| Softwood plywood has long been the predominant structural panel utilized in light-frame construction applications in this country. In recent years, alternate sheathing panels, such as oriented flakeboard and COM-PLY, have been the subjects of extensive research. As an outgrowth of this research, numerous full-scale manufacturing facilities are now producing these alternate sheathing panels. As these panels compete for softwood end-uses, the emphasis in their development has been the imitation of plywood properties. Yet, it is not known with any certainty if traditional plywood layups represent the most efficient utilization of the wood raw material in engineered structures. It was therefore appropriate, and timely, to consider the engineered design of sheathing panels based on their intended uses as system components.;A preliminary study of important panel and floor parameters provided the framework for subsequent case studies of plywood, COM-PLY, and oriented flakeboard. An example of panel optimization was performed using a standard COM-PLY configuration as a starting point.;The results of this research indicate that there is a strong likelihood for savings in raw material requirements in panels through their engineered design and at the same time improved floor performance. There is great potential for subsequent research to further define the influences of the large number of combinations of floor parameters on the determination of panel optimality. The analysis tools for the engineered design of the sheathing panel component in wood joist floors are now a reality.;In the research reported here, the specific influence of sheathing panels on floor system behavior was studied. An analytical procedure was deemed necessary to distinguish important panel property influences on floor response. A finite element computer program, FEAFLO, provided the basis for the analysis of wood-joist floors. A post-processor computer program, BEAM, was written to enhance the understanding of sheathing behavior in floor response. The combined application of programs FEAFLO and BEAM provided the required analytical procedure for the determination of how sheathing panels should be designed in floor systems. This represents the opportunity to determine what sheathing configurations are optimal. |
