PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.

com

Development of Veneer-based Corrugated Composites,

Part 1: Manufacture and Basic Material Properties
Levente Denes,a,* Elemer M. Lang,a and Joseph F. McNeel b

Typically, wood-based composite materials have been developed through

empirical studies. In these products, the constituent wood elements have
broad spectrums regarding species, size, and anatomical orientation
relative to their own dimensions. To define special strength and stiffness
properties during a long-term study, two types of corrugated wood
composite panels were developed for possible structural utilization. The
constitutional elements of the newly developed products included
Appalachian hardwood veneer residues (side clippings) and/or rejected
low quality, sliced veneer sheets. The proposed primary usage of these
veneer-based panels is in applications where the edgewise loading may
cause buckling (e.g., web elements of I-joists, shear-wall and composite
beam core materials). This paper describes the development of flat and
corrugated panels, including furnish preparations and laboratory-scale
manufacturing processes as well as the determination of key mechanical
properties. According to the results in parallel to grain direction bending,
tension and compression strengths exceeded other structural panels’
similar characteristics, while the rigidities were comparable. Based on the
research findings, sliced veneer clipping waste can be transformed into
structural panels or used as reinforcement elements in beams and
sandwich-type products.

Keywords: Wood-based composites; Veneer; Hardwoods; Structural panels; Corrugated wood panels;
Load bearing members; Mechanical properties

Contact information: a: Institute of Wood Based Products and Technologies, University of West Hungary,
H-9400 Bajcsy-Zs. u. 4 Sopron, Hungary; b: Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia
University P.O. Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 260506-6125, USA;
* Corresponding author: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Since the last quarter of the 20th century, the global forest products industry has
experienced significant shortages in raw material supply. The available timber resources
have declined gradually both in quantity and quality, while the demand for construction
materials has increased substantially. Responding to the market requirements,
manufacturers of construction materials developed several wood-based, load supporting
composites commonly referred to as structural composite lumbers (SCL). These include
laminated veneer lumbers (LVL), parallel strand lumbers (PSL), and laminated strand
lumbers (LSL), originally designed to utilize softwoods. With the advancement of
technology, short-rotation trees and species previously neglected because of their
unfavorable properties have been used in the manufacturing processes. The definite
advantages of these composites are higher yield from forest resources, higher (engineered)
mechanical properties, dimensions limited only by technological constraints, better

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 774

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
moisture resistance, and dimensional stability (Smulski 1997).
Structural wood and wood-based composite productions are more energy-efficient
and environmentally friendly than other construction material productions, such as steel,
aluminum, and reinforced concrete. Structural composite lumbers do very well on a
performance versus cost efficiency basis compared with other load-bearing elements.
Another important issue is carbon dioxide emissions to the environment. The bound
carbon in woody tissues needs to be retained as long as possible to prevent the early CO2
emissions by decay or incineration of wood or wood-based materials. Thus, it is expected
that the demand for structural wood products will increase in the future (Winandy 2002).
However, there is potential for better exploitation of natural wood resources, minimizing
environmental impacts, and recycling wood residues for better CO2 retention. Within the
framework of the Wood Utilization Research at the West Virginia University and with the
cooperation of the University of West Hungary, extensive research has been conducted to
convert low-quality Appalachian and European hardwoods into value-added products. One
of the segments of this project dealt with the use of veneer mill residues for furnish of
structural composites.
By slicing or eccentric rotary peeling, decorative (face) veneer manufacturing
processes transform high quality half or quarter logs, with an average length of 2 to 4 m,
into thin (0.4 to 0.8 mm) veneer sheets, sometimes referred to as veneer “leafs”. After
drying and stacking, a clipping operation sets the final rectangular dimensions of the veneer
bundles that contain 12 to 20 sheets. This process yields residual side-clipping wastes, with
an average length of 1 to 4 m and width of 25 to 50 mm (Fig. 1). Moreover, full size veneer
bundles are also rejected because of quality reasons including natural or processing defects
and staining. Industrial experiences and analytical works have confirmed that there is a
positive correlation between strand length in the grain direction and strength properties
(Barnes 2000, 2002; Edgar 2003; Nishimura et al. 2004). Therefore, side clippings are
particularly suitable as furnish materials for structural composite production. Additionally,
the end clipping operation generates rectangular shaped cutoffs that can be easily converted
into strand-type raw furnish for further composite panel manufacture.

