Versalam LVL (Bug 2974)

   The system factor K_H for Versalam LVL was 1.0, when it should be 1.04 for SCL according to O86-09 13.3.2.4. This has been corrected.

5. Customized SCL E₀₅ Value (Bugs 3048, 3049)

   For SCL materials that have been modified using Database Editor, the program uses the value of E rather than E₀₅ when calculating the slenderness factor K_C in O86-09 13.3.3.5. As it should be using E05 = 0.87E, the calculation of K_C is significantly larger than it should be.

   Due to this same problem, the program sometimes outputs a zero as the E₀₅ value rather than the one it is actually using for design.

   These problems occurred because of a flaw in Database Editor, which has been corrected in that program.

6. E Value for 24f-EX Douglas fir - Larch Columns (Bug 3081)

   The modulus of Elasticity E value for 24f-EX Douglas fir - Larch columns was not updated from 13,100 MPa to 12800 MPa when updating the CSA O86 design code for Version 8. This has been corrected.

7. Erratic Behaviour For D.Fir No.2 Rough Timber Beam/Stringer Sizes (Bug 3064)

   When a D.Fir No.2 Rough Timber "beam and stringer" section was selected from the Suggested Sections, Sizer reset the grade as unknown and listed selected sections with all of the possible grades. It would not allow you to reselect No.2 and repeatedly reverted back to the Design Summary screen.

   This problem was due to a typographical error in the rough timber database file and has been corrected.

8. I-Joist EI value shown in Calculations Output (Bug 2983)

   Some users were confused as to why the EI value shown in the Calculations section of the Design Check report for I-joists check differs from that shown in the Factors table and in Database Editor. A note saying (inc. 10% comp. action) has been added.