BS EN 636 specifies the requirements for plywood, as defined in BS EN 313-2, for both general
purpose use (non-structural application) and structural application in dry, humid or exterior conditions. BS EN 636 also gives a classification system based on the bending properties. The aim of BS EN 636 is to classify and determine the properties of plywood.
BS EN 636 can be appropriately applied for all plywood, including overlaid and coated plywood, but it does not cover materials or processes used for overlaying or coating. Neither does it cover any materials or processes applied in relation to the enhancement of biological durability.
BS EN 636 on plywood is useful for:
Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards which include medium-density fibreboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB) and particle board (chipboard). BS EN 636 provides a classification system based on the bending properties of plywood, independent of composition factors (e.g. species, number of plies, the thickness of plies). This allows for understanding the material’s ductility, bend strength, fracture strength, and resistance to fracture, which will help in determining whether a material will fail under pressure which may lead to catastrophic failure. BS EN 636 provides a method to check the bonding quality and the durability to dry, humid, and exterior conditions. This will help the users to choose the type of plywood based on their requirements.
EN 636:2012+A1:2015