Fig. 1. Side- and end-clippings generated during decorative (face) veneer manufacture

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 775

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
Wastes from veneer processing are used routinely as fuel for energy production,
albeit with low efficiency. Some colored species may be transformed into landscape
mulch. However, only 10% of the clippings are recycled and utilized as wood fiber for
composite manufacturing purposes. A survey revealed that in the central Appalachian
region, 15 veneer mills generate approximately 60,000 metric tons of clipping residues
annually (Hassler 2002). This volume corresponds to 92,000 m3 wood based composite
materials on a 650 kg/m3 average density basis.
The experimental and development parts of the above-mentioned research resulted
in several types of veneer based or veneer reinforced panels, tubes, and kitchen and interior
panels (Fig 2). A mixture of polyurethane foam and veneer strips proved to be excellent
core materials for structural insulated panels (Denes 2014).

Fig. 2. Variety of panels with PUR – side-clippings core materials and 3-D composites

Further research and development resulted in two characteristic structural

composites designated as veneer strip panels (VSP) and veneer strip lumber (VSL). Figure
3 shows some of the products formulated from veneer wastes. Side- and end-clippings were
reconstituted into discrete composite panels and load-supporting SCL slabs by traditional
hot pressing consolidation processes. The resin application happened through roller coating
and drum blending using conventional phenol-formaldehyde (PF) and polymeric
diphenylmethane-diisocyanate (pMDI) resins common in structural panel and SCL
manufacturing. Standard ASTM testing procedures (ASTM D-1037 1999 and ASTM D-
143 1999) on limited sample sizes included apparent modulus of elasticity (MOE) and
bending strength (MOR) determinations. Furthermore, internal bond (IB) tests
demonstrated excellent strength values in the direction perpendicular to the principal plane
of the materials (Denes et al. 2004, 2010). Besides the evaluations of mechanical and
physical properties, response surface methodology (RSM) and robust parameter design
(RPD) methods helped to identify the optimum parameters of orientation, resin coverage
and furnish size (Montgomery 2005). The development of flat panels included the
application of statistical quality control (Montgomery 1997). Results confirmed the
superiority of unidirectional alignments (Denes et al. 2006).
Spruce veneer honeycomb elements using corrugated shapes for lightweight core
sandwich panels has been proposed by Obataya et al. (2015) to increase the compressive

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 776

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
strength of the structure, while Shibanuma et al. (2012) investigated bending strength and
stiffness of the corrugated veneer-cored panels.
Several SCL products are already on the market that have well-developed
manufacturing technologies. Therefore, this research was focused on specialty products,
including buckling resistant panels, pallet parts, tubes, and shear wall components. The
general objective of this segment of the work was to develop corrugated, veneer-based
composite panels with improved edgewise load supporting capacity. The targeted specific
objectives were: 1) to demonstrate the viability of structural panel corrugation using veneer
wastes; 2) to identify basic technological parameters of the process; and 3) to establish the
basic mechanical properties of the product.

Fig. 3. Variety of structural composites made from veneer clippings: (a) single-layer beams and
panels from shredded side-clippings; (b) structural panels from side-clippings; (c) three-layer
structural composite with end-clippings in the core

EXPERIMENTAL

Materials
Raw materials for furnish preparation were Appalachian hardwood veneer
sideclippings and rejected full size veneer leafs with varying widths. The mixture of species
included red maple (Acer rubrum), American white ash (Fraxinus americana), black
cherry (Prunus serotina), white oak (Quercus alba), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron
tulipifera). The raw materials came from different veneer mills in the Appalachian region
in dry conditions. For flat panels production a mix black cherry (85%) and white oak (15%)
was used. Besides preconditioning and length adjustments, there was no additional
manipulation of the veneers or clippings.
Adhesion was achieved by application of liquid phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin
with 50% dry material content typically used for LVL production. During mat forming for
corrugated panels, the face layers of the mat were covered with melamine-base films to
minimize future in-service moisture uptake.

Methods
During the first step, flat panels were manufactured to evaluate physical and
mechanical properties. The furnish preparation included the cutting of the mixed hardwood

