Oriented strand board (OSB) is a performance-rated structural panel engineered for uniformity, strength, versatility and workability. It is utilized internationally in a wide array of applications including commercial and residential construction and renovation, packaging/crating, furniture and shelving, and do-it-yourself projects. Because it is engineered, OSB can be custom manufactured to meet specific requirements in thickness, density, panel size, surface texture, strength, and rigidity. This engineering process makes OSB the most widely accepted and preferred structural panel among architects, specifiers and contractors.
Evolving from waferboard in the late 1970s, OSB is unique in that long wood strands are oriented, not randomly placed. Since its debut in 1978, OSB has been rapidly accepted. In fact, in many countries of the world (US, Canada, Russia, Africa, China, etc.) OSB has virtually replaced other panels in new residential construction. Today, OSB panels are recognized for the same uses as plywood on a thickness-by-thickness basis. Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is an engineered, mat-formed panel product made of strands, flakes or wafers sliced from small diameter, round wood logs and bonded with an exterior-type binder under heat and pressure.
OSB panels consist of layered mats. Exterior or surface layers are composed of strands aligned in the long panel direction; inner-layers consist of cross- or randomly-aligned strands. These large mats are then subjected to intense heat and pressure to become a "master" panel and are cut to size. Strand dimensions are predetermined and have a uniform thickness. OSB's strength comes mainly from the uninterrupted wood fiber, interweaving of the long strands or wafers, and degree of orientation of strands in the surface layers. Waterproof and boil proof resin binders are combined with the strands to provide internal strength, rigidity and moisture resistance.
Panels are manufactured in accordance with one or more of the following applicable standards:
- CSA 0325 and/or CSA 0437 (for Canada)
- ТУ 5366-142-39124899-204 (for Russia)
- PS2-04 (for the U.S.A)
- EN 300 and HEN13986 (for Europe)
- JAS for Structural Panels (Notification 360 and 1604, MAFF) (for Japan)
- TECO-PFS, APA or PSI/PTL Performance Standards (respectively NER-133, NER-PRP108 or NER-231).
