WPIF
Wood Panel Industries Federation
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Panelguide

PanelGuide gives the panel user and specifier guidance and information on the use of wood-based panels in an authoritative and comprehensive manner.

This guide was prepared as a collaborative project between the Wood Panel Industries Federation, National Panel Products Division (A division of the Timber Trades Federation), TRADA Technology Limited and the Building Research Establishment Limited. The project was co-funded by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions through its Partners In Innovation Programme (Programme managed today by DTI). view project partners

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the advice given, the project partners cannot accept liability for loss or damage how so evercaused arising from the use of the information supplied.

All sections of the PanelGuide can be accessed from this page in Acrobat (PDF) format.

Some of these documents are quite large, so to reduce download times as far as possible, non-essential images have been removed from the files. The larger files may take a number of minutes to download over dial-up connections.

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PanelGuide Sections
0 FOREWORD (41KB)
1 INTRODUCTION (145KB)
2 PANELS FOR USE IN CONSTRUCTION
2.1 - Requirements (35KB)
2.2 - Factors in design (45KB)
2.3 - Selection of panels for specific end use: general requirements (39KB)
2.4 - Application of panels in flooring (86KB)
2.5 - Applications of panels in flat roof decking (63KB)
2.6 - Application in pitched roofing (sarking) (70KB)
2.7 - Application of panels in structural wall sheathing (175KB)
2.8 - Application of panels in the production of box and I-beams (55KB)
2.9 - Application of panels in the production of formwork (44KB)
2.10 - Application of panels in cladding, fascias and soffits (68KB)
2.11 - Application of panels in architectural mouldings and window boards (41KB)
2.12 - Application of panels as wall linings and partitions (86KB)
2.13 - Application of panels as door skins (32KB)
2.14 - Application of panels for staircase treads and risers (27KB)
3 PANELS FOR NON-CONSTRUCTION USE
3.1 - Requirements for non-construction use (55KB)
3.2 - Panels satisfying the "requirements" for non-construction uses (126KB)
4 STORAGE, HANDLING, CUTTING, FIXING AND FINISHING
4.1 - General (25KB)
4.2 - Storage and transportation (322KB)
4.3 - Handling (24KB)
4.4 - Cutting and machinery (571KB)
4.5 - Fixing and installation (421KB)
4.6 - Joints and joint details (563KB)
4.7 - Decoration and finishing (66KB)
5 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
5.1 - General (45KB)
5.2 - Environmental advantages of wood (23KB)
5.3 - Classification of raw materials used in the manufacture of wood-based panels (25KB)
5.4 - Recycled wood (25KB)
5.5 - Standards relating to the environmental characteristics of wood-based panels and/or their constituent materials (37KB)

5.6 - Environmental profiles of Particleboard, Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) (24KB)

6 HEALTH AND SAFETY
6.1 - Introduction (21KB)
6.2 - Health and Safety legislation (29KB)
6.3 - Risks associated with wood-based panels (72KB)
6.4 - Formaldehyde and wood-based panels (40KB)
7 REFERENCES (23KB)
Annex 1 - GLOSSARY OF TERMS (44KB)
Annex 2a - PARTICLEBOARD (WOOD CHIPBOARD) (78KB)
Annex 2b - OSB (ORIENTED STRAND BOARD) (93KB)
Annex 2c - CEMENT BONDED PARTICLEBOARD (CBPB) (85KB)
Annex 2d - PLYWOOD (148KB)
Annex 2e - DRY PROCESS FIBREBOARDS (MDF) (110KB)
Annex 2f - WET PROCESS FIBREBOARDS (133KB)
Annex 3 - CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PARTICLEBOARD & ORIENTED STRAND BOARD (OSB) FLOATING FLOORS (193KB)
Annex 4 - BIBLOGRAPHY (40KB)
Annex 5 - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (27KB)
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