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 777

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
side-clippings to uniform length (0.8 m). The widths of the veneer strips were not adjusted;
this dimension was governed by side clipping operation, resulting in random widths
between 30 and 120 mm. The average thickness was 0.5 mm. Preconditioning to 6%
moisture content (MC) took place in a walk-in climate chamber set to 21 °C temperature
(T) and 25% relative humidity (RH). The 700 kg/m3 target density on a 9.5 mm average
thickness required 3.8 kg strand materials for each panel.
Resin was applied with a laboratory roller-coater to both sides of the strands with a
spread of 15 g/m2. This agreed with the recommended furnish/resin mass ratio of 5%
(Barnes 2000). The resin coated strands were manually aligned unidirectional on a screen-
caul plate forming a rectangular mat with approximately 19 to 20 layers. The mat was
covered with the top screen-caul plate.
Panels were pressed with a 200-ton capacity single day light, laboratory press with
~1 m × 1 m heated top and bottom platens. The pressing operation was under displacement
control. Per the resin manufacturer’s recommendations, a minimum 100 °C core
temperature was maintained for 60 s to cure the liquid PF adhesive. Therefore, press plates
were preheated to 180 °C. The pressing schedule was as follows: close the press rapidly to
the maximum compaction (~ 8 mm), hold for 60 s, and gradually release the pressure
applying three venting phases. Figure 4 shows a complete pressing cycle with the indication
of pressure, platen displacement (i.e., thickness) and the mat core temperature. The total
pressing operation for a panel took 5.5 min.

Fig. 4. Press cycle for panel consolidation

After pressing, flat panels were stacked under weights to prevent warping during
cooling and acclimatization. Panels were trimmed, and standard ASTM test specimens
were machined from randomly selected panels and areas. Tests and measurements included
density, thickness swell, tension, compression, and flexural property evaluations. All
assessments of physical and mechanical properties followed the specification of relevant
standards (ASTM D 143-94 and D 1037-96) except specimens for tension strength and
MOE determination. Because of the machine grip constrain, these specimens were cut to a
25 mm width instead of the standard 50 mm. Mechanical tests were performed parallel and

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 778

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
perpendicular to the veneer strands in both flatwise and edgewise directions of the
specimens.
Results of numerical analyses demonstrated that the highest buckling resistant is
achieved by sine wave-shaped corrugation (McGraw et al. 2010a,b). Initially, the
aluminum templet was designed with circular segments. An additional pair of sine-wave
templates was machined to a width of 450 mm, but full in length (800 mm). For both the
circular- and sign-wave forms, the wavelengths were milled to 150 mm, with ± 20 mm
maximum vertical dimensions at the apexes (Fig. 5).
Figure 6 shows the schematics of these templates. Note that the even thickness of
circular-wave panels could be ensured with alternating radii. However, because of milling
constraints, the profiles of the top and bottom of sine-wave templates were identical. This
resulted in under and over pressed regions at locations A and B, respectively (Fig. 6).

Fig. 5. Sine-wave corrugated panel during the pressing operation

Fig. 6. Schematics of the aluminum templates (not to scale). Dimensions are in mm.

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 779

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
Mat preparation was the same as for flat panels, except that the length of furnish
was adjusted to the calculated length of the wave form. A similar pressure cycle as depicted
on Fig. 4 assured the consolidation and resin cure. The pressed and corrugated panels were
stacked for acclimatization, trimmed, and stored until further conversions into structural
elements of load bearing composites.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Flat Panel Characteristics

The assessed physical attributes of flat panels included density and moisture uptake,
thickness, and volumetric swelling (Table 1). On average, the target density was exceeded
by about 6%, and the overall coefficient of variation (COV) was 12.7%. This may be
attributed to the low density hardwoods higher densification at elevated temperature. The
moisture related properties were very comparable to the swelling of structural panels
currently on the market.

Table 1. Physical Properties of Flat Panels

Properties
Treatments Density Weight Increase Thickness Swell Volumetric Swell
(k/m3) (%) (%) (%)
Target 700 ------ ------ ------
Actual 740 (94) ------ ------ ------
2 hour soak ------ 19.2 (6.4) 5.5 (1.9) 11.7 (4.5)
24 our soak ------ 41.1 (9.2) 14.6 (2.9) 19.3 (6.8)
Standard deviations are in parenthesis; an average of 15 to 20 measurements were included
for each property.

Standard testing procedures revealed that strength and stiffness properties of the
new composites met or exceeded the similar characteristics of competing oriented strand
boards (OSB) and plywood. Table 2 compiles the average values with standard deviations.
In fact, the strength values were even better than that of similar properties of commercial
solid wood (Forest Products Laboratory 1999). This fact can be explained by the origin of
furnish materials. The defect free veneers came from high quality solid wood prisms,
prepared for slicing or eccentric peeling. Furthermore, densification during the pressing
process remarkably improved the mechanical properties. This confirms the finding that the
correct pressing time, temperature, and pressure have utmost importance in quality wood
composite manufacture.
The mean modulus of rupture value also exceeded the similar values of other
structural panel type products (OSB, plywood, LVL) when specimens were tested flatwise
in parallel to strand direction, while the rigidity of the specimens were comparable. In the
case of perpendicular grain directions, a significant drop of the mechanical properties can
be observed.

