Core configuration and panel reinforcement affect compression properties of wood-based 2-D straight column lattice truss sandwich structure

To investigate the effects of the core configuration on the out-of-plane compressive behavior of a wood-based 2D straight column lattice truss sandwich structure, structures with different types of core configurations made of oriented particleboard (OSB) and birch (Betula) dowels were manufactured by using a simple slotting and adhesive bonding approach. An out-of-plane compression experiment was conducted to measure the structural load capacity, equivalent compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity (MOE). Numerical and theoretical analyses were conducted to verify the experimental results. The results show that the ultimate strength in the out-of-plane compression of eight different configurations followed a linear relationship with the relative density of the core (the ratio of the section area of the core to the bottom surface). Type IV (four columns with a diameter of 6 mm) and type V (one column with a diameter of 12 mm) with identical density (both 3.14%) showed similar compressive strength. The compressive MOE of type IV and type V differed greatly. The theoretical displacement is less than the actual displacement because the panel is weak. Therefore, 5 mm birch veneers were used to enhance the OSB panel. The compressive MOE of the reinforced structure could be increased by up to 78%.