Currently the scope of plywood application is quite high – starting from the construction segment and ending with the aviation, shipbuilding and transport sectors. Many will be baffled by the statement that there is a special plywood that is successfully used in the transport field. This material is called “transport plywood”, but the term is not official. Let’s try to figure out what advantages transport plywood has and in what tasks it is justified to use this type of plywood.
Properties and application of transport plywood
To begin with, you should remember which brands of plywood exist in general. The main brands of plywood are considered to be: FSF, FC, FB, FBA and FOF. Let’s focus on the latter, since it is most often used in the transport sector. Simply put, the plywood of the FOF brand is meant when the definition of transport plywood is used.
FOF plywood does not differ in production technology from other brands, since this type of material is also manufactured according to all standards. The main property of transport plywood is the presence of a water–repellent laminated coating on one or two sides. Increased water resistance allows the use of FOF plywood in tasks where maximum protection from moisture is required.
Transport laminated plywood is used for covering walls and floors in vans, trailers, semi-trailers, as well as boats and speedboats. For successful installation on the floor, the transport plywood must be covered with a special mesh coating that protects the load from slipping. In addition, transport mesh plywood increases the safety of passengers inside, reducing the risk of accidental falls.
Dimensions of transport plywood
In most cases, the dimensions of the transport plywood do not exceed 27 mm. The installation of a particular sheet depends on the surface frames: for example, the thickness of the plywood to be installed in semi-trailers does not exceed 20 mm., in passenger cars and river boats, the thickness of the material is limited to 10 mm.
Transport plywood 27 mm. is used infrequently. Basically, a material with a similar thickness is used for covering walls and partitions in large structures. Sheets ranging in size from 15 to 21 mm. are used in semi-trailers, and not in full-fledged trailers due to the inability to carry a significant load.
For the transportation of light goods, transport plywood with a size from 9.5 to 1.2 mm is used. Sheets with similar sizes are also used in small boats and speedboats. A material of this thickness is able to restrain the load created by 5 people. For some tasks, 6.5 mm thick plywood is used – it is also suitable for rigging the walls of small vans and mobile refrigeration systems.