Predicting the static bending behavior of pallets with panel decks

With increased use of pallets constructed utilizing structural panel decks, there is a need for a standardized, reliability-based design system, PDS-PANEL, to assist in the design and manufacture of panel-deck pallets. The primary objective of this research was to develop finite element models which predict the static bending behavior of pallets with at least one panel deck. stringer and block pallets were modeled using plate elements to simulate deck behavior and were validated by comparing predicted deflections to experimentally measured deflections. Differences were considerably less than the allowable 15 percent for both stringer and block models. Sensitivity studies conducted with these models provided a rational basis to simplify models for use in the existing PDS-PANEL program developed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Simplified models were required to have solution times of less than 2 minutes on a 286 type or more powerful personal computer (PC).

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Wood Science and Forest Products

Department dc:contributor.department

Wood Science and Forest Products

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Mackes, Kurt H.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Loferski, Joseph R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• White, Marshall S.
• Woeste, Frank E.
• Dolan