Assess Wood Panel Water Absorption & Wet Compressive Strength
At 1:20 in
7 construction Tests in 3 minutes! #framing #carpentry #construction
What happens here
Cut small, identical samples of plywood and OSB. Submerge both samples in water for a minimum of 24 hours to simulate prolonged moisture exposure. After soaking, visually inspect and compare the degree of swelling and check for any delamination in both materials. Both materials swell, but neither delaminates after 24 hours. Next, set up a hydraulic press to test the compressive strength of both dry and wet samples of plywood and OSB. Place each sample under the press and apply force, recording the pressure in PSI at the point of failure. Dry plywood fails at approximately 2000 PSI, and dry OSB at 1900 PSI. Wet plywood bends at around 2200 PSI, while wet OSB breaks at about 1600 PSI. This demonstrates that OSB's strength is more significantly compromised by moisture compared to plywood.
Goal: Understand how moisture affects the structural integrity of plywood and OSB under compression.
Tools and materials
- Hydraulic Press — To apply compressive force to wood samples and measure breaking point
- OSB Samples — Small pieces for water absorption and compressive strength tests
- Plywood Samples — Small pieces for water absorption and compressive strength tests
- Water Containers — To soak wood samples
- Wooden Blocks — To create a stable base for the samples under the hydraulic press
- Water — For soaking the wood samples