Features of Structural and Non-Structural Plywood That Make Them Most Suitable For Various Applications

Plywood is made up of several layers of veneer that are made from softwoods such as pine, Douglas fir, and redwood, as well as hardwoods such as maple, ash mahogany, or a combination of both to increase its strength. It provides an incredible blend of light, strength, and flexibility. Because of its unrivalled flexibility, plywood is most suited for usage in furniture with curved surfaces, as well as curved formworks, roof, and panelling work.

The timber used to make plywood is prepared by steaming or dipping it in hot water. It is then peeled into thin plies of between 1 to 4 mm, and formed into large sheets. The front and visible part of the plywood is called the face, while its back is directly visible as it remains hidden from the view. Plies in the plywood are glued together using strong adhesives. Each layer of the plywood is oriented with its wood grain perpendicular to the adjacent layer. This arrangement, known as cross graining, provides plywood with increased strength, and also distinguishes it from the laminated veneer lumber or LVL.

Structural plywood is best used for projects requiring structural stability, such as beams, outdoor boxes, and crates. Flooring, structural bracing, and roofing substrates all make extensive use of it. The face veneers in structural plywood are thicker than those in formwork plywood or marine plywood. It has the ability to move loads in all directions. Because of the way the veneers are arranged in structural plywood, it has significantly more strength and stiffness in the direction of the face grain. Structural plywood with a thin face veneer and thicker underlying cross-band veneers offers equivalent strength and stiffness in both directions. Positioning the face grain parallel to the span of plywood adds strength, whereas placing it at right angles diminishes strength. So, it is not recommended to place face grains at right angles to the span of structural plywood.

Using Type A phenolic adhesive in the construction of structural plywood helps the plywood maintain its structural integrity and durability for more than 50 years in full exposure.

Key benefits of structural plywood

  •          Resistant to humidity, warmth, and chilly water conditions
  •          Offers two times shear carrying capacity compared to timber
  •          Maintains dimensional stability and integrity
  •          Permits nails near panel edges
  •          Easy workability and sustainability

Structural plywood provides longevity and durability

Choose A-Bond plywood if you want the greatest quality structural plywood in terms of longevity and durability. You can use structural plywood with B-Bond for applications such as external door skins and formworks. Choose marine plywood that is built with water and boil proof glues (WBP) if you need structural plywood that can endure a lot of moisture. Structural plywood can be identified by checking for AS/NZS 2269 stamped on it, which means the plywood has been tested to this standard and can be used in structural applications.

Non-structural plywood for aesthetic appearance

Non-structural plywood is appropriate for any interior application requiring dimensional stability. It is ideal for use as a general building material on any surface, temporary or permanent structure in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. It's also simple to paint or stain. As an untreated panel, non-structural plywood is often utilised. It is also available in treated forms ideal for long-term outdoor use, such as H2-S, H2, or H3.

Non-structural plywood, also known as interior plywood, is mostly used for applications requiring decorative and aesthetic finishes, such as wall and ceiling linings. It is recommended for use in non-structural applications that require a high-quality finish, such as joinery, panelling, and furniture. As it provides stunning visual effects, non-structural plywood is also known as appearance-grade plywood.

As opposed to structural plywood, non-structural plywood is neither manufactured nor tested against Australian standards. It also does not carry any F rating. So, non-structural plywood should not be used where structural plywood is required. It can only be used in non-structural and non-load bearing applications.

Get the best quality structural and non-structural plywood and veneer

You can shop for some of the best quality structural plywood and non-structural plywood types from Matilda Veneer. Some of the choices available for you in architectural plywood at Matilda Veneer include sliced veneer, rotary veneer, enhanced veneer, and truewood veneer. Appearance grade non-structural plywood types available at the Matilda Veneer include hoop pine plywood, birch plywood, Matilda Ultralite, Fireply X, and Matilda Lite Ply. Fire-rated structural plywood varieties available at Matilda Veneer are hoop pine FR panel, Fireply X, and Matilda Fireply.

Many more plywood and veneer types are available at Matilda Veneer that you can use for your creations. These include Quarter Cut Amoora, Crown Cut White Ash, Queensland Cherry Truewood, Quarter Cut Grey Ironbark, Quarter Cut Marri, Teak truewood, American Walnut, and many more. 
Location: Australia

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