Effect of hole diameter, hole distance from the edge, and material properties on lateral pin holding strength of medium density fiberboard and particleboard

Abstract

There is no established standard which evaluates the lateral holding resistance of wood composites. The method of test offered in this study intends to determine the lateral resistance of panels used in case constructions with furniture fittings mainly used in ready-to-assembly (RTA) furniture; thus, optimizing the strength and stiffness of such furniture constructions. For example, in dowel-nut connections, a bolt is attached to dowel-nut by means of a drilled-through hole. The lateral forces near the edge of panels occur on this type of construction when the case is subjected to the racking action. This study was carried out to offer a test method that determines the lateral holding strength of panels used in case constructions with furniture fittings. Another objective was to determine the effects of hole diameter, hole distance from the edge, and edgewise modulus of rupture of panels on lateral holding strength of particleboard and medium density fiberboard. Results showed that lateral holding strength can be predicted as a function of joint geometry and basic material properties. It was also concluded that the method of testing offered in this study could be used for finding the optimum joint design parameters in some panel constructions.