Ash for indoor frame? Will it work?

[gdpipkorn]

I want to use ash killed by EAB for timber framing an indoor room in my pole barn for a wood shop. None of the charts offer ash load calcs. Is there an issue with ash? I feel it is similar to mixed oak, like bur or swamp white. I need to span 16' and the loft upstairs will only get light storage for spare lumber. Is the ash more brittle than mixed oak? Any experience and advice will be appreciated. Thank in advance.

[Southside]

Can't help you with span data, but from my experience EAB killed ash has been compromised for probably a year or so before the tree was dead, as a result the lumber from it can be quite a bit weaker than that from a healthy tree.  I have seen many a EAB killed ash break 20 - 30 feet off the ground while still standing.  Flooring, paneling, etc I don't see a problem with the wood - span material - I would not go there personally.  

Welcome to the Forum.  

[Don P]

That's a good question, an interesting observation and a valid concern. The awc has a help desk as does the US Forest Products Labs. The USFPL does the initial testing that the awc uses to develop design values. The USFPL monitors changes in the resource, they may have done strength studies on eab ash, worth asking, both.

Dead ash in the environment doesn't last long. I pushed one of those kind of logs off the trailer into the firewood pile last week.

Chapter 4 of the Wood Handbook at USFPL has raw strength data. I've compared those average strength values to one another to find comparable commercial species. That is not correct but better than a total guess, be conservative.

Edit; I looked in the NDS Supplement of wood design values (free online at awc.org) hoping to find ash in a species combination. I didn't until I looked in the glulam species combinations. White ash was listed in the Group A Hardwoods along with Beech Birch and Hickory and Northern red and White oak. Black ash was listed under the Group C Hardwoods along with American Elm, Tupelo and Yellow Poplar. Again not correct but some guidance.

[Ianab]

Because it's an internal division / mezzanine floor type structure it's not like you have to worry about extreme wind / snow loads etc that a full free standing structure needs to handle. 

I'd suggest you just over engineer it. If in doubt, go a size bigger on the beams and put an extra couple of posts and braces in. 

[gdpipkorn]

Thank you for the advice. The house my father was born in (circa 1835) has beams of all species. 6x10-6x12 sawn top and bottom only also spanning 16'. That is the motivation for my design. The Ash makes it affordable. I hope this works for me. Keep the suggestions coming. Thanks again.