Does this beam need to be replaced?

[bogart_bogesley]

A couple of years ago I purchased a 12x12 that arrived with a punky edge.  The guy at the lumber mill said it was fine and I had an engineer look at it as well.  Both said to just pour some wood hardener on it and at the time I didn't want to wait to have another one cut and dried anyway.  I figured I would replace the ugly edge at some point in the future.  Over the past two years it didn't really change much in appearance (at least on the outside).

Well I just removed the edge a couple of days ago and found myself cutting out a 5"x5"x6' section.  The pieces that I cut out have this soft, styrofoam-like consistency embedded with black rings and long channels of yellow leathery/foam-like growth.  I have no idea how much deeper it goes.  5 cans of wood hardener from a couple of years back didn't penetrate more than an inch and a half.  I know I could remove even more (deeper into the beam and further along its length) but at some point the house is going to fall down (supporting it with lally columns right now).

I'm prepared to replace the thing with an LVL at this point (not a full 12x12 but e.g. a 5x12 LVL, eventually sandwiched in between other pieces that match the rest of the structure).  This beam supports half of the roof load.  I just want to run it by some more eyes before I pull the trigger but as it stands right now this thing is keeping me up at night.  Of course, I know something like this can't be fully evaluated from just a few pictures.

The cut out section:




Left:



Center:



Right:


 
"Foam-like" channels:


 

 
Other end of the beam's top edge (same side as cut out) has the same soft consistency as the piece that was cut out:



The other face of the beam looks pretty normal and is solid:


 

[loganworks2]

There is no question about it. That beam needs to be replaced immediately. Whoever the engineer was should have never approved its use imho.

[Southside]

My guess is that was either a dead tree or a log that laid around for quite a while before it was sawn. 

[Don P]

Agreed, you're still breaking fiber short and brash at the bottom of the 5x5 cut and at the end in the one pic, there is no assignable strength to a timber like that.

I don't mean to be argumentative but it looks like this is a tension member?

[Southside]

Assuming the other timbers were purchased from the same mill at the same time further inspection may be warranted.  It's hard to tell on my screen but it looks like there may be spalting in that beam as well indicating decay.  

[Mad Professor]

Foam like channels might be insect tunnels.

That beam should have been used for a raised bed garden

[Ianab]

That beam should have been used for a raised bed garden

Even then, it wouldn't last. But better your garden bed collapses vs your house. 

Looks like the tree was damaged (wind / lightning / growth defect). The popcorn might be sap and pith the tree naturally puts into a void to try and reduce decay. Didn't work and the wood has started to decay.  

Probably not obvious from a visual grading as the newer outer wood is still solid and the crack appeared minor, until you look inside. Basically the tree is in the early stages of heart rot, and eventually would have ended up hollow. 

Like the others say, it's a dud. Replace it now while it's relatively easy. 

[hedgerow]

I wouldn't want that beam in my building. You sure don't want the roof coming down. 

[bogart_bogesley]

Thanks a lot everyone.  The LVL should arrive next week.

Lesson learned, visit the lumber mill and inspect everything before accepting delivery.

[Brad_bb]

First, you can't dry a 12x12 oak beam.  Use it green, it will dry over a course of 40 years.  Why not replace that beam with another oak beam? Green oak will only shrink in one direction.  All timber frames are built green.  They'll do most of their moving in the first season, some more in the second and not much after that.  It looks like you built a post and beam structure so why not support everything and remove the beam and replace it with a new one?

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I'm no expert but I agree with Brad

[Mad Professor]

That beam should have been used for a raised bed garden

Even then, it wouldn't last. But better your garden bed collapses vs your house.

If it rots in the garden it's compost ;D  Put the next beam outside the perimeter of the raised bed