Design and Evaluation of Thin-Walled Hollow-Core Wood-Strand Sandwich Panels

Part of a long-term goal of developing a sustainable composite panel that meets both structural and energy performance requirements in building construction applications, this study discusses the development of a thin-walled wood-strand 3D core element that shows promise for a variety of panelized construction applications, such as in a building envelope. Sandwich panels take advantage of the lightweight corrugated core sandwiched between stress skin faces acting similar to an I-beam. Specific bending stiffness of sandwich panels fabricated with ponderosa pine strands was significantly higher than average values of commercially produced composite panels of equivalent thickness (141-156% and 120-133% stiffer than oriented strand board (OSB) and 5-ply plywood respectively). Compared to OSB of equivalent thickness, sandwich panels require 40% less wood strands by weight, which also means lower usage of resin. This basic concept creates tremendous flexibility in designing panelized wall, floor and roof elements for building envelope applications.