Published 27 March 2026 · Allbuild Frames & Trusses
AS1684 is the standard that governs how residential timber frames are designed and built in Australia. It covers prescriptive construction requirements, span tables, bracing, tie-down, and the underlying design criteria that feed into member sizing.
It's a series of parts. The construction rules in AS1684.2 were updated in 2021, that revision changed bracing capacity defaults from joint group JD4 to JD5, updated metal tie-down connection details, and separated the rules for notches and holes in load-bearing vs non-load-bearing walls.
But the design criteria that underpin the span tables, originally published as AS1684.1 in 1999, haven't kept pace. AS1684.1 was formally superseded by AS 1720.3 in 2016, but here's the thing: AS1684.2 and AS1684.3 (the 2021 editions, the ones builders and designers actually use) still reference the 1999 design criteria, not the 2016 replacement.
That means the loading assumptions and design methods behind your span tables are still based on work done in the late 1990s. The loading standards and timber engineering standards they were built on have been updated since then. The design criteria haven't followed.
That's what the Future Framing Initiative is targeting.
Forest & Wood Products Australia launched the FFI in February 2025. Thirteen organisations are backing it financially, AKD, Hyne, Dindas, Meyer, MiTek, Multinail, Pryda, Stora Enso, Timberlink, Timbertruss, Wesbeam, and Wespine, with research support from the University of Tasmania through an Australian Forest and Wood Innovations grant.
The stated goal: update AS1684 so the design criteria reflect current loading and engineering standards. If those criteria change, the span tables derived from them will change too. Member sizes and configurations may shift. Your construction documents will need to reflect whatever comes out the other end.
Where it's at now
The FFI isn't just an announcement anymore. A WoodSolutions and AIBS webinar in February 2026 gave the industry its first progress update. The FTMA National Conference in May 2026 has the FFI on the agenda. The Technical Committee is actively working through the standards development process, and a draft standard is expected to be open for industry review this year. This has moved from "planning to do it" to "doing it."
The mid-rise question
There's a second workstream worth watching. FWPA is developing a new industry standard for lightweight timber framing in mid-rise buildings, townhouses, apartments, schools, aged care. The target is now inclusion in NCC 2029. If you're building or thinking about building anything beyond detached houses, this one matters.
What it means for builders right now
Nothing changes today. You still work to the current version of AS1684 that's in force when your permit is issued. But this review is happening, and when it lands, the numbers in your documentation will look different.
We track this because the standards that govern our span tables and detailing are the foundation of what we produce. If they're changing, we want to know what's coming and be ready for it.
If you've got questions about how this might affect a current or upcoming project, give us a call.
General information only. AS1684 revision is in progress via the FWPA Future Framing Initiative. Construction must comply with the version of AS1684 in force at the time of permit. Allbuild's review is a buildability and coordination check — final structural responsibility remains with the engineer of record.