IRC and reciprocity

mejunkhound · 04-10-11, 06:20 PM

Has anyone been successful getting building offical approval using reclaimed plywood in jurisdictions with the IRC as code ??
If so, how did the bldg offical handle the situation?

Local bldg folks have no clue what to do, so they just reject the idea.
Have a few hundred sheets of 5 ft by 10 ft marine grade 13 ply baltic birch (much better than OSB, but no APA stamp, just a british BS6656 stamp). e-mails to IRC asking about reciprocity with european specs have gone unanswered.

For the curious - the baltic birch panels are from shipping crates for aircraft parts shipped from Belfast, Ireland.

mrd · 04-10-11, 08:23 PM

IRC prescriptive code is engineered to meet a certain structural strength, so if the panels are all in a similar condition, perhaps you could construct a simple frame to demonstrate/measure the strength of the panels you have to the local official. Shear strength would be the big one, though bending from perpendicular loads is also applicable.

04-10-11, 06:20 PM	#1
mejunkhound Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: PNW Posts: 197 Thanks: 0 Thanked 47 Times in 31 Posts	IRC and reciprocity Has anyone been successful getting building offical approval using reclaimed plywood in jurisdictions with the IRC as code ?? If so, how did the bldg offical handle the situation? Local bldg folks have no clue what to do, so they just reject the idea. Have a few hundred sheets of 5 ft by 10 ft marine grade 13 ply baltic birch (much better than OSB, but no APA stamp, just a british BS6656 stamp). e-mails to IRC asking about reciprocity with european specs have gone unanswered. For the curious - the baltic birch panels are from shipping crates for aircraft parts shipped from Belfast, Ireland.

04-10-11, 08:23 PM	#2
mrd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Milford, DE Posts: 106 Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	IRC prescriptive code is engineered to meet a certain structural strength, so if the panels are all in a similar condition, perhaps you could construct a simple frame to demonstrate/measure the strength of the panels you have to the local official. Shear strength would be the big one, though bending from perpendicular loads is also applicable.