@misc{9250344,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the potential of alternative web materials for engineered wood I-joists with respect to both climate impact and load-bearing capacity. The study aims to evaluate whether traditional web materials, such as OSB, can be replaced by alternative panel materials in order to reduce climate impact while maintaining sufficient structural integrity.
 
The work combines analytical calculations with experimental laboratory testing and climate impact assessments. An analytical model based on classical beam theory was used to analyze shear stresses, bending stresses, and deflection in I-joists with varying web materials. Shear strength testing was carried out using a modified standard method to determine the shear strength and shear modulus of several panel materials, including OSB, plywood, LivingBoard, PremiumBoard, and Packwall. The materials were compared with regard to climate impact based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

The results show that several alternative panel materials exhibit properties that enable their use in I-joists while simultaneously reducing climate impact. PremiumBoard demonstrated the highest shear strength, while LivingBoard also demonstrated high performance. Packwall exhibited lower stiffness but satisfied the theoretical design cases and achieved low climate impact. Plywood achieved the lowest climate impact and demonstrated favorable properties as a web material. All investigated materials fulfilled the selected deflection requirements in the analytical model.
 
The study indicates that alternative panel materials have the potential to contribute to more sustainable I-joists while maintaining structural performance. However, the results are based on analytical models and small-scale laboratory testing, meaning that further full-scale testing is required to verify the findings for practical applications.}},
  author       = {{Stag, Petter and Turesson Kathy, Raoul}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{0349-4969}},
  title        = {{Hållbara livmaterial för träbaserade lättbalkar: En studie av hållfasthet och klimatpåverkan}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}