Construction timbers and compliance

Queensland government provides the interactive web tool, QTimber (and associated publication, Construction timbers in Queensland (CTIQ)), to make it easier to use Queensland building timbers correctly and improve timber quality in service.

Both resources provide information on important wood properties you need consider when selecting timber for construction in Queensland. They also provide requirements and conditions of use, so you can determine the right 'design service life' for different construction applications in Queensland's climatic regions.

Construction timbers in Queensland (CTIQ)

The Construction timbers in Queensland publication sets out the conditions for using timbers in Queensland.

CTIQ describes the properties of timbers used in the construction of Class 1 to Class 10 buildings (e.g. houses, carports, garages, greenhouses and sheds), as well as those used for other purposes such as furniture, landscaping and outdoor structures (e.g. playgrounds, fences).

It's a primary reference document in the Queensland variations to the Building Code of Australia (BCA, Australian Building Codes Board) under the Queensland Building Act 1975.

The publication is made up of 2 books, also known as CTIQ 1 and 2:

CTIQ 1:

• provides definitions and descriptions of timber properties
• supports the information in CTIQ 2 by explaining
  • design life
  • building applications
  • decay hazard zones.

CTIQ 2:

• provides reference tables for the properties
• proposes target design life
• outlines conditions for more than 600 timbers in more than 50 building applications across Queensland.