Evaluation of Commercial Wood‐Cement Composites for Sandwich‐Panel Facing

Abstract

Within the general framework of developing a cement‐based sandwich panel for housing construction, wood‐cement composites were identified as a promising facing material. Five commercially available wood‐cement and natural‐fiber‐cement board products were studied in an experimental program. The modulus of elasticity, the limit of proportionality stress, the modulus of rupture, and the post‐cracking behavior were measured in three‐point bending. The compressive strength and failure mode were characterized from uniaxial compression tests on small cubic specimens. The microstructure of these composites was characterized using a scanning electron microscope. The effect of the fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties was related to the observed behavior.