Durability and Dimensional Stability of COM-PLY Studs. COM-PLY Report 7

摘要

Part of a series on the possibilities of producing house framing and structural panels with particleboard cores and veneer facings (COM - PLY or composite materials), this report describes the strength, deflection, dimensional stability, and warpage of COM - PLY studs before and after accelerated aging in the laboratory and outdoor weathering. For the laboratory tests conducted to evaluate COM - PLY studs, researchers used 150 COM - PLY studs fabricated from phenolic - bonded particleboard pressed to a thickness of 1 1 / 2 inches. For the comparison of COM - PLY with solid studs, researchers used white spruce studs obtained from several lumber yards. Researchers randomly selected 40 COM - PLY studs for accelerated aging and laboratory testing according to performance standards for durability. They designated 20 of these studs as controls and tested them for ultimate load and deflection at 225 pounds of total load. The remaining 20 studs were subjected to 6 cycles of accelerated aging, each cycle consisting of 5 exposures involving soaking, steaming, and dry heat. Results indicate that the properties of the studs changed only slightly after 1 year of weathering and that COM - PLY studs met the requirements for durability and dimensional stability as specified by the ''Performance Standards for Composite Studs Used in Exterior Walls.'' Photographs, a diagram, and tabular data are included.