[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 250 (Friday, December 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78404-78405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22435]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 061212329-6329-01]


Proposed Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-06, Structural Plywood

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) is distributing a proposed revision of 
Voluntary Product Standard (PS) 1-95, Construction and Industrial 
Plywood. This standard, prepared by the Standing Committee for PS 1, 
establishes requirements, for those who choose to adhere to the 
standard, for the principal types and grades of structural plywood and 
provides a basis for common understanding among producers, 
distributors, and users of the product. Interested parties are invited 
to review the proposed standard and submit comments to NIST.

DATES: Written comments regarding the proposed revision, PS 1-06, 
should be submitted to the Standards Services Division, NIST, no later 
than February 27, 2007.

ADDRESSES: An electronic copy (an Adobe Acrobat File) of the proposed 
standard, PS 1-06, can be obtained at the following Web site 
ts.nist.gov/docvps. This site also includes an electronic copy of PS 1-
95 (the existing standard), a summary of significant changes, and a 
form for submitting comments. Written comments on the proposed revision 
should be submitted to Ms. JoAnne Overman, Standards Services Division, 
NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2100, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2100. 
Electronic comments may be submitted to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. JoAnne Overman, Standards Services 
Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, telephone: 
(301) 975-4037; fax: 301-975-4715, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-06 
establishes requirements, for those who choose to adhere to the 
standard, for the principal types and grades of structural plywood. 
This standard covers the wood species, veneer grading, adhesive bonds, 
panel construction and workmanship, dimensions and tolerances, marking, 
moisture content,

[[Page 78405]]

and packing of plywood intended for construction and industrial uses.
    The proposed revision of the standard, PS 1-95, Construction and 
Industrial Plywood, has been developed and is being processed in 
accordance with Department of Commerce provisions in Title 15 Code of 
Federal Regulations Part 10, Procedures for the Development of 
Voluntary Product Standards, as amended (published June 20, 1986). The 
Standing Committee for PS 1 is responsible for maintaining, revising, 
and interpreting the standard and comprises producers, distributors, 
users, and others with an interest in the standard.
    After reviewing the standard, the Committee determined that 
portions of it were obsolete and technically inadequate and needed to 
be revised to reflect current industry practices. The Committee held 
meetings to review the standard and make needed changes. Much of the 
work was performed by the document's sponsor, APA--The Engineered Wood 
Association. Committee members voted on the revision and it was 
approved by at least three-quarters of the membership. The Committee 
submitted a report to NIST with the voting results and the draft 
revised standard. NIST has determined that the revised standard should 
be issued for public comment.
    Included in this standard are test methods to determine compliance 
and a glossary of trade terms and definitions. A quality certification 
program is provided whereby qualified testing agencies inspect, sample, 
and test products identified as complying with this standard. 
Information on species grouping is provided in Appendix A; information 
on reinspecting practices is provided in Appendix B; and information on 
the maintenance, history, and current edition of the standard is 
provided in Appendix C.
    This Voluntary Product Standard incorporates the International 
System of Units (SI) as well as U.S. customary units of measurement. In 
conversion of U.S. customary units where exact placement is not an 
issue, such as nail spacing, approximate conversions to SI units are 
made to yield more easily recognizable numbers. In critical matters, 
such as panel thickness, more precise conversions to SI units are made. 
For nominal U.S. customary units, actual dimensions in SI units are 
given. The values given in SI units are the standard. The values in 
parentheses are for information only. Advisory notes in this standard 
and Appendices B and C shall not be considered mandatory.
    This revision includes the following changes:
    (1) Name Change--Since its inception in 1966 when three regional 
plywood standards were consolidated, the title of PS 1 has been 
Construction and Industrial Plywood. This revision changes the name to 
Structural Plywood as that name is more consistent with marketplace 
terminology.
    (2) Deletion of Interior and Intermediate Bond Classifications--
Provisions, test methods, and criteria for plywood manufactured with 
Interior and Intermediate Bond Classifications were removed from the 
standard because the use of such adhesive systems had become rare since 
the industry had transitioned to moisture resistant adhesives in the 
1950s.
    (3) Mold/bacteria tests--Test methods and associated criteria for 
assessing the potential for mold and bacteria growth on the adhesives 
used to manufacture plywood were eliminated. Those methods were 
developed and relevant only to the Interior and Intermediate types of 
adhesives used decades ago and which had long become obsolete since the 
industry switched to moisture resistant adhesives.
    (4) Terminology--Terminology related to Bond Classifications was 
revised to clarify that adhesive classification methods were specific 
to wet bonding strength and did not address other modes of natural 
degradation of plywood. In addition, the terminology ``Interior Bonded 
with Exterior Glue'' was replaced with its alternate term ``Exposure 
1'' as that term has become common in the marketplace.
    (5) Performance Testing Language--Language clarifying the sampling 
and pass/fail criteria of performance testing was revised to be 
consistent with the language in PS 2-04, Performance Standard for Wood-
Based Structural-Use Panels.
    (6) Table 1--This Table was modified to better reflect the species 
included in the various Groups and the text referring to Table 1 was 
also modified accordingly.
    (7) Appendix A on Assignment of Species Grouping--This mandatory 
appendix was added to the standard to clarify the process by which 
species had been evaluated for tabulation in Table 1.
    (8) Overlays--The prescriptive definitions of High Density Overlays 
(HDO) and Medium Density Overlays (MDO) were revised to reflect 
commercially available products based on input from producers of 
overlays and overlaid plywood. In addition, HDO grades were 
differentiated into HDO-concrete form and HDO-industrial and MDO grades 
were differentiated into MDO-concrete form and MDO-general to recognize 
that overlays are designed and manufactured to satisfy specific end-use 
requirements.
    (9) Repairs--The size permitted for synthetic repairs was modified 
to create compatibility with permissible wood repairs.
    (10) Exterior Plywood Grades--Table 3 on Exterior Plywood Grades 
was revised to incorporate new grades of overlaid plywood and concrete 
form grades.
    (11) Underlayment--Section 5.6.3 on Underlayment was revised to 
clarify the grade and intended end-use.
    (12) Minimum Grade for Exposure 1--Table 2 on Exposure 1 grades was 
revised to permit D-D grade only for plywood qualified through 
performance testing specified in PS 1 or PS 2. This change creates 
compatibility with the minimum grade permitted in PS 2.
    Concurrent with this Federal Register Notice, the proposed 
Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-06 is being distributed by the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology to national experts and other 
interested parties for review and comment, in order to ensure that the 
standard constitutes acceptable industry practice. All public comments 
will be reviewed and considered. The Standing Committee for PS 1 and 
NIST will revise the standard accordingly.

    Dated: December 20, 2006.
James E. Hill,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. E6-22435 Filed 12-28-06; 8:45 am]
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