Comparative studies of visual and machine strength grading of pine structural sawn timber

In the EU countries structural timber used in construction have to comply with regulations arising from the Regulation No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council. One of the basic requirements for structural timber is the need for strength grading which can be performed either by visual or machine method. The paper presents the results of visual and machine grading of structural pine timber originated from Masovian-Podlaska natural forest region of Poland. Obtained results extend the database of mechanical properties of Polish structural pine timber necessary for introduction of Polish visual grades into the standard EN 1912.