ABSTRACT
Following the publication of a state-of-art report^2) in January 1984 on the use of chipboard in flooring, a working party was set up (following a suggestion of the Standing Committee on Structural Safety) to provide guidance on the structural use of chipboard for flooring. Their report indicated that while the system for the specifying of chipboard for domestic flooring in BS5669:1979(3) was acceptable, there was very limited provision of data for the design of non-domestic floors and structures. There appeared to be an urgent need for the design of mezzanine floors in industrial premises. The working party comprised practising engineers and representatives from the Health and Safety Executive, Princes Risborough Laboratory(PRL) of the Building Research Establishment(BRE) and the Timber Research and Development Association(TRADA). To meet this urgent need for design stresses, it was agreed that the joint resources of both BRE(PRL) and TRADA should be utilised. Hence, a BRE(PRL)/TRADA committee was set up with representations from both the Chipboard Promotion Association(CPA) and the Wood Panel Products Federation (WPPF), [then called the United Kingdom Particleboard Association(UKPA)]. The committee was given two main tasks:
a) to develop a specification for structural grade chipboard and
b) to determine design grade stresses for structural grade chipboard.
