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Strength and Stiffness

Wood structural panels possess inherent strength and stiffness. They resist bending or deflection, racking or shape distortion and impact damage. Because of their split resistance, wood structural panels possess excellent fastener-holding properties and can be nailed very near panel edges.

For most applications, stiffness is one of the biggest benefits of wood structural panels. Excellent stiffness is measured as resistance to deflection under uniform and concentrated loads and to forces that would tend to distort the panel from its rectangular shape in the panel plane, a process known as racking. This stiffness often permits wood structural panels to be used with no additional bracing by other materials. Wood structural panels are perfect for heavy-duty applications common in industrial uses.

The strength and stiffness of structural wood panels are based on the grain direction in the layers of wood, the species of the wood, the bond classification and the manufacturing process.

Keep reading about the strength and stiffness of wood structural panels.