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Plywood

Plywood is a type of engineered wood made by bonding together several layers of wood veneers to create a flat sheet. Although the product can be customized to meet a wide variety of applications, typically it is composed of a minimum of three plies with the grain of the alternating plies oriented perpendicularly.

Benefits of Plywood

1. Increased stability

Plywood possesses all the inherent benefits of the original wood, and in addition, it has improved properties due to its laminated structure.

2. High impact resistance

Plywood, being a material made from wood, has the capability to withstand short-term overloads that are occasional in nature, up to twice the load that it was designed for. This is particularly useful in areas where there is a possibility of seismic activity or cyclonic winds. This property is highly effective for use as construction flooring or as concrete formwork. The laminated structure of plywood allows for the distribution of impact loads over a larger area on the opposite face, resulting in a reduction of tensile stress.

3. Surface dimensional stability

Plywood sheets are very resilient against temperature and moisture fluctuations because of their cross laminated design. This is especially vital in the flooring and formwork sectors of the construction industry, where exposure to moisture is common.

4. High strength to weight ratio

Plywood is a cost-effective material for use in various structural applications, including flooring, shearwalls, formwork, and webbed beams, owing to its high strength and stiffness to weight ratios.

5. Panel shear

The cross laminated structure of plywood results in a panel shear that is approximately two times greater than that of solid timber. Plywood is a material that exhibits high effectiveness when employed in gussets for portal frames, webs of fabricated beams, and as bracing panels.

6. Chemical resistance

When treated with preservatives, plywood can serve as a durable and cost-effective material in chemical works and cooling towers due to its resistance to corrosion.

Common uses of Plywood

• Light partition or external walls.
• Formwork
• Furniture
• Flooring
• Structural systems
• Light doors and shutters

Types of Plywood

1. Structural Plywood


Used as beams, formwork, and bracing panels in permanent buildings when great strength is required.

2. External Plywood

When a decorative or aesthetically pleasing outside finish is required.

3. Internal Plywood

Used for decorative purposes in non-structural installations like paneling and ceilings.

4. Marine Plywood

Water-resistant plywood is a type of plywood that is commonly utilized in shipbuilding and in areas of buildings that are susceptible to high moisture levels, such as bathrooms or roofing.