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EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 310:1993

NORME EUROPEENNE

EUROPAISCHE NORM February 1993

UDC 674.03:620.172.225:620.174

Descriptors: Wood-based panel. particleboard, plywood, fibreboard. OS8, cement-bonded particleboard, test method. modulus
of elasticity, bending strength

English version

Wood-based panels - Determination of modulus of

elasticity in bending and of bending strength

Panneaux it base de bois - Determination du Holzwerkstoffe Bestimmung des

module d'elasticite en flexion et de la Biege-Elastizitatsmoduls und der
resistance a la flexion Biegefestigkeit

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1992-12-15. CEN .embers are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal
Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without
any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to
the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.
The European Standards exist in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language
made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN lIember into its own language and notified to the Central
Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Denaark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

CEN

European Committee for Standardization

Comite Europeen de Normalisation
Europiisches Komitee fOr Normung
tentMll Secreterilrt: rue de Stassart,36 8-1050 Brussels

c 1993 Copyright reserved to CEN ~ers

Ref. No. EN 310:1993 E
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EN 310:1993
Contents
Page

Scope..................................................... 3

2 Nor.ative references •.•...•.•..•.••....................... 3

3 Principle................................................. 3

4 Apparatus ....•.•.•.....•.....•............................ 3

5 Test pieces •••••......•..•................................ 4

6 Procedure.... . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . 5

7 Expression of results..................................... 6

8 Test report ••.•..•••..•..••••.•••....•.......•...•.....••• 7

Annex A (informative) Bibliography .••...••.....•.•...•..... 8

Foreword

This European Standard was prepared by Working Group 4 "Common test methods" (Secretariat: United Kingdom) of
Technical Committee CENrrC 112. Wood-based panels (Secretariat: Germany).

The text is based on ISO 9429 (at present ISOIDIS) which has been elaborated with European participation.

This standard is one of a series of standards specifying methods of test for determining dimensions and properties of wood-
based panels.

No existing European Standard is superseded.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard. either by publication of an identical text or by
endorsement. at the latest by August 1993. and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by December
1994.

In accordance with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations. the following countries are bound to implement this European
Standard: Austria. Belgium. Denmark. Finland. France. Germany. Greece. Iceland. Ireland. Italy. Luxembourg. Netherlands.
Norway. Portugal. Spain. Sweden. Switzerland. United Kingdom.
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EN 310:1993

scope
This European Standard specifies a method of determining the apparent modulus of elasticity in flatwise
bending and bending strength of wood-based panels of nominal thickness equal to or greater than 3 mm.
NOTE: Structural design values shall be determined according to methods according to EN 789.

2 Nor.ative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, prov1s10ns from other pUblications. These
normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the pUblications are listed here-
after. For dated references. subsequent amendMents to or revisions of any of these publications apply to
this European Standard. only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the
latest edition of the pUblication referred to applies.

EN 325 Wood-based panels Determination of dimensions of test pieces

EN 326-1 Wood-based panels Sampling. cutting and inspection - Part 1: Sampling and cutting of test pieces
and expression of test results .)

3 ..!'rinciple
The modulus of elasticity in bending and bending strength are determined by applying a load to the
centre of a test piece supported at two points. The modulus of elasticity is calculated by using the slope
of the linear region of the load-deflection curve; the value calculated is the apparent mOdulus. not the
true modulus, because the test method includes shear as well as bending. The bending strength of each test
piece is calculated by determining the ratio of the bending moment M. at the maximum load Fmax• to the
moment of its full cross-section.

~ Apparatus

~.1 Measuring instruments. as specified in EN 325.

~.2 Testing apparatus (figure 1). having the following essential components.

~.2.1 Two parallel. cylindrical. roller-bearing supports of length exceeding the width of the test piece
and of (15 t 0.5) .. diaMeter.
The distance between the supports shall be adjustable.
A cylindrical loading head, of the saMe length and (30 t 0.5) mm in diameter. placed parallel to the
supports and equidistant fro- theM.

1) At present at the draft stage

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EN 310:1993

Dimensions in millimeters

.....

I,

, "' test piece 1, .. 20 t

F .. load 12 .. 1, .. 50
t thickness of the test piece

Figure ,: Arr.~nt of the bending apparatus.

1.2.2 A suitable instrument capable of measuring the deflection of the test piece in the middle of the
span with an accuracy of 0,' ...

1.2.3 A suitable load measurement system capable of measuring the load applied to the test piece with an
accuracy of , , of the measured value.

5 Test pieces

5.1 Supling and cutting

Sampling and cutting of the test pieces shall be carried out according to EN 326-1. Series of both
transverse and longitudinal test pieces are required.

