Tenco Products / Sawn Lumber

•   Radiata Pine is medium density softwood, with very good cutting, re-sawing and finishing properties.
•   It has low resin content - much less than typical heartwood from SYP (Southern Yellow Pines). Heart-shake is virtually unknown.
•   NZ Radiata Pine has excellent nailing, nail holding, and screwing properties.
•   Strength and stiffness are both good, meeting the requirements of a range of packaging and construction uses.
•   It dries rapidly in suitable ambient conditions.

•   NZ Radiata Pine logs have 2 primary moisture zones within them - Heartwood and Sapwood.
•   Heartwood is formed adjacent to the Pith* and this zone has low moisture content of less than 50% (by dry wood weight).
•   Sapwood usually starts 10-15cm away from the pith. It contains more moisture, and starts out at a much higher moisture content of 100% or more (expressed as a % of dry wood weight), e.g. when first cut from the log, there is a roughly equal weight of wood fibre and water.
•   Green lumber (as sawn from the log) will therefore be either heartwood, sapwood, or a mixture of both.
•   Radiata pine Industrial Grade air-dries rapidly (in moderate humidity), and is frequently made-up into products using green (un-dried) lumber, with the final drying taking place after manufacture into pallets etc.
•   The final moisture content of Radiata pine lumber is dependent on the Temperature and Relative Humidity of the ambient environment. This final moisture content is called the E.M.C. (Equilibrium Moisture Content) and is typically around 10% in air-conditioned buildings and around 15% in non air-conditioned situations.
•   Kiln Drying at elevated temperatures (100+ degrees C) in advanced drying kilns, may be used to dry even the wettest Radiata Pine sapwood from green to kiln-dry in only 24 hours. Typical kiln-dry moisture contents for Industrial lumber range from 8 to 20% m.c. after drying.

NOTE: *Pith is the dark brown, cork-like material associated with the growing tip of the tree. It appears near the centre of all pine logs and is normally around 10mm wide.

•   Radiata Pine sapwood is susceptible to sapstain (blue-stain) fungi while the moisture content is above 20%.  Heartwood is not susceptible to sapstain, but mixtures of sap and heartwood are susceptible when the moisture content is high enough.
•   Green sawn (G/S) lumber has an application of anti-sapstain chemicals soon after sawing from the log to prevent excessive sapstain. There are a variety of proprietary sapstain control formulations consisting of common fungicides with surfactant wetting agents, which are applied in diluted form to the freshly sawn lumber, to prevent excessive blue-stain.
•   Blue-stain itself does not decrease the strength properties of the lumber, but it can be unsightly in certain packaging applications, so anti-sapstain treatments have been developed for control.
• 
  Examples of anti-sapstain treatment chemicals are:
•   BAZOOKA™ Sapstain and Mould Control imported by Kop-Coat New Zealand Limited.
•   NP-1® - marketed by Kop-Coat New Zealand Limited;
•   Hylite Clear® marketed by Osmose New Zealand.
•   Taratek IG® - formulated and marketed by Taranaki Nuchem Ltd.
•   Taratek IP® - formulated by Taranaki Nuchem Ltd and marketed by Koppers Arch Wood Protection (NZ) Ltd.
•   Hylite Excell® marketed by Osmose New Zealand

Many of these formulations have been approved by various NZ regional councils as residues safe to be burned in wood fuel.

Industrial Grade Radiata Pine comes in a number of standard size and length combinations.

Mini Flitch:

•   Cut from the heartwood core of the log so frequently contains pith*
•   Mostly heartwood and almost always sold Green Sawn (G/S)
•   Has mostly tight intergrown knots
•   Common Sizes; 100x75mm, 100x90mm, 100x100mm, 100x150mm
•   Common lengths sorted into S/L (Select length) packets; 3.6m, 4.2m, 4.8m, 5.4m & 6.0m (sometimes a more restricted range is available).

Industrial Scantling:

•   Cut from the mixed heartwood/sapwood part of the log
•   Frequently sold Green Sawn (G/S)- Kiln Dried (K/D) may be available
•   Contains less pith than mini-flitch, but knots may be larger
•   Common thickness is 50mm (minor amount of 40mm)
•   Common widths are 75, 100, 150 & 200mm
•   Lengths S/L packets @ 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8, 5.4 & 6.0m
•   Kiln dried lumber will shrink in cross section and is typically around 2-3% smaller in thickness and width than the green-sawn nominal dimension.

Industrial Non Structural Timber (NST):

•   As for Industrial Scantling, but it has been planer gauged to a smoother finish. However, it has failed to meet the final quality check requirements to make Construction (house framing) Lumber, and is sold as NST.
•   Sizes are 45x70mm, 45x90mm (most common) , 45x140mm & 45x190mm (these sizes are very consistent).
•   Lengths S/L packets @ 2.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8, 5.4 & 6.0m
•   Kiln Dried (K/D) with Moisture contents in range from 8-20%
•   Technically it is S4S (Surfaced on 4 Sides) & E4E (Eased on 4 Edges)
  ‘Eased’ means each edge has a small pencil-rounded profile.

Two methods of Lumber Shipment are used by TENCO to make sure lumber reaches our customers as quickly and economically as possible.

Breakbulk Shipment:

•   Shipped as under-deck cargo in packets of around 3 cubic metres each (around 1.0m wide, 0.7m high and lumber length 3.6-6.0m long).
•   This is normally the most economical and versatile for Green Sawn Lumber, but is dependent on the availability of break-bulk-capable ships and ports able to handle this type of cargo. 
•   Each packet is numerically coded and paint-marked with individual shipping marks unique to the Customer and TENCO.

Container Shipment:

•   The most versatile and readily available shipment
•   A wide range of shipping companies serve the New Zealand – Asia trade routes. A large number of New Zealand Ports are container-capable
•   Mostly 40' containers are used for economy & HC (High Cube) preferred.
•   Both Kiln Dried (K/D) and Green Sawn (G/S) lumber can be shipped
•   Volumes of lumber vary with gross overall weight constraints for 40’ containers:
•   Gross 40' container maximum loaded weights are just over 30 tonnes
•   K/D lumber volumes range between 40 and 45m3
•   Green Sawn (G/S) lumber volumes range between 32 and 36m3

Devanning (unloading a container) can take place at the overseas customer's chosen terminal or at their own facility or  warehouse.

TENCO can advise on economical and practical methods to unload sawn lumber from containers.