Not all Indonesian hardwood is allowed to be used in Hawaii.

Wood species used for structural purposes in buildings in Hawaii must meet the provisions stated in the International Building Code (IBC) and/or other adopted or specific codes and provisions in-force by the County, or have been approved by the County having jurisdiction over the project. We contacted all Counties in Hawaii to verify this statement and this was their unambiguous answer:  "All hardwood species for structural use (*) from Indonesia are disallowed by the Counties of Hawaii, except that only Bangkirai and Merbau is approved by the City and County of Oahu and Bangkirai heartwood has been approved for Maui, Kauai and Morotai. Use of any Indonesian wood species for structural purposes (except Bangkirai and Merbau for Oahu and Bangkirai heartwood for Maui) requires obtaining approval for use by the County having jurisdiction over the project".
(*) This may include flooring if this is used as decking material and needs to span. It may be problematic as this may be ruled as a structural application

In the event that an Indonesian hardwood will be used in Counties of Hawaii other than mentioned above an approval is required and may involve having an independent testing lab conduct structural tests and write a report, filing the report, forms, and other required documents with the County. Such a process could require considerable time and money and approval is not guaranteed. Since each County may have differing requirements, whereas these requirements are subject to change at any time without notice, those contemplating undertaking such approvals are advised to check directly with the County for which approval is sought as to required procedures, and to verify which, if any, Indonesian wood species are meanwhile approved for structural use. A lab report may well cost over USD. 50,000

In conclusion: Projects using any other type of hardwood for the structural elements as per County code are at risk not to be approved.

Our company is listed in Oahu allowing the use of Bangkirai and Merbau and for Maui allowing the use of Bangkirai heartwood. To know more about the difference between heartwood and sapwood click <here>.    

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