National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction
Designers frequently request historic lumber design values. Below are links to several historic documents that may assist in evaluating existing structures:
- 1922 Design Values for Structural Timber
- 1944 National Design Specification (NDS) for Stress-Grade Lumber and Its Fastenings
(This is a non-printable version of the 1944 NDS. Use the Purchase button below to order a printable version.)
In 1944, the copyrighted first edition of the National Design Specification for Stress-Grade Lumber and Its Fastenings was published by the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. Revisions of the 1944 edition were issued in:
- 1948
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
New editions were published in
- 1957
- 1960
- 1962
- 1968
- 1971
- 1973
- 1977
- 1982
- 1986
- 1991
- 1997
- 2001
- 2005
- 2012
Click here for a list of revised supplements and amendments.
The scope of the Specification has remained essentially unchanged since the first edition was issued in 1944. The name of the Specification was changed to the National Design Specification for Wood Construction in the 1977 edition. For more information, including the History of the NDS development, refer to the 1991-1997 NDS® Commentary.