5.2 Di. .nsions of test pieces

The test pieces shall be rectangular, and of the following dimensions:

The width b shall be (SO t 1) ...
In the ease of extruded panels. cellular panels. or panels of similar structure with cavities parallel to
the length of the test piece, the width of the test piece shall be at least twice the width of an individual
core element (e. g. two tube diameters plus two web thicknesses) and the test pieces shall have a s~tri·
cal cross-sectional area as shown in figure 2.
In test pieces with cavities perpendicular to the length. the loading head shall be located directly above
a web.

Di-ensions in millimeters

Figure 2: Cross-section of tubular boards.

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EN 310:1993

The length 12 shall be 20 times the nominal thickness plus 50 mm, with a maximum length of '050 mm and a mi-
nimum length of 150 mm.

If the deflection of the test piece is large but rupture (failure) does not occur, the distance between
supports shall be reduced for testing the bending strength. The test report shall include the distance
between supports at which failing tests were conducted. If this procedure needs to be adopted, a new set of
test pieces shall be used.

Plywood test pieces shall be free of visible strength-reducing characteristics.

5.3 Conditioning

The test pieces shall be conditioned to constant mass in an atmosphere with a relative humidity of
(65 ± 5) , and a temperature of (20 ± 2) ·C. Constant mass is considered to be reached when the results of
two successive weighing operations, carried out at an interval of 24 h, do not differ by more than 0,' , of
the mass of the test piece.

6 Procedure

6.' Measure the width and thickness of each test piece according to EN 325 at the following points:

- the thickness at the intersection of the diagonals,

- the width at the mid-length.

6.2 Adjust the distance between the centres of the supports, to within' mm of 20 times the nominal thick-
ness of the panel, but not less than '00 mm and not more than 1000 mm. Measure the distance between the
centres of the supports to the nearest 0,5 mm.

6.3 Place the test piece flat on the supports, with its longitudinal axis at right angles to those of the
supports with the centre point under the load (figure ').

6.4 The load shall be applied at a constant rate of cross-head movement throughout the test. The rate of
loading shall be adjusted so that the maximum load is reached within (60 ± 30) s.

Measure the deflection in the middle of the test piece (below the loading head) to an accuracy of 0,' mm and
plot this value against the corresponding loads measured to an accuracy of , , of the measured value. If
deflection is determined by incre-ental readings, at least 6 pairs of readings shall be used.
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6.5 Record the maximum load to an accuracy of , , of the measured value.

6.6 Carry out tests on two groups of test pieces according to the two directions of the board. i. e. in the
longitudinal and transverse directions. Within each group. test half of the test pieces with the 'top face'
upwards and half with the 'bottom face' upwards.

T Expression of results
1.' Modulus of elasticity
1.1.' The modulus of elasticity Em (in N/mm 2). of each test piece. is calculated from the formula:

where:
1, is the distance between the centres of the supports. in millimeters;
b is the width of the test piece, in millimeters:
t is the thickness of the test piece. in millimeters:
F2 - Fl is the increment of load on the straight line portion of the load-deflection curve. (figure 3)
in N. Fl shall be approximately 10 , and F2 shall be approximately (0 , of the maximum load:

a2 - a1 is the increment of deflection at the mid-length of the test piece (corresponding to F2 - F,).
The modulus of elasticity for each test piece shall be expressed to three significant figures.

1.1.2 The modulus of elasticity for each group of test pieces taken from the same board (6.6) is the
arithmetic mean of the moduli of elasticity of the appropriate test pieces. expressed to three significant
figures.
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F1, t - - - - - - - - + - - i O , 4 Frau.

t
il

F, t--7t'---------4---.....l0,1 F....

., b)-
a) load F
d) deflection a
Figure 3: Load-deflection curve Mithin the range of elastic defor.ation

7.2 Bending strength

7.2.1 The bending strength f m (in N/-m2) , of each test piece, is calculated from the formula:

where:

Fmax is the maximum load, in newtons;

1" b, and t are in millimeters as defined in 7.1.1.

The bending strength of each test piece shall be expressed to three significant figures.

7.2.2 The bending strength for each group of test pieces taken from the same board (6.6) is the arith-
metic mean of the bending strengths of the appropriate test pieces, expressed to three significant figures.

8 Test report
As described in EN 326-1.
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EN 310:1993

Annex A (inforaative)
Bibliography

EN 789 Timber structures - Testing of wood-based panels for the determination of mechanical proper-
ties for structural purposes ')

ISO 9429:1987 Wood-based panels - Determination of apparent modulus of elasticity in bending and of bending
strength

1) At present at the draft stage

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