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 780

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
Table 2. Average Mechanical Properties of Flat Panels
Sample MOR MOEt σt σc MOEc Shear IB
Load Orientation Size (MPa) (GPa) (MPa) (MPa) (GPa) (MPa) (MPa)

132.5 15.5
Flat 20
Parallel with (23.3) (1.9) 99.6 73.7 11.45 5.76
strands 110.5 13.4 (29.7) (10.4) (2.75) (1.08)
Edge 20
(10.8) (1.0) 1.05
86.9 8.9 (0.38)
Flat 20
Perpendicular (2.69) (2.7) 4.03 15.9 1.10 3.56
to strands 7.24 7.2 (1.60) (4.9) (0.041 (1.15)
Edge 20
(1.65) (1.7)
Mean values with standard deviations are in parenthesis; σt and σc are tension and compression
strengths, respectively.

Visual assessments of failure modes showed splintering and brush tension failures
in bending (MOR). Specimens in tension failed in splintering manner almost one hundred
percent. Under compression, the re-glued panels failed because of buckling after
delamination. Figure 7 shows some characteristic failure modes. The internal bound (IB)
tests resulted in more than 50% wood failure. However, the variability of data was
unexpectedly wide (1.9 to 0.45 MPa). This may be explained by the different densification
of diverse species. Therefore, this phenomenon should be investigated further.

Fig. 7. Typical failure modes of flat panels: (a) brush failure at the tension side of a cross grained
specimen; (b) splintering tension failures; (c1, c2) failure modes of compression specimens with
parallel and perpendicular strand alignments, respectively

Results of Corrugation
The segmented circular corrugation yielded 750 × 550 mm trimmed panels with
four full and two half wavelengths in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 8). The average
density was 725 kg/m3 with a comparatively low COV (12.5%). This could be achieved by
the alternating radii of the top template. Thus, more even panel thickness was created at
every point of the templet surfaces; the normal distance between the two templates over
the entire surface was constant.
It should be noted, however, that for the full contact of the strands and because of
the spring back effect, the templates were close to ~8 mm at the apexes. This created some
higher densifications at the oblique surfaces, although no statistically significant
differences could be measured in thicknesses of the relevant areas of the panel.

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 781

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com

Fig. 8. Circularly segmented, 9.5 mm thick corrugated panel made of ash veneer side clippings

The trimmed panel size for both sine-wave and circular wave corrugations was 750
mm × 400 mm, which include four full and two half waves along the length of the panel
(Figs. 8 and 9). The average density was 738 kg/m3. This agreed with the flat panel actual
density, although the spread of data increased significantly (COV = 16.1%). As already
mentioned, the top and bottom templates had identical sine-wave millings. For the 9.5 mm
target thickness, the differences between the normal distances of apexes and the inflexion
points of the sine-wave was 2 mm (Fig. 6 A and B). Thus, over and under densifications
were manifested in the high variation of density data for this type of panel. This discrepancy
was accepted because the panel mechanical properties are considerably better than that of
wood based panel materials currently on the market. Despite the density variations, during
long term storage, the corrugated panels remained warp and twist free, though thin flat
panels of full size (750 × 650 mm) tend to warp in conditions having high relative humidity
fluctuations.
Both types of corrugated panels were further processed and tested in engineered
structural composites. Part 2 of this paper provides further information about these products
and performances.

Fig. 9. 9.5 mm thick, sine-wave corrugated panels made of mixed hardwood side-clippings

CONCLUSIONS

1. Veneer mill residues, including side clippings and rejected veneer bundles, can be
successfully converted into value-added, composite panels.

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 782

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
2. The long, thin, and flexible veneer strips are particularly appropriate to create
structural, 3-dimensional elements.
3. Circular- and sine-wave corrugations can be achieved by traditional hot pressing
operation with appropriate heat transferring templates.
4. The physical and mechanical properties of the new products are very comparable to the
properties of similar products already on the market.
5. The devised corrugation process results in dimensionally stable panels without warping
even in changing environmental conditions.
6. The utilization possibilities of corrugated, veneer based panels, especially in load
bearing structural composites, are very broad.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was partially financed by the Research Challenge Grant Program of
West Virginia at West Virginia University during the academic year of 2002-2003 and the
Hungarian National Science Foundation (OTKA), project number T-25985. The
continuation at WVU in 2008 has been made possible through the Wood Utilization
Research Program Task #8 and #21. Financial supports are gratefully acknowledged.
Bradley McGraw, a former graduate student at WVU, Division of Forestry and Natural
Resources, helped in data acquisition and testing. This manuscript is published with the
approval of the Director of West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Station
as Scientific Article No. 3289.

