BRITISH STANDARD BS EN

336:2003
Incorporating
Corrigendum No. 1

Structural timber
Sizes, permitted
deviations
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The European Standard EN 336:2003 has the status of a

British Standard

ICS 79.040

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 BS EN 336:2003

National foreword
This British Standard is the official English language version of EN 336:2003.
It supersedes BS EN 336:1995 which is withdrawn.
Sizes and permitted deviations for non-structural timber are given in the
following two standards.
BS EN 1313-1:1997, Round and sawn timber Permitted deviations and
preferred sizes Part 1: Softwood sawn timber.
BS EN 1313-2:1999, Round and sawn timber Permitted deviations and
preferred sizes Part 2: Hardwood and sawn timber.
National annex NA provides information on structural timber normally
available in the UK.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted by Technical Committee
B/518, Structural timber, to Subcommittee B/518/2, Solid timber, which has
the responsibility to:

aid enquirers to understand the text;

present to the responsible international/European committee any

enquiries on the interpretation, or proposals for change, and keep the
UK interests informed;
monitor related international and European developments and
promulgate them in the UK.

A list of organizations represented on this subcommittee can be obtained on

request to its secretary.
Cross-references
The British Standards which implement international or European
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publications referred to in this document may be found in the BSI Catalogue

under the section entitled International Standards Correspondence Index, or
by using the Search facility of the BSI Electronic Catalogue or of British
Standards Online.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

This British Standard was Summary of pages

published under the authority
of the Standards Policy and
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, the EN title page,
Strategy Committee on pages 2 to 8, an inside back cover and a back cover.
14 May 2003
The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the
document was last issued.

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No. Date Comments

BSI 2 July 2003 14533 2 July 2003 Revision of national foreword and
Corrigendum No. 1 addition of national annex NA

ISBN 0 580 41844 8

 EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 336
NORME EUROPENNE
EUROPISCHE NORM April 2003

ICS 79.040 Supersedes EN 336:1995

English version

Structural timber - Sizes, permitted deviations

Bois de structure - Dimensions, carts admissibles Bauholz fr tragende Zwecke - Mae, zulssige
Abweichnungen

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 14 February 2003.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Management Centre has the same status as the official
versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United
Kingdom.
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EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION

COMIT EUROPEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPISCHES KOMITEE FR NORMUNG

Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36 B-1050 Brussels

2003 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 336:2003 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
 EN 336:2003 (E)

Contents
page

Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................4
1 Scope ..............................................................................................................................................................4
2 Normative references ....................................................................................................................................4
3 Terms and definitions....................................................................................................................................4
4 Sizes for structural timber ............................................................................................................................5
4.1 General............................................................................................................................................................5
4.2 Changes in size due to changes in moisture content................................................................................5
4.3 Permitted cross-sectional deviations ..........................................................................................................5
4.4 Permitted length deviations..........................................................................................................................5
5 Moisture content measurement....................................................................................................................5
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2
 EN 336:2003 (E)

Foreword

This document EN 336:2003 has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 124 "Timber structures", the
secretariat of which is held by DS.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or
by endorsement, at the latest by October 2003, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest
by October 2003

This document supersedes EN 336:1995.

According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
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3
 EN 336:2003 (E)

Introduction
Target size is the basis for the standard.

A method of calculating sizes at other moisture levels is provided.

The standard also stipulates a method for the measurement of moisture content.

1 Scope
This standard specifies two classes of permitted deviations from target sizes for structural timber of softwood and
hardwood species.

It also specifies the moisture content to be used as a reference point for the measurement of sizes, and gives
average values for changes in size due to changes in moisture content.

It is applicable to sawn and prepared square-edged timber with parallel edges having sawn thickness or widths in
the range 22 mm to 300 mm.

2 Normative references
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This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These
normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For
dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this European
Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the
publication referred to applies (including amendments).

EN 1309-1, Round and sawn timber - Method of measurement of dimensions - Part 1: Sawn timber

EN 13183-2, Moisture content of a piece of sawn timber - Part 2: Estimation by electrical resistance method

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this European Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.

3.1
target size
size specified (at the reference moisture content), and to which the deviations, which would ideally be zero, are to
be related

3.2
deviation
difference between actual size and the corresponding target size, making allowance for the difference in size due
to difference in moisture content (see clause 5)

3.3
moisture content
amount of water present in timber, expressed as a percentage of the oven-dry mass

4
 EN 336:2003 (E)
4 Sizes for structural timber

4.1 General

Sizes shall be measured in accordance with EN 1309-1.

For the purposes of this standard the reference moisture content is 20 %.

4.2 Changes in size due to changes in moisture content

Unless there is evidence to the contrary, it shall be assumed that the thickness and width of a piece of timber
increase by 0,25 % for every 1,0 % of moisture content higher than 20 % up to 30 %, and decrease by 0,25 % for
every 1,0 % of moisture content lower than 20 %. The above values are typical, without regard to species.

4.3 Permitted cross-sectional deviations

In any cross section of each piece of timber, the actual thickness and actual width (corrected for changes due to
changes in moisture content) may not deviate from the target size by more than:

Tolerance class 1

a) For thicknesses and widths
100 mm:

(-1 +3) mm

b) For thicknesses and widths >100 mm:

(-2 +4) mm

Tolerance class 2
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a) For thicknesses and widths
100 mm:

(-1 +1) mm

b) For thickness and widths > 100 mm:

(-1,5 +1,5) mm

The average actual thickness and the average actual width of square-edged timber shall not be less than the target
sizes, making allowance for changes in size due to changes in moisture content.

4.4 Permitted length deviations

Negative deviations are not permitted.

NOTE If overlength is likely to be a problem, a limit should be placed in the contract at the time of purchase.

5 Moisture content measurement

Moisture content shall be measured in accordance with EN 131832.

5
 BS EN 336:2003

National annex NA (informative)

Structural timber normally available in the United Kingdom
Timber structures can be designed using any size of timber. However, since the specific use
is normally not known at the time of conversion, sawmills supplying the UK tend to produce a
range of customary sizes. Specifying such customary sizes as target sizes will often result in
greater availability and savings in cost.

Table NA.1 lists the range of lengths and Table NA.2 lists the range of softwood sawn timber
sizes normally available from stock in the UK for structural purposes. In accordance with BS
EN 336:2003, they will meet the requirements of tolerance class 1 (see 5.3 and 5.4
respectively), and the requirement (contained in 5.1) that the average size shall be not less
than the target size.

As an aid to construction, the sawn sizes in Table NA.2 are frequently machined (processed)
on two opposing faces or on all four faces to produce more accurate dimensions which will
meet the requirements of tolerance class 2 (see 5.3). Table NA.3 and Table NA.4 list the
resulting range of machined sizes, together with an indication of the tolerance classes which
they can be expected to meet.

NOTEIn all cases, specifications should quote the required target size together with the appropriate
tolerance class for width and thickness respectively. To assist in the UK, it is recommended that in
specifications and on drawings, tolerance class 1 and tolerance class 2 be referred to as T1 and T2
respectively. As an example, a specification or drawing would, in this abbreviated form, read as 35 (T2)
x 97 (T2) and 47 (T1) x 195 (T2). A note should be added: The abbreviations T1 and T2 refer to
tolerance class 1 and tolerance class 2 respectively.

Surfaced softwood timber from Canada (CLS - Canadian Lumber Standards), USA (ALS -
American Lumber Standards) and from Nordic and other countries is normally available in the
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sizes shown in Table NA.5. Such timber, if in accordance with BS EN 336:2003, will meet the
requirements of tolerance class 2 (see 5.3).

For hardwood sizes see BS EN 1313-2, Round and sawn timber Permitted deviations and
preferred sizes Part 2: Hardwood sawn timber.

It is a requirement of the two structural timber codes of practice applicable in the UK,
BS 5268 (all parts), Structural use of timber and DD ENV 1995, Eurocode 5: Design of timber
structures, that structural timber should be graded as specified in BS EN 518:1995, Structural
timber Grading Requirements for visual strength grading standards, or in
BS EN 519:1995, Structural timber Grading Requirements for machine strength graded
timber and grading machines. If the grading has been carried out before machining, provided
that the machining reduction is not more than 3 mm or not more than 5 mm for dimensions
over 100 mm, the grade should not be considered to have been changed. If graded timber is
resawn beyond these limits, it should be regraded.

Table NA.1 Customary lengths of softwood

structural timber

Length
m
1,80 2,10 3,00 4,20 5,10 6,00 7,20
2,40 3,30 4,50 5,40 6,30
2,70 3,60 4,80 5,70 6,60
3,90 6,90
NOTE Lengths of 5,70 m and over may not be readily available without
finger jointing.

6
 BS EN 336:2003

Table NA.2 Customary target sizes of sawn softwood structural timber

Thickness Width (to tolerance class 1)

(to tolerance class 1) mm
mm 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300

22 x x x x x x
25 x x x x x x x
38 x x x x x x x
47 x x x x x x x x x
63 x x x x x x
75 x x x x x x x x x
100 x x x x x x
150 x x x
250 x
300 x
NOTE 1 Certain sizes may not be obtainable in the customary range of species and grades which are generally
available.
NOTE 2 This standard has a lower limit of 24 mm. However, a thinner material is used in the UK, the customary
sizes of such material are also listed here.

Table NA.3 Customary target sizes of softwood structural timber machined on

the width

Thickness Width (to tolerance class 2)

(to tolerance class 1) mm
mm 72 97 120 145 170 195 220 245 270 295
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22 x x x x x x
25 x x x x x x x
38 x x x x x x x
47 x x x x x x x x x
63 x x x x x x
75 x x x x x x x x x
100 x x x x x x
150 x x x
NOTE 1 See notes to Table NA.2.

Table NA.4 Customary target sizes of softwood structural timber machined on

all four sides

Thickness Width (to tolerance class 2)

(to tolerance class 2) mm
mm 72 97 120 145 170 195 220 245 270 295

19 x x x x x x
22 x x x x x x x
35 x x x x x x x
44 x x x x x x x x
60 x x x x x x
72 x x x x x x x x x
97 x x x x x x
145 x x x
NOTE 1 See notes to Table NA.2.

7
 BS EN 336:2003

Table NA.5 Softwood structural timber surfaced to CLS/ALS sizes

Thickness Width (to tolerance class 2)

(to tolerance mm
class 2) 63 89 114 140 184 235 285
mm
38 x x x x x x x
NOTE CLS/ALS surfaced softwood structural timber has rounded arrises not exceeding 3 mm radius.
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blank
 BS EN 336:2003

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