COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL FLOORING DESIGN

Everything you need to know about installing

plywood as a flooring system for commercial and
industrial applications
 Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3
Benefits of structural plywood flooring ................................................................................................................. 3
Product details ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Tongued and Grooved Edges ................................................................................................................................. 4
Dimensions and Tolerances ................................................................................................................................... 4
Face and Back Grades ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Plywood Characteristics .................................................................................................... 5

Durability................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Formaldehyde Emission ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Branding ................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Structural Properties ........................................................................................................ 6

Density ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Workability ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Moisture Content & Dimensional Stability ............................................................................................................ 7
Thermal Expansion ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Stress Grades ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Allowable Strength and Elastic Moduli .................................................................................................................. 8
Section Properties .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Panel Identification Codes ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Flooring Design ............................................................................................................... 10

Floor Loadings ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Design Procedure ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Fixing requirements ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Preservative Treated Plywood and Fastener Corrosion ....................................................................................... 13

Load Span Tables ............................................................................................................ 14

Deflection / Strength Limits ................................................................................................................................. 14
Face Grain Direction ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Design Criteria ...................................................................................................................................................... 15
Example Using the Tables .................................................................................................................................... 16
Table 6 : Allowable Concentrated Imposed (Live) Loads (kN), Deflection Limit of Span/200 ............................. 17
Table 7 : Allowable Concentrated Imposed (Live) Loads (kN), Deflection Limit of Span/300 ............................. 18
Table 8 : Allowable Uniformly Distributed Imposed (Live) Loads (kPa), Deflection Limit of Span/200 ............. 19

Basic Formulae ............................................................................................................... 20

Revision History.............................................................................................................. 21

www.ewp.asn.au

2
Introduction
EWPAA structural plywood flooring has proved to be both safe and reliable when used in commercial and
industrial buildings, and is easily designed to resist the high loading criteria required by the building codes. Its
resilience and strength have been utilised in storage decks, truck floors and flooring in sporting complexes and
agricultural buildings. Plywood flooring systems are a cost effective alternative to suspended floors in such
applications.

EWPAA/JAS-ANZ branded ‘Tested Structural’ plywood is a fully engineered structural product manufactured to
AS/NZS 2269 “Plywood-Structural” and is the only panel included in AS1720.1 “Timber Structures : Design
Methods” which is often referred to as “the Timber Design Code”.

The key to structural plywood’s properties is that its manufacture involves cross-laminating timber veneers
together using the permanent Type A phenolic bond.

The cross-lamination utilises timber’s superior properties along the grain enabling stresses
to be distributed in all directions in the panel. As structural plywood branded with the
EWPAA/JAS-ANZ ‘Tested Structural Plywood’ certification mark is manufactured under the
Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia’s third party audited quality control
program, the performance and structural characteristics of the product is assured.

This design manual details the physical, mechanical and structural properties of the standard range of EWPAA/JAS-
ANZ branded structural plywood, followed by load/span tables and the installation requirements for plywood
flooring.

Benefits of structural plywood flooring

 Safe and Reliable - The EWPAA quality control program ensures safe and reliable panels with compliance
to relevant Australian Codes.

 Durability - the permanent Type A bond has been proven to perform structurally for at least 50 years.

 Assured Load Capacity - As structural plywood has standardised and reliable structural properties, it can
be designed to meet the high concentrated loads specified for commercial and industrial flooring in the
Timber Design Code. Additionally, the floor can be designed as a structural diaphragm to transfer lateral
loads within a structure.

 Dimensional Stability - Plywood’s cross-laminated construction provides excellent dimensional stability

under changes of moisture content. This is particularly advantageous if the flooring is exposed to the
weather during installation.

 Light Weight - Plywood’s superior strength and stiffness for its weight results in light-weight panels that
are easy to install.

 Impact Resistant - Plywood’s cross-laminated construction makes panels highly resistant to edge and
impact damage. Additionally, fatigue from cyclic loads is not a problem.

 Environmentally Friendly - Plywood is made from a natural product, wood, which is a renewable
resource, and requires limited use of energy in its manufacture.

 Chain of Custody Certification is available –

Chain of Custody (CoC) tracks a wood or forest product from a
sustainably managed origin in a certified forest through to its end
use as a wood or forest product by the consumer. CoC covers all
intermediate steps such as harvesting, transportation, primary and
secondary processing, manufacturing, re-manufacturing,
distribution and sales.

3
Product details
To comply with the recommendations of this manual, the structural
plywood must be branded with the EWPAA/JAS-ANZ ‘Test Structural
Plywood’ certification mark. The EWPAA/JAS-ANZ certification mark
ensures that the plywood has been manufactured under the EWPAA’s
third party audited, process control based, quality control program and
assures compliance with Australian Standards AS/NZS 2269.0-2008
“Plywood-Structural Specifications” and AS1720.1-2010 “Timber
Structures : Design Methods”.

Tongued and Grooved Edges

Structural plywood is supplied with square edges, however, it may be specified with a tongue and groove along the
length of the panel. Based on full scale testing the plastic T&G joint has a design capacity of 7.5kN concentrated
imposed (live) load.

In applications where the concentrated load is 7.5kN or less, the T&G joint eliminates the need for nogging. Please
note panel end joints must be supported by a sub-floor member. For design concentrated loads exceeding 7.5kN
the T and G joint must be supported by a designed nogging.

Dimensions and Tolerances

The most common panel size of structural plywood is 2400 x 1200mm, while 2700 x 1200mm is becoming more
widely available.

T&G panels 2250 x 1200mm for 450mm spaced joists are available in thicknesses to suit residential loadings.
Other structural plywood panel sizes available on special order are :

 2400mm x 900mm
 1800mm x 1200mm
 1800mm x 900mm
 3000mm x 1200mm

The first dimension is the length of the panels along the face grain, the second being across the grain. The
tolerance on length and width is ±1.5mm.

The standard structural plywood thicknesses for flooring are 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 25. Thicknesses over 25mm are
normally against order. It is best to check both the thicknesses and panel sizes available through EWPAA plywood
merchants. Thickness tolerances for structural plywood are :

Thickness Tolerance
Sanded sheets over 7.5 mm thick up to and including 17.5 mm ±4%.
Sanded sheets over 17.5 mm thick up to and including 25 mm ±3%.
Un-sanded sheets an additional thickness tolerance
of +0.3 mm per sheet.
NOTE: For sanded sheets over 25 mm thick, the tolerance on thickness should be agreed between
the manufacturer and the purchaser.

Tongued and grooved structural plywood is generally available in a range of panel sizes and thicknesses to suit
residential dwelling applications.

4
Face and Back Grades
The standard face grade for structural plywood for flooring is ‘C’ which is a non-appearance grade with a solid
surface. The standard grade for the back of the panel is ‘D’. The D grade surface can contain open defects such as
knot holes and splits. The effect of the natural defects has been taken into account in the derivation of
characteristic strengths and elastic Moduli. The C grade face on structural plywood is suitable for direct covering
with floor coverings such as vinyl.

Plywood Characteristics
Durability
All structural plywood manufactured to
AS/NZS 2269.0 has the permanent Type A
‘marine’ bond. This bond is achieved using a
phenolic adhesive which is distinctly dark in
colour. The standard bond test for Type A
gluelines is a 72 hour continuous boil in water,
after which the plywood veneers are chiselled
apart at the gluelines. In a well-made glueline,
separation of the plies occurs through
breaking of the wood itself and not by
separation of the plies along the gluelines.

The pass requirement is at least 50% of the

failure, after chiselling, is in the wood fibre
(which indicates that the bond is at least as
strong as the wood). This test for phenolic
bonds has been proven to simulate over half a
century of actual exposure without glueline
Structural Plywood Flooring, Clear Finished, Shop Floor
breakdown.

Standard structural plywood flooring is not recommended for floors or decks permanently exposed to the
weather. If permanent weather exposure is required contact the EWPAA for additional product and installation
data.

Formaldehyde Emission
Formaldehyde is a colourless strong smelling gas. Formaldehyde occurs naturally in the environment and is
emitted by processes such as combustion, decay and is emitted naturally by all timber species. The International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a division of the World Health Organization has reclassified formaldehyde
from a group 2A suspected carcinogen to a known carcinogen. It must be stressed that the cancer causing
properties of formaldehyde are only evident at very high concentrations, hundreds of times greater than levels
emitted from structural plywood.

5
The formaldehyde emission classes in the Australian/New Zealand Standards are detailed below. Products labelled
with emission classes E0 and E1, have extremely low formaldehyde emissions.

Formaldehyde Emission Classes from Australian / New Zealand Standards

Emission Formaldehyde Emission Formaldehyde Emission

Class Limit (mg/l) Limit (ppm)*
E0 Less than or equal to 0.5 Less than or equal to 0.041
E1 Less than or equal to 1.0 Less than or equal to 0.08
E2 Less than or equal to 2.0 Less than or equal to 0.16
E3 Greater than 2.0 Greater than 0.16
* Based on a test chamber volume of 10 litres, zero airflow during the 24hr test cycle,
molecular weight of formaldehyde 30.03 and the number of microlitres of formaldehyde
gas in 1 micromole at 101KPa and 298K.

EWPAA certified structural plywood is constructed with an A Bond phenolic glue line which is compliant with the E 0
classification, and well below acceptable exposure limits specified by Workplace Australia and do not constitute a
health risk.

Branding
All EWPAA quality controlled structural plywood is branded as follows:

 Manufacturer’s Name or Brand

 The word ‘Structural’
 Face grade, back grade and bond, e.g. CD-A bond
 Stress grade and Australian Standard AS/NZS 2269.0 e.g. F14 AS/NZS 2269.0
 The panel construction code, e.g. 20-30-7
 The EWPAA/JAS-ANZ ‘Tested Structural Plywood’ certification mark
 The Formaldehyde Emission amount, e.g. E0

Structural Properties
Density
As timber is a natural material and a range of species are used to manufacture plywood the density can vary
between panels. As a guide F11 stress grade plywood would average 550kg/m³ while F27 stress grade plywood
would average 850kg/m³.

Workability
Structural plywood can be worked with conventional wood working tools. It can be cut, drilled, bored, planed and
sanded with ease.

6
Due to its cross-laminated construction plywood panels can be generally nailed with hand or power driven nails to
within 10mm of the edge without fear of splitting or other edge damage. Other wood based and brittle panel
materials do not possess this property. This is a real advantage when fixing the panels to narrow timber sub-floor
members as the edge damage factor is negligible.

Additionally, the cross-laminated construction imparts impact resistance to the structural plywood panels.
Damage during transport, handling and site installation is therefore minimised. The resistance to handling damage
is a real cost benefit.

Moisture Content & Dimensional Stability

Next to the durability of the Type A bond, the panel dimensional stability of structural plywood under moisture
content and temperature changes is the most important characteristic. Because of its cross-laminated
construction, plywood possesses superior dimensional stability characteristics under changes of moisture content
compared to all other timber and wood based panels. Table 1 details the average hygroscopic movement of
structural plywood.

Equally significant is that because the natural wood structure is maintained during plywood manufacture all
moisture movements in structural plywood for practical purposes can be considered reversible. When large floor
areas are to be laid, the hygroscopic movement of the plywood flooring should be determined over the most likely
practical moisture content range that the flooring would normally be subjected to by using the data in Table 1.
The movement should be allowed for in the flooring design by leaving small movement joints at panel perimeters.
For small floor areas, the gaps left between panels when laid by hand should accommodate normal hygroscopic
movement.

Plywood Moisture Content Change

Thickness Plies Direction*
17% - Average,
(mm) 5% - 12% 12% - 17%
Saturation 5% - Saturation
|| 0.016 0.009 0.006 0.011
12 5
┴ 0.021 0.008 0.005 0.011
|| 0.016 0.008 0.004 0.010
15 5
┴ 0.022 0.010 0.009 0.013
|| 0.017 0.009 0.005 0.011
17 7
┴ 0.022 0.010 0.010 0.014
|| 0.017 0.012 0.004 0.012
22 9
┴ 0.018 0.010 0.008 0.014
*Direction ‫ װ‬is along the face grain, Direction ┴ is across the face grain

Table 1 – Movement (%) of structural plywood per % change of moisture content

Example
Determine the hygroscopic expansion across the grain of a 1200mm wide, 17mm thick structural plywood panel,
when installed at 10% moisture content and used in a fully exposed application in which the plywood could
become fully saturated with water. Assume fibre saturation is 28%.

As the range is from 10% - 28% the correct selection from Table 1 is from the ‘Average’ column, and is 0.014% per
% change of moisture content.
Total change in moisture content
=28% - 10%
=18%

Movement in mm of 1200mm panel width

= (0.014 / 100) x 1200 x 18

=3.0mm

7
Thermal Expansion
-6
The average coefficient of thermal expansion for structural plywood is approximately 4.5 x 10 mm/mm/°C as
-6
compared with 11x10 mm/mm/°C for steel.

Stress Grades
Structural plywood is available in a range of stress grades depending on the species and quality of timber veneer
used in the assembly. AS/NZS 2269.0 “Plywood-Structural : Specifications” provides for both visual and mechanical
stress grading which are both equally reliable. The stress grade is marked on the back of each panel. The most
common stress grades available are F8, F11 and F14, however, structural plywood with higher stress grades, F17,
F22, F27 and F34 are available. The combination of stress grade and thickness for each application can be found
using the Load Span Tables in this manual. For example, in a residential application and 15mm thick panel of F8
structural plywood is structurally equivalent as flooring to a 14mm thick panel of F11 structural plywood.

Allowable Strength and Elastic Moduli

Design capacities are obtained by modifying the characteristic capacities by factors appropriate to the service
conditions and material type and application. The characteristic strengths and Moduli given in Table 2 are
applicable to structural plywood manufactured to the requirements of AS/NZS 2269.0 “Plywood-Structural :
Specifications”.

Table 2 gives the characteristic strengths and stiffness’s for the full range of structural plywood stress grades. The
Table is a reprint of Table 5.1 from AS 1720.1:2010.

Characteristic Strength, MPa Short Short

duration duration
average average
Stress Compression modulus of modulus
Panel
Grade Bending Tension in the plane of elasticity of rigidity
Shear the sheet MPa MPa
(f’b) (f’t) (f’s) (f’c) (E) (G)
F34 90 54 6.0 68 21 500 1 075
F27 70 45 6.0 55 18 500 925
F22 60 36 6.0 45 16 000 800
F17 45 27 6.0 36 14 000 700
F14 36 22 5.5 27 12 000 625
F11 31 18 5.0 22 10 500 525
F8 25 15 4.5 20 9 100 455
F7 20 12 4.2 15 7 900 345

Table 2 Characteristic strengths and stiffness for structural plywood (Moisture content 15% or less).

Notes:

1. To establish design values the characteristic strengths and moduli must be modified in accordance
with the factors in AS1720.1 “Timber Structures : Design Methods” Code.

2. The values in the above table are taken from the 2010 version of AS 1720.1. These values are
non-normalised 5th percentile values and supersede the normalised values stated in AS/NZS
2269.0. All plywood marked with the EWPAA/JAS-ANZ ‘Tested Structural Plywood’ certification
mark satisfy the AS 1720.1:2010 characteristic strengths and stiffness’s described in AS
1720.1:2010

8
Section Properties
The method for determining the section properties, second moment or area (I) and section modulus (Z) is defined
in AS/NZS 2269.0. The method is based on parallel ply theory, which assumes veneers with face grain direction
parallel to the span are the sole contributors to strength and are the major contributors to stiffness. Veneers with
grain direction in the cross direction, i.e. at right angles to the span, are assumed to make no contribution to
strength and only a 3% contribution to stiffness.

Table 3 gives the section properties for the standard thicknesses and constructions of structural plywood specified
in AS/NZS 2269.0. In the thicker plywoods, some manufacturers supply plywoods of slightly different
constructions to those in AS/NZS 2269.0, consequently with differing section properties and load capacities.

Panel Along the Grain Across the Grain

Identification
Thickness
Code
(mm) I* Z* I Z
12-24-5 12 115 19.0 33 8.3
13-30-5 13 165 24.5 35 8.3
15-30-5 15 225 29.5 65 13.0
17-24-7 17 285 33.5 120 19.0
17-30-5 17 305 35.5 120 20.0
19-24-7 19 360 38.0 190 26.5
19-24-9 19 380 39.5 200 26.5
19-30-7 19 450 46.5 155 21.5
21-30-7 21 555 52.5 240 29.5
21-24-9 21 565 51.5 300 33.5
24-30-8 24 800 66.0 385 40.5
25-30-9 25 900 70.5 475 46.5
26-24-11 26 990 74.0 590 51.5
27-30-9 27 1110 81.0 580 52.5
28-30-11 28 1210 86.5 595 51.5
31-24-13 31 1590 100.0 1020 74.0
33-30-11 33 1940 115.0 1150 81.0
36-24-15 36 2380 130.0 1630 100.0
39-30-13 39 3100 155.0 1990 115.0
*I = Second Moment of Area (mm4/mm), Z = Section Modulus (mm3/mm)

Table 3 Second moment of area and section moduli for structural plywoods

Panel Identification Codes

The panel identification code (otherwise known as the panel code or construction code) shown in Table 3 uses the
three key variables on which the section properties of structural plywood depend to identify and specify a panel.

Panel Identification codes are expressed as XX-YY-ZZ. The “XX” values are the total thickness of plywood (mm), the
“YY” values are the actual thickness (after drying and pressing) of the face veneer (mm x 10), and the “ZZ” values
are the number of plies in the assembly.

For Example, The identification code “21-24-9 “ would be marked on a plywood panel that has the following
characteristics :

 21mm total thickness

 2.4mm face veneer
 9 plies in the panel

9
Flooring Design
The flooring and its support structure must be
designed to meet the load/deflection criteria
specified by the designer. This manual does not
cover the design of sub-floor members. Using
standard 2400mm long structural plywood
panels, joists are best spaced at 400mm or
480mm, or perhaps 600mm. It may be possible
for designers to optimise sub-floor member sizes
by taking account of the composite stressed skin
action achieved by connecting the structural
plywood flooring to structural timber or steel
joists.

Floor Loadings
Floor imposed (live) loads for a wide range of buildings and occupancies are given in Table 3.1 of
AS/NZS 1170-2002 “Structural Design Actions – Part 1: Permanent, Imposed and other actions”. The loading
requirements of the Building Code of Australia are deemed to be satisfied by using this Code. As designers should
make allowance for reasonable future changes to the use of buildings or individual rooms, Table 4 provides a
summary of general load requirements for buildings. It would be reasonable to design the flooring in a commercial
building to meet imposed (live) loads of 5kPa and 4.5kN.

Concentrated Load
Flooring application Uniformly Distributed Load (kPa)
(KN)

Residential 1.5 1.8

Assembly Areas 3.0 - 5.0* 2.7 - 3.6
Offices 3.0 2.7*
Retail Sales Areas 4.0 3.6*
Office Storage Space, File Rooms 5.0 4.5
Public Corridors & Spaces 4.0 - 5.0 4.5*
Stages 7.5 4.5
General Storage 2.4 per meter of storage height 7.0*
Drill Rooms and Halls 5.0* 9.0*
Light Vehicle Traffic Areas (< 2,500Kg) 2.5 13*
Medium Vehicle Traffic Areas
5.0 31*
(> 2,500Kg And < 10,000Kg)
*to be determined but not less than the given value.

Table 4 Summary of AS/NZS 1170.1 Floor imposed (live) Loads

It can be seen from Table 8 that structural plywood has excellent distributed load capacity, thus it is obvious after
reference to Table 4, concentrated imposed (live) loads will almost always control the flooring design process.

Occasionally the high localised concentrated imposed loads typical of small diameter hard
wheels can cause localised abrasion of flooring surfaces. Thus it is good practice to use
larger diameter and/or softer compound wheels to reduce the compressive stresses
normal to the flooring surface.

10
Design Procedure
Once the allowable imposed (live) loads have been established, the plywood flooring designer has two options :

1. For uniformly distributed loads up to 3 kPa and concentrated loads up to 2.7 kN the designer may use
Table 5. These loading limits are typical of residential applications and of some office assembly area
applications. These less conservative and less stiff options have been derived from tests, and are included in
the AS 1684 “Residential timer-framed construction” code.

Structural Plywood Maximum Joist Spacing

Thickness (mm)
F8 F11 F14
12 400 420 440
13 430 450 480
14 460 480 510
15 480 520 540
16 510 540 570
17 540 560 600
18 560 590 620
19 590 620 660
20 610 650 680
21 640 670 710
22 660 700 740

Table 5 - Maximum Allowable Joist Spacing for T&G Structural Plywood in Residential Building

Notes
 The above Table is based on tests and is included in Table 5.3 of AS 1684.2 - 2010 “Residential Timber-framed
construction – Non-Cyclonic Areas”.
 Suitable for occupancy requirements of uniformly distributed loads of up to 3kPa and concentrated loads no greater
than 2.7kN.
 The structural plywood face grain runs perpendicular to the joists.
 All of the thicknesses shown are not always necessarily readily available.
 The joist spacing is the centre to centre distance between joists.
 The plywood face veneers must not be thinner than any of the inner veneers.

2. However the recommended option for the more highly loaded commercial and industrial floors requires the
use of Tables 6, 7, and 8.

11
Fixing requirements
Structural plywood flooring may be fixed to the sub-floor with hand or power driven fasteners or a combination of
mechanical fasteners and structural elastomeric adhesive for a more rigid squeak free system.

When mechanical fasteners are used without structural elastomeric adhesive the recommended fastener spacing
is 150mm centres at panel ends and 300mm centres at intermediate joists. When elastomeric adhesive is used in
conjunction with the mechanical fasteners the fastener spacing may be increased to 300mm centres at panel ends
and 600mm centres at intermediate joists. Table 9 details the recommended fasteners.

2.8mm min. dia. flathead or bullet head nails of length at least 2.5 times plywood
Hand driven nails
thickness

Gun driven nails 2.5mm min. dia. gun nails of length at least 2.5 times the plywood thickness

No. 8 x 32mm self drilling countersunk wood screws - up to 20mm plywood

Screws to timber joists
No. 10 x 50mm self drilling countersunk wood screws - 21 to 40mm plywood

No. 10 x 50mm countersunk self drilling metal screws - up to 30mm plywood

No. 10 x 75mm countersunk self drilling metal screws - 31 to 40mm plywood

Note that screws with a “wing tip” may be suitable for screwing to steel joists
Screws to steel joists provided the screws offer the same withdrawal resistance as the equivalent self
drilling metal screw.

Structural elastomeric that meets the American Plywood Association Standard AFG-
Adhesives
01 eg H.B. Fuller’s ‘Max-Bond’, or ‘Sturdi Bond’, or Norton’s ‘Floormate’
Table 9 – Minimum Fastener Specifications

Notes

1. Fastener coatings should be selected to suit for application e.g. hot dip galvanised for chemical storage areas.
2. Plywood can be fixed within 10mm of its edges.
3. Structural elastomeric adhesive should be used where plywood is fixed to unseasoned timber joists.
4. When nailing to seasoned softwood sub-floor members deformed shank nails are recommended.
5. To minimise squeaks when fixing plywood to steel joists, the use of structural elastomeric adhesive is strongly
recommended.

12
Preservative Treated Plywood and Fastener Corrosion
When fixing preservative treated plywood to the sub-floor, the fixings may react with the preservative treatment
chemical used in the plywood and cause corrosion. EWPAA recommends the following to guard against fastener
corrosion (This advice is general and specific information and advice must be sought from suppliers of fasteners,
flashings, studs and joists) :

 Stainless fasteners and flashings (minimum 304 grade stainless steel) are recommended for use in contact with
copper based preservatives ACQ, CCA and CuAz treated material in the following circumstances :

o Coastal areas (within 5km of the coast);

o High rainfall areas > 1000mm/year;
o In buildings with little or no eve overhang;
o Where there are potential moisture traps such as decking and exposed flooring, or where treated
flooring is exposed for an extended period during construction;

 For metal studs and joists apply a prophylactic to contact surfaces to prevent galvanic reactions

 Stainless fasteners, flashings, studs and joists (minimum 316 grade stainless steel) are recommended for marine
environments.

 Hot dip galvanised (minimum 42 microns of zinc coating) fasteners, flashings, studs and joists are recommended
for :

o LOSP treated products (excluding use in coastal areas);

o Products treated with copper based preservatives (ACQ, CCA, CuAz) where:
1. The building is protected by a eve overhang of minimum 600mm;
2. Average rainfall does not exceed 1000mm;
3. The building or structure is designed and built to exclude ‘moisture traps’ both during erection and in
subsequent use.

Further information may be obtained from the main preservative chemical suppliers and can also be found on
internet web sites, e.g. http://www.tpaa.com.au/fastenerscca.htm; http://www.branz.co.nz/cms;

13
Load Span Tables
Table 6 has been calculated for concentrated imposed (live) loads in accordance with the Timber Structures Code.
The Table has been developed to satisfy the strength requirements of AS/NZS 1170.1 with an overriding
serviceability limit of span/200 deflection at the required strength.

Table 7, similarly to Table 6, meets the strength requirements of AS/NZS 1170.1 for concentrated imposed loads.
However, the span/300 deflection criteria used in Table 7 will result in a stiffer plywood floor. Table 7 should be
used in preference to Table 6 where a more stringent stiffness criteria is required. For example, where the flooring
is to be subjected to both human and vehicular traffic, or where flooring aesthetics are important.

Finally, Table 8 provides the uniformly distributed imposed load capacity for structural plywood. The Table is again
developed to satisfy the strength criteria of AS/NZS 1170.1 with an overriding serviceability limit of span/200
deflection. This need only be checked for flooring carrying exceptionally high UDL’s. In cases where the loading is
long term, i.e. permanent load with j2=2, then the recommended approach is to double the design load before
making the selection from the tabulations.

Deflection / Strength Limits

The tables are developed with an overriding strength limit. That is, the tables are developed with the following
methodology :

1. Determine how much load needs to be applied to the plywood, to cause a deflection of the deflection limit
(eg. Span / 300).
2. Determine the lower value of the bending moment and shear strength limits.
3. If the load from step 1 is less than the load from step 2, display the load from step 1.
4. If the load from step 1 exceeds the load from step 2, then display the load from step 2, and colour the cells
orange to indicate that a strength limit state was reached before the deflection limit.

Face Grain Direction

The load span tables are divided into “Parallel To Span” and “Perpendicular To Span”. This refers to the face grain
direction, in relation to the span of the panel :

Parallel To Span Perpendicular To Span

Concentrated
Load

Uniformly
Distributed Load

14
Design Criteria
 Tables 6, 7 and 8 were calculated using limit state design in accordance with AS1720.1 and using the following
assumptions:

 = 0.85 for primary members in structures other than houses. Note that 0.85 is considered to be
conservative for most commercial and industrial flooring applications.
k1 = 0.80 for uniformly distributed imposed load
= 0.94 for concentrated imposed loads, and
J2 = 1.0

 The flooring is in a dry interior environment (Moisture Content is less than or equal to 15%).

 The concentration (live) loads are treated as a line load with a distribution width (w’) of:

o 400mm for 12mm plywood

o 450mm for 15, 17 and 19mm plywood
o 520mm for 21 and 24mm plywood
o 600mm for 26mm and thicker plywood.

 The structural plywood is continuous over at least two spans.

 All plywood end joints must be supported by a structural member.

 For spans not exceeding 600mm, nogging is not required to support plastic T&G edge joints for imposed (live)
loads up to 7.5kN.

 Concentrated imposed (live) loads, being transient, have a shorter accumulated duration than distributed
loads, justifying the differing values for k1.

 With concentrated loads and UDL’s specified in the Structural Design Actions Code, the important criteria is
strength, thus a deflection limit of span/200 is reasonable as a minimum acceptable deflection criteria.

 The span/300 criteria for concentrated loads meet the suggested serviceability limit state criteria of
AS/NZS1170.0: 2002 “Structural Design Actions”, and should be used where a more stringent stiffness criteria
is required.

If your design has any of the following :

 A floor that is a primary structural element in a structure intended to fulfil an essential
service or post disaster function;
 Imposed loads lasting longer than 5 days (which affects creep and strength); or
 A high moisture content environment, such as an exposed wet area or tropical climate.

You cannot use the following tables !

The “EWPAA Design Toolbox” software can calculate tables for any design requirements, and is
available for free download from the EWPAA Web Site. This software is meant for use by
experienced professional designers only, and can only be used if this manual has been fully read
and understood.

15
Example Using the Tables
Note, if you need assistance with the basic formulae used in this example, please see the “Basic Formulae” section
at the end of this manual.

Design :
Say we are designing a floor, and we know that our worst case loading requirement will be a 4 wheeled trolley that
when fully loaded will carry 650kg. Joists are at 450mm centres, and we want to minimise the deflection, so that
the trolley moves smoothly over the floor. The plywood panels will be laid across the joists, thus the face grain will
be parallel to span.

Solution:
Because we want to minimise the deflection, we will choose a maximum deflection of Span / 300 (so we will use
Table 7). In this case the maximum deflection would be 450 / 300 = 1.5mm.

Our Trolley weighs 650kg. Assuming we have relatively small diameter wheels, this can be converted to a
maximum point load as follows :

Weight / wheel = 650 / 4 = 163Kg.

Force / wheel = 163 x 9.8 = 1.597 kN, say 1.6kN.

Thus, we are designing for a point load of 1.6kN.

We now need to find the plywood panel that will support this weight. This is easily done by looking down the
“450” column, until we find a value of 1.6kN. Reading across will give us the correct plywood panel and stress
grade.

As an example, the following is an excerpt from table 7, containing the information we want :

Parallel To Span
Panel Stress
300 400 450 480 600 800 900
Code Grade
F8 2.3 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
F11 2.6 1.5 1.2 1.0 0.7 0.4 0.3
F14 3.0 1.7 1.3 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.3
15-30-5 F17 3.5 2.0 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.4
F22 4.0 2.3 1.8 1.6 1.0 0.6 0.4
F27 4.6 2.6 2.1 1.8 1.2 0.7 0.5
F34 5.4 3.0 2.4 2.1 1.4 0.8 0.6

Thus, an F17, 15-30-5 plywood panel will be applicable for our design. Note that there are many other solutions to
this example. The solution you choose will depend on plywood availability, and other factors important to you.

16
Table 6 :
Allowable Concentrated Imposed (Live) Loads (kN), Deflection Limit of Span/200
Parallel To Span Perpendicular To Span

Panel
Stress 300 400 450 480 600 800 900 300 400 450 480 600 800 900
Code
Grade
F8 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0
F11 1.8 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
F14 2.1 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
12-24-5 F17 2.4 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
F22 2.7 1.5 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
F27 3.2 1.8 1.4 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1
F34 3.7 2.1 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.1 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1
F8 2.9 1.9 1.5 1.3 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1
F11 3.6 2.2 1.8 1.5 1.0 0.6 0.4 1.1 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1
F14 4.2 2.5 2.0 1.8 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.3 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1
15-30-5 F17 5.2 3.0 2.3 2.1 1.3 0.7 0.6 1.5 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2
F22 6.0 3.4 2.7 2.4 1.5 0.8 0.7 1.7 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.2
F27 7.0 3.9 3.1 2.7 1.7 1.0 0.8 2.0 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2
F34 8.1 4.6 3.6 3.2 2.0 1.1 0.9 2.3 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
F8 3.3 2.4 1.9 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.8 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2
F11 4.1 2.8 2.2 2.0 1.3 0.7 0.6 2.1 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2
F14 4.7 3.2 2.5 2.2 1.4 0.8 0.6 2.4 1.4 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
17-24-7 F17 5.9 3.8 3.0 2.6 1.7 0.9 0.7 2.8 1.6 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F22 7.6 4.3 3.4 3.0 1.9 1.1 0.8 3.2 1.8 1.4 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
F27 8.8 5.0 3.9 3.4 2.2 1.2 1.0 3.7 2.1 1.7 1.5 0.9 0.5 0.4
F34 10.3 5.8 4.6 4.0 2.6 1.4 1.1 4.3 2.4 1.9 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5
F8 3.7 2.8 2.4 2.1 1.4 0.8 0.6 2.6 1.6 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F11 4.6 3.5 2.8 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.7 3.2 1.9 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
F14 5.4 4.0 3.2 2.8 1.8 1.0 0.8 3.7 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.4
19-24-7 F17 6.7 4.7 3.8 3.3 2.1 1.2 0.9 4.5 2.5 2.0 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5
F22 9.0 5.4 4.3 3.8 2.4 1.4 1.1 5.1 2.9 2.3 2.0 1.3 0.7 0.6
F27 10.4 6.3 5.0 4.4 2.8 1.6 1.2 5.9 3.3 2.6 2.3 1.5 0.8 0.7
F34 12.2 7.3 5.8 5.1 3.2 1.8 1.4 6.8 3.8 3.0 2.7 1.7 1.0 0.8
F8 4.6 3.4 3.0 2.7 1.7 1.0 0.8 2.1 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
F11 5.7 4.2 3.5 3.1 2.0 1.1 0.9 2.6 1.5 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F14 6.6 4.9 4.0 3.5 2.3 1.3 1.0 3.0 1.8 1.4 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.3
19-30-7 F17 8.2 5.9 4.7 4.1 2.6 1.5 1.2 3.6 2.0 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.4
F22 11.0 6.8 5.4 4.7 3.0 1.7 1.3 4.2 2.3 1.8 1.6 1.0 0.6 0.5
F27 12.2 7.8 6.2 5.4 3.5 2.0 1.5 4.8 2.7 2.1 1.9 1.2 0.7 0.5
F34 12.2 9.1 7.2 6.3 4.1 2.3 1.8 5.6 3.1 2.5 2.2 1.4 0.8 0.6
F8 6.0 4.5 4.0 3.7 2.4 1.4 1.1 3.3 2.4 1.9 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5
F11 7.4 5.5 4.9 4.4 2.8 1.6 1.3 4.1 2.7 2.2 1.9 1.2 0.7 0.5
F14 8.6 6.4 5.7 5.0 3.2 1.8 1.4 4.8 3.1 2.5 2.2 1.4 0.8 0.6
21-30-7 F17 10.7 8.0 6.7 5.9 3.8 2.1 1.7 6.0 3.7 2.9 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.7
F22 14.3 9.7 7.6 6.7 4.3 2.4 1.9 7.4 4.2 3.3 2.9 1.9 1.0 0.8
F27 15.6 11.2 8.8 7.8 5.0 2.8 2.2 8.6 4.8 3.8 3.4 2.1 1.2 1.0
F34 15.6 13.0 10.3 9.0 5.8 3.2 2.6 10.0 5.6 4.4 3.9 2.5 1.4 1.1
F8 9.2 6.9 6.1 5.8 4.6 2.6 2.0 5.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 1.9 1.1 0.9
F11 11.5 8.6 7.6 7.1 5.3 3.0 2.3 6.2 4.6 4.0 3.5 2.2 1.3 1.0
F14 13.3 10.0 8.8 8.3 6.0 3.4 2.7 7.2 5.4 4.5 4.0 2.5 1.4 1.1
25-30-9 F17 16.6 12.5 11.1 10.4 7.0 4.0 3.1 9.0 6.7 5.3 4.6 3.0 1.7 1.3
F22 21.5 16.6 14.3 12.6 8.0 4.5 3.6 11.9 7.6 6.0 5.3 3.4 1.9 1.5
F27 21.5 19.4 16.5 14.5 9.3 5.2 4.1 13.9 8.8 7.0 6.1 3.9 2.2 1.7
F34 21.5 21.4 19.2 16.9 10.8 6.1 4.8 17.9 10.3 8.1 7.1 4.6 2.6 2.0
F8 10.6 8.0 7.1 6.6 5.3 3.2 2.5 6.9 5.1 4.6 4.3 2.9 1.7 1.3
F11 13.2 9.9 8.8 8.2 6.5 3.7 2.9 8.5 6.4 5.7 5.3 3.4 1.9 1.5
F14 15.3 11.4 10.2 9.5 7.4 4.2 3.3 9.9 7.4 6.6 6.1 3.9 2.2 1.7
27-30-9 F17 19.1 14.3 12.7 11.9 8.7 4.9 3.9 12.4 9.3 8.1 7.1 4.5 2.6 2.0
F22 23.2 19.1 17.0 15.5 9.9 5.6 4.4 16.5 11.7 9.2 8.1 5.2 2.9 2.3
F27 23.2 22.3 19.8 17.9 11.5 6.4 5.1 19.3 13.5 10.7 9.4 6.0 3.4 2.7
F34 23.2 23.2 23.1 20.8 13.3 7.5 5.9 23.2 15.7 12.4 10.9 7.0 3.9 3.1
F8 15.1 11.3 10.1 9.4 7.5 5.5 4.4 10.6 7.9 7.0 6.6 5.3 3.3 2.6
F11 18.7 14.0 12.5 11.7 9.3 6.4 5.0 13.1 9.8 8.7 8.2 6.5 3.8 3.0
F14 21.8 16.3 14.5 13.6 10.8 7.3 5.8 15.2 11.4 10.1 9.5 7.6 4.3 3.4
33-30-11 F17 27.2 20.4 18.1 17.0 13.6 8.5 6.7 19.1 14.3 12.7 11.9 9.0 5.0 4.0
F22 28.4 27.2 24.2 22.6 17.3 9.7 7.7 25.4 19.0 16.9 15.8 10.3 5.8 4.6
F27 28.4 28.3 28.2 26.4 20.0 11.2 8.9 28.3 22.2 19.7 18.5 11.9 6.7 5.3
F34 28.4 28.3 28.3 28.3 23.2 13.1 10.3 28.4 28.3 24.5 21.5 13.8 7.8 6.1

For Single Spans, reduce the allowable concentrated loads by 40%

This table is recommended for use in those applications where floor stiffness is not critical for flooring aesthetics
and/or general usage. Table 7 should be used where a more stringent stiffness criteria is required.

17
Table 7 :
Allowable Concentrated Imposed (Live) Loads (kN), Deflection Limit of Span/300

Parallel To Span Perpendicular To Span

Panel Stress
300 400 450 480 600 800 900 300 400 450 480 600 800 900
Code Grade
F8 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
F11 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
F14 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0
12-24-5 F17 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
F22 1.8 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
F27 2.1 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
F34 2.5 1.4 1.1 1.0 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
F8 2.3 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
F11 2.6 1.5 1.2 1.0 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
F14 3.0 1.7 1.3 1.2 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1
15-30-5 F17 3.5 2.0 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1
F22 4.0 2.3 1.8 1.6 1.0 0.6 0.4 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1
F27 4.6 2.6 2.1 1.8 1.2 0.7 0.5 1.3 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1
F34 5.4 3.0 2.4 2.1 1.4 0.8 0.6 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2
F8 2.9 1.6 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.1
F11 3.3 1.9 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2
F14 3.8 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.4 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2
17-24-7 F17 4.5 2.5 2.0 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.9 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2
F22 5.1 2.9 2.3 2.0 1.3 0.7 0.6 2.1 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2
F27 5.9 3.3 2.6 2.3 1.5 0.8 0.7 2.5 1.4 1.1 1.0 0.6 0.3 0.3
F34 6.8 3.8 3.0 2.7 1.7 1.0 0.8 2.9 1.6 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F8 3.7 2.1 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.9 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2
F11 4.2 2.4 1.9 1.6 1.1 0.6 0.5 2.2 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.2
F14 4.8 2.7 2.1 1.9 1.2 0.7 0.5 2.5 1.4 1.1 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.3
19-24-7 F17 5.6 3.2 2.5 2.2 1.4 0.8 0.6 3.0 1.7 1.3 1.2 0.7 0.4 0.3
F22 6.4 3.6 2.9 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.7 3.4 1.9 1.5 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
F27 7.4 4.2 3.3 2.9 1.9 1.0 0.8 3.9 2.2 1.7 1.5 1.0 0.6 0.4
F34 8.6 4.9 3.8 3.4 2.2 1.2 1.0 4.6 2.6 2.0 1.8 1.1 0.6 0.5
F8 4.6 2.6 2.0 1.8 1.1 0.6 0.5 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2
F11 5.3 3.0 2.3 2.1 1.3 0.7 0.6 1.8 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2
F14 6.0 3.4 2.7 2.4 1.5 0.8 0.7 2.1 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.2
19-30-7 F17 7.0 4.0 3.1 2.7 1.8 1.0 0.8 2.4 1.4 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
F22 8.0 4.5 3.6 3.1 2.0 1.1 0.9 2.8 1.6 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F27 9.3 5.2 4.1 3.6 2.3 1.3 1.0 3.2 1.8 1.4 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
F34 10.8 6.1 4.8 4.2 2.7 1.5 1.2 3.7 2.1 1.7 1.5 0.9 0.5 0.4
F8 6.0 3.7 2.9 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.7 2.8 1.6 1.3 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3
F11 7.4 4.2 3.3 2.9 1.9 1.1 0.8 3.3 1.8 1.4 1.3 0.8 0.5 0.4
F14 8.6 4.8 3.8 3.4 2.1 1.2 1.0 3.7 2.1 1.7 1.5 0.9 0.5 0.4
21-30-7 F17 10.0 5.6 4.5 3.9 2.5 1.4 1.1 4.3 2.4 1.9 1.7 1.1 0.6 0.5
F22 11.5 6.4 5.1 4.5 2.9 1.6 1.3 5.0 2.8 2.2 1.9 1.2 0.7 0.6
F27 13.2 7.5 5.9 5.2 3.3 1.9 1.5 5.7 3.2 2.5 2.2 1.4 0.8 0.6
F34 15.4 8.7 6.8 6.0 3.8 2.2 1.7 6.7 3.7 3.0 2.6 1.7 0.9 0.7
F8 9.2 6.9 5.4 4.8 3.0 1.7 1.4 5.0 2.9 2.3 2.0 1.3 0.7 0.6
F11 11.4 7.9 6.3 5.5 3.5 2.0 1.6 5.9 3.3 2.6 2.3 1.5 0.8 0.7
F14 13.3 9.0 7.1 6.3 4.0 2.3 1.8 6.8 3.8 3.0 2.7 1.7 1.0 0.8
25-30-9 F17 16.6 10.6 8.3 7.3 4.7 2.6 2.1 7.9 4.5 3.5 3.1 2.0 1.1 0.9
F22 21.4 12.1 9.5 8.4 5.4 3.0 2.4 9.1 5.1 4.0 3.5 2.3 1.3 1.0
F27 21.5 13.9 11.0 9.7 6.2 3.5 2.8 10.5 5.9 4.7 4.1 2.6 1.5 1.2
F34 21.5 16.2 12.8 11.3 7.2 4.1 3.2 12.2 6.8 5.4 4.8 3.0 1.7 1.4
F8 10.6 7.9 6.7 5.9 3.8 2.1 1.7 6.9 4.4 3.5 3.1 2.0 1.1 0.9
F11 13.2 9.8 7.7 6.8 4.3 2.4 1.9 8.5 5.1 4.0 3.5 2.3 1.3 1.0
F14 15.3 11.2 8.8 7.7 5.0 2.8 2.2 9.9 5.8 4.6 4.0 2.6 1.5 1.2
27-30-9 F17 19.1 13.0 10.3 9.0 5.8 3.3 2.6 12.1 6.8 5.4 4.7 3.0 1.7 1.3
F22 23.2 14.9 11.8 10.3 6.6 3.7 2.9 13.8 7.8 6.1 5.4 3.5 1.9 1.5
F27 23.2 17.2 13.6 11.9 7.6 4.3 3.4 16.0 9.0 7.1 6.2 4.0 2.2 1.8
F34 23.2 20.0 15.8 13.9 8.9 5.0 3.9 18.6 10.4 8.3 7.3 4.6 2.6 2.1
F8 15.1 11.3 10.1 9.4 6.6 3.7 2.9 10.6 7.9 6.9 6.1 3.9 2.2 1.7
F11 18.7 14.0 12.5 11.7 7.6 4.3 3.4 13.1 9.8 8.0 7.0 4.5 2.5 2.0
F14 21.8 16.3 14.5 13.5 8.6 4.9 3.8 15.2 11.4 9.1 8.0 5.1 2.9 2.3
33-30-11 F17 27.2 20.4 17.9 15.8 10.1 5.7 4.5 19.1 13.5 10.6 9.4 6.0 3.4 2.7
F22 28.4 25.9 20.5 18.0 11.5 6.5 5.1 25.4 15.4 12.2 10.7 6.8 3.8 3.0
F27 28.4 28.3 23.7 20.8 13.3 7.5 5.9 28.3 17.8 14.1 12.4 7.9 4.4 3.5
F34 28.4 28.3 27.5 24.2 15.5 8.7 6.9 28.3 20.7 16.3 14.4 9.2 5.2 4.1

For Single Spans, reduce the allowable concentrated loads by 40%

Table 7 is recommended for calculated vehicular loads where human reactions to vehicular
traffic are considered significant.

18
Table 8 :
Allowable Uniformly Distributed Imposed (Live) Loads (kPa),
Deflection Limit of Span/200
Parallel To Span Perpendicular To Span
Panel Stress
300 400 450 480 600 800 900 300 400 450 480 600 800 900
Code Grade
F8 19.1 10.7 8.5 7.4 4.5 1.9 1.3 8.3 4.3 3.0 2.5 1.3 0.5 0.4
F11 23.7 13.3 10.5 9.2 5.2 2.2 1.5 10.3 5.0 3.5 2.9 1.5 0.6 0.4
F14 27.5 15.5 12.2 10.7 5.9 2.5 1.8 12.0 5.7 4.0 3.3 1.7 0.7 0.5
12-24-5 F17 34.4 19.3 15.3 13.4 6.9 2.9 2.0 15.0 6.7 4.7 3.9 2.0 0.8 0.6
F22 45.9 25.8 18.7 15.4 7.9 3.3 2.3 18.1 7.6 5.4 4.4 2.3 1.0 0.7
F27 46.4 30.1 21.6 17.8 9.1 3.8 2.7 20.9 8.8 6.2 5.1 2.6 1.1 0.8
F34 46.4 34.7 25.1 20.7 10.6 4.5 3.1 24.3 10.3 7.2 5.9 3.0 1.3 0.9
F8 29.7 16.7 13.2 11.6 7.4 3.7 2.6 13.1 7.3 5.8 4.9 2.5 1.1 0.8
F11 36.8 20.7 16.3 14.4 9.2 4.3 3.0 16.2 9.1 6.9 5.7 2.9 1.2 0.9
F14 42.8 24.0 19.0 16.7 10.6 4.9 3.4 18.8 10.5 7.9 6.5 3.3 1.4 1.0
15-30-5 F17 53.5 30.0 23.7 20.8 13.3 5.7 4.0 23.5 13.2 9.2 7.6 3.9 1.6 1.2
F22 58.0 40.1 31.6 27.8 15.4 6.5 4.6 31.4 15.0 10.6 8.7 4.5 1.9 1.3
F27 58.0 43.4 36.9 32.4 17.8 7.5 5.3 36.6 17.4 12.2 10.1 5.1 2.2 1.5
F34 58.0 43.5 38.6 36.2 20.7 8.7 6.1 47.1 20.2 14.2 11.7 6.0 2.5 1.8
F8 33.7 19.0 15.0 13.1 8.4 4.7 3.3 19.1 10.7 8.5 7.4 4.7 2.0 1.4
F11 41.8 23.5 18.6 16.3 10.4 5.4 3.8 23.7 13.3 10.5 9.2 5.4 2.3 1.6
F14 48.6 27.3 21.6 18.9 12.1 6.2 4.3 27.5 15.4 12.2 10.7 6.2 2.6 1.8
17-24-7 F17 60.7 34.1 26.9 23.7 15.1 7.2 5.1 34.4 19.3 15.2 13.4 7.2 3.0 2.1
F22 65.7 45.5 35.9 31.6 19.5 8.2 5.8 45.9 25.8 19.5 16.1 8.2 3.5 2.4
F27 65.7 49.2 41.9 36.8 22.6 9.5 6.7 53.5 30.1 22.5 18.6 9.5 4.0 2.8
F34 65.7 49.3 43.8 41.0 26.2 11.1 7.8 65.6 37.3 26.2 21.6 11.0 4.7 3.3
F8 38.3 21.5 17.0 14.9 9.5 5.3 4.2 26.7 15.0 11.8 10.4 6.6 3.1 2.2
F11 47.4 26.7 21.1 18.5 11.8 6.6 4.8 33.1 18.6 14.7 12.9 8.2 3.6 2.5
F14 55.1 31.0 24.5 21.5 13.7 7.7 5.5 38.4 21.6 17.0 14.9 9.5 4.1 2.9
19-24-7 F17 68.9 38.7 30.6 26.9 17.1 9.1 6.4 48.0 27.0 21.3 18.7 11.4 4.8 3.4
F22 73.4 51.6 40.8 35.8 22.9 10.4 7.3 64.0 36.0 28.4 24.9 13.0 5.5 3.9
F27 73.4 55.1 47.6 41.8 26.7 12.0 8.5 73.4 42.0 33.1 29.1 15.1 6.4 4.5
F34 73.5 55.1 48.9 45.9 33.1 14.0 9.8 73.4 54.0 41.5 34.2 17.5 7.4 5.2
F8 46.8 26.3 20.8 18.3 11.7 6.5 5.1 21.6 12.1 9.6 8.4 5.4 2.5 1.8
F11 58.1 32.6 25.8 22.6 14.5 8.1 6.0 26.8 15.1 11.9 10.4 6.6 2.9 2.1
F14 67.3 37.9 29.9 26.3 16.8 9.4 6.9 31.1 17.5 13.8 12.1 7.7 3.4 2.4
19-30-7 F17 73.5 47.4 37.4 32.9 21.0 11.4 8.0 38.9 21.9 17.3 15.1 9.3 3.9 2.8
F22 73.5 55.1 48.9 43.8 28.0 13.0 9.1 51.9 29.2 23.0 20.2 10.6 4.5 3.1
F27 73.5 55.1 48.9 45.9 32.7 15.0 10.6 60.6 34.0 26.9 23.6 12.3 5.2 3.6
F34 73.5 55.1 48.9 45.9 36.7 17.5 12.3 73.4 43.8 33.8 27.9 14.3 6.0 4.2
F8 52.9 29.7 23.5 20.6 13.2 7.4 5.8 29.7 16.7 13.2 11.6 7.4 3.9 2.8
F11 65.6 36.9 29.1 25.6 16.3 9.1 7.2 36.8 20.7 16.3 14.3 9.1 4.6 3.2
F14 74.4 42.8 33.8 29.7 19.0 10.6 8.4 42.8 24.0 19.0 16.6 10.6 5.2 3.7
21-30-7 F17 81.2 53.5 42.3 37.1 23.7 13.3 9.9 53.4 30.0 23.7 20.8 13.3 6.1 4.3
F22 81.2 60.9 54.1 49.5 31.6 16.0 11.3 71.3 40.0 31.6 27.8 16.4 6.9 4.9
F27 81.2 60.9 54.1 50.7 36.9 18.5 13.0 81.1 46.7 36.9 32.4 19.0 8.0 5.6
F34 81.2 60.9 54.1 50.7 40.5 21.6 15.1 81.1 60.1 47.4 41.7 22.1 9.3 6.5
F8 71.0 39.9 31.5 27.7 17.7 9.9 7.8 38.3 21.5 17.0 14.9 9.5 5.3 4.2
F11 80.5 49.5 39.1 34.4 22.0 12.3 9.7 47.4 26.7 21.0 18.5 11.8 6.6 5.1
F14 88.6 57.5 45.4 39.9 25.5 14.3 11.3 55.1 31.0 24.4 21.5 13.7 7.6 5.8
25-30-9 F17 96.7 71.9 56.8 49.9 31.9 17.9 14.1 68.9 38.7 30.6 26.8 17.1 9.6 6.8
F22 96.7 72.5 64.4 60.4 42.5 23.8 18.3 91.8 51.6 40.7 35.8 22.9 11.0 7.7
F27 96.7 72.5 64.4 60.4 48.3 27.8 21.1 96.6 60.2 47.5 41.8 26.7 12.7 8.9
F34 96.7 72.5 64.4 60.4 48.3 35.0 24.6 96.6 72.4 61.1 53.7 34.3 14.8 10.4
F8 78.3 45.9 36.2 31.8 20.4 11.4 9.0 52.9 29.7 23.5 20.6 13.2 7.4 5.8
F11 87.0 56.9 44.9 39.5 25.2 14.2 11.2 65.5 36.8 29.1 25.6 16.3 9.1 7.2
F14 95.7 66.1 52.2 45.8 29.3 16.4 13.0 76.1 42.8 33.8 29.7 19.0 10.6 8.3
27-30-9 F17 104.4 78.3 65.2 57.3 36.6 20.6 16.2 95.2 53.5 42.2 37.1 23.7 13.3 10.3
F22 104.4 78.3 69.6 65.2 48.9 27.4 21.6 104.4 71.3 56.3 49.5 31.6 16.8 11.8
F27 104.4 78.3 69.6 65.2 52.1 32.0 25.2 104.4 78.2 65.7 57.7 36.9 19.4 13.6
F34 104.4 78.3 69.6 65.2 52.1 39.1 30.3 104.4 78.2 69.5 65.1 47.4 22.5 15.8
F8 95.7 65.3 51.6 45.4 29.0 16.3 12.8 81.4 45.8 36.2 31.8 20.3 11.4 9.0
F11 106.3 79.7 64.0 56.2 36.0 20.2 15.9 100.9 56.8 44.8 39.4 25.2 14.1 11.1
F14 117.0 87.7 74.3 65.3 41.8 23.4 18.5 116.9 65.9 52.1 45.7 29.2 16.4 12.9
33-30-11 F17 127.6 95.7 85.0 79.7 52.2 29.3 23.1 127.6 82.4 65.1 57.2 36.6 20.5 16.2
F22 127.6 95.7 85.0 79.7 63.7 39.1 30.9 127.6 95.6 85.0 76.3 48.7 27.3 21.6
F27 127.6 95.7 85.0 79.7 63.7 45.6 36.0 127.6 95.7 85.0 79.7 56.9 31.9 25.2
F34 127.6 95.7 85.1 79.7 63.8 47.8 42.4 127.6 95.7 85.0 79.7 63.7 41.0 31.3

19
Basic Formulae
The following are the basic formulae needed to use the tables.

Force
 A force is simply a push or a pull.
 The standard unit of force is Newton (N).
 Force is often expressed in “kilo-newtons”(kN). 1 kN = 1000 N

-2
Force (N) = Mass (kg) x Acceleration (ms )

Weight
 The term “weight” is another way of saying “the force due to gravity”. Units are Newtons.
 Gravity is a form of acceleration, and at sea level, is approximately 9.8ms .
-2

 Weight (N) = Mass (kg) x 9.8.

Pressure
 Pressure is the force per unit area, exerted by a force on a surface.
 The standard unit of pressure is Pascals (Pa).
 Pressure is often expressed in “kilo Pascals” (kPa). 1 kPa = 1000Pa
 Pressure = Force (N) / Area (m )
2

Example 1 - Calculate the worst case load under each wheel of a forklift.
If a 4 wheeled forklift weights 1000 kg and can lift 2000 kg, and has a worst case weight distribution
of 80-20 over the front wheels, the following is how one determines the concentrated loads under
each wheel :
Total Weight = (1000 + 2000) x 9.8
= 29400 N
= 29.4 kN

Under worst case conditions, 80% of the weight is over the front 2 wheels. Thus, the following is
the weight under each front wheel :
= (29.4 x 0.8) / 2
= 23.52 / 2
= 11.76 kN per wheel
The weight under each rear wheel is :
= (29.4 x 0.2) / 2
= 5.88 / 2
= 2.94 kN per wheel

Example 2 - Calculate the pressure of a water tank.

If a square water tank is 2m x 2m, and contains 3000L of water, calculate the pressure under the
water tank. Assume 1L of water weighs 1 kg.

Area =2x2
2
= 4m

Weight = 3000 x 9.8

= 29,400 N
= 29.4 kN

Pressure = 29,400 / 4
= 7350 Pa
= 7.35 kPa

20
Revision History
Revision Changes Date Who
6  Update Logos and member list 08-02-2012 MB
 Update Logos to correct JAS-ANZ version
 Made several grammatical corrections.
 Changed design to be in accordance with AS 1720.1:2010
5  Updated values in Tables 6, 7 and 8 to be in accordance with 17-11-2011 MB
AS 1720.1:2010.
 Added a section on fastener corrosion when using
preservative treated plywood.
 Complete reformat.
 Changed load span table layout, and added more
constructions.
4  Modified Fixings section. 04-11-2008 MB
 Added “Basic Formulae” section.
 Added a section to aid in interpreting the tables.
 Added a section on formaldehyde.
1 Initial Release

21
 EWPAA Members

Plywood and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

Member Name Location Phone Fax Web
Ausply NSW +61 2 6926 7300 +61 2 6922 7824 www.ausply.com
Austral Plywoods Pty Ltd QLD +61 7 3426 8600 +61 7 3848 0646 www.australply.com.au
Big River Group Pty Ltd NSW +61 2 6644 0900 +61 2 6643 3328 www.bigrivergroup.com.au
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia
VIC +61 3 5751 9201 +61 3 5751 9296 www.chhwoodproducts.com.au
(Plywood) – Myrtleford
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia –
SA +61 2 8739 7011 www.chhwoodproducts.com.au
Nangwarry LVL
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts - Marsden
NZ +64 9 432 8800 +64 9 432 8830 www.chhfuturebuild.co.nz
Point LVL
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts (Plywood) -
NZ +64 7 885 5999 +64 7 885 5614 www.chhwoodproducts.co.nz
Tokoroa
Fiji Forest Industries FIJI +67 9 881 1088 +67 9 881 3088
IPL (West Coast) Ltd NZ +64 3 762 6759 +64 3 762 6789
Juken New Zealand Ltd (Gisborne) NZ +64 6 869 1100 +64 6 869 1130 www.jnl.co.nz
Juken New Zealand Ltd (Wairarapa) NZ +64 6 370 0650 +64 6 370 0653 www.jnl.co.nz
Nelson Pine Industries Ltd NZ +64 3 543 8800 +64 3 543 8890 www.nelsonpine.co.nz
PNG Forest Products Ltd PNG +67 5 472 4944 +67 5 472 6017 www.pngfp.com
RH (PNG) Ltd PNG +67 5 312 5600 +67 5 325 6165 www.rhpng.com.pg
Valebasoga Tropikboards Ltd FIJI +67 9 881 4286 +67 9 881 4154
Wesbeam Pty Ltd WA +61 8 9306 0400 +61 8 9306 0444 www.wesbeam.com

Particleboard and MDF

Member Name Location Phone Fax Web
Alpine MDF Industries Pty Ltd VIC +61 3 5721 3522 +61 3 5721 3588 www.alpinemdf.com.au
Borg Panels Pty Ltd NSW +61 2 6339 6111 +61 2 6339 6220 www.borgs.com.au
Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia NSW 1800 891 881 www.chhwoodproducts.com.au
D & R Henderson Pty Ltd NSW +61 2 4577 4033 +61 2 4577 4759 www.drhenderson.com.au
Laminex VIC +61 3 9848 4811 www.thelaminexgroup.com.au
Tasmanian Wood Panels (Aust) TAS +61 3 9460 7766 +61 3 9460 7268
Weathertex Pty Ltd NSW 1800 040 080 www.weathertex.com.au

Visit the EWPAA Website to get the latest information. www.ewp.asn.au

Visit EWPAA Member List to ensure your products carry genuine EWPAA certification

22