REFERENCES CITED

ASTM D 143-94 (1999). “Standard methods of testing small clear specimens of timber,”
ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM D 1037- 94 (1999). “Standard test methods for evaluating properties of wood-
based fiber and particle panel materials,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken,
PA.
Barnes, D. (2000). “An integrated model of the effect of processing parameters on the
strength properties of oriented strand wood products,” Forest Prod. J. 50(11/12), 33-
42.
Barnes, D. (2002). “A model of the effect of strand angle and grain angle on the strength
properties of oriented wood composites,” Forest Prod. J. 52(4), 39-47.
Denes, L. (2014). “Physical and mechanical properties of veneer-polyurethane foam
composites,” Wood Fiber Sci. 46(4), 451-458.
Denes, L., Lang, E. M., and Kovacs, Z. (2004). “Innovative wood composites from
veneer residues,” in: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Advanced
Timber and Timber-Composite Elements for Building, Florence, Italy, pp. 169-175.
Denes, L., Lang, E. M., and Kovacs, Z. (2006). “Product development from veneer mill
residues: An application of the Taguchi’s method,” Wood Fiber Sci. 38(1), 36-48.

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 783

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE bioresources.com
Denes, L., Kovacs, Z., Lang, E. M., and Davalos, J. F. (2010). “Recycling the sliced
veneer clippings into value-added products,” in: Proceedings of the International
Convention of Society of Wood Science and Technology and the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe – Timber Committee, Geneva, Switzerland.
Edgar, R. (2003). Effects of Strand Geometry on Selected Properties of long-strand
Structural Composite Lumber Made from Northeastern Hardwoods,” Master’s
Thesis, University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
Forest Products Laboratory (1999). Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
(General Technical Report FPL–GTR–190), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Products Laboratory, Madison, WI.
Hassler, C. (2002). Veneer Residue Survey (Final Report to the Division of Forestry and
Natural Resources, WVU), Balkan Tier Consulting Inc. Morgantown, WV.
McGraw, B., Denes, L., Lang, E. M., Davalos, J. F., and Chen, A. (2010a). “Development
of a corrugated wood composite web panel for i-joist from discarded veneer-mill
residues,” in: Proceedings of the 12th ASCE Aerospace Division International
Conference on Engineering, Construction and Operations in Challenging
Environments, Honolulu, Hawaii, p. 2. DOI: 10.1061/41096(366)46
McGraw, B., Davalos, J. F., Chen, A., Denes, L., and Lang, E. M. (2010b). “Corrugated
wood composite web panel for I-joist using discarded veneer-mill residues,” in:
Proceedings of 16th US National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
(USNCTAM 2010), State College, PA, pp. 452-462.
Montgomery, D. C. (1997). Introduction to Statistical Quality Control (3rd Ed.), John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.
Montgomery, D. C. (2005). Design and Analysis of Experiments (6th Ed.), John Wiley and
Sons, Inc., New York.
Nishimura, T., Armin, J., and Ansell, M. (2004). “Image analyses and bending properties
of model OSB panels as a function of strand distribution, shape and size,” Wood Sci.
Technol. 38, 297-309. DOI: 10.1007/s00226-003-0219-z
Obataya, E., Shibanuma, N., Abe, M., Shiraishi, T., Adachi, K, and Yamauchi, H. (2015).
“Compressive strength of corrugated veneer structures” (in Japanese). Mokuzai
Gakkaishi 61(4), 268-273
Shibanuma, N, Obataya, E., and Yamauchi, H. (2012). “Mechanical properties of
corrugated veneer-cored panel,” in: Proceedings of the IUFRO Conference Division
5, Forest Products. Lisbon, Portugal, 2012, p. 227.
Smulski, S. (ed.) (1997). Engineered Wood Products: A Guide for Specifiers, Designers
and Users, PFS Research Foundation, Madison, WI.
Winandy, J. E. (2002). “Emerging materials: What will durable materials look like in
2020?” in: Enhancing the Durability of Lumber and Engineered Wood Products,
Kissimmee, FL, pp. 13-18.

Article submitted: August 4, 2016; Peer review completed: October 6, 2016; Revised
version received and accepted: October 20, 2016; Published: December 5, 2016.
DOI: 10.15376/biores.12.1.774-784

Denes et al. (2017). “Corrugated veneer-based,” BioResources 12(1), 774-784. 784