Patch Loading Tests for Flooring Particleboard - Forest and Wood ...

The load arrangement and other details are illustrated in Fig. 4. All tests were conducted
over spans of 300, 450 and 600 mm. The load was applied by an Instron loose ram testing
system in which the ram was supported by a heavy reaction frame although the rigidity of
the frame holding the Instron jack was effectively infinite checks were made to ensure that
frame deformation did not affect the results. Loading was applied at a rate corresponding to
a deflection increase of 5 mm/minute. This usually caused failure after approximately 2
minutes.
Load applied Steel plate(100x100)mm
3 x (300 or 450 or 600) mm
Fig. 4 Test arrangement for the patch loading test
4 LOAD CAPACITY AS LIMITED BY STRENGTH CRITERIA - EQUIVALENT
TEST LOAD (ETL)
The permissible loads as limited by strength criteria have been established using the
prototype testing provisions given in the Australian Standard AS1720.1, Timber Structures
Code, Clause A5. Under these provisions the structure must support in a short term test a
load 3.6 times the permissible load as determined below. The exact value is determined
using AS1720.1 - equation A5.4 (b) .
Pmin = ETL =
Rearranged:
Pworking =
22 . k26k27k28 k
1
k1
22 . k k k
Pmin
26 27 28
Pworking = Working load for permanent conditions.
Where:
Pworking (A2)
Pmin = Minimum test load to be applied to justify a working load Pworking.
k1 = 1.0 (Table 2.5 AS1720.1-1988)
k26 = 1.1 (Table A1 AS1720.1-1988)
k27 = 1.0 (Table A2 AS1720.1-1988)
k28 = 1.46 (Table A3 AS1720.1-1988) - assuming 15% coefficient of variation and 6
replicates for each test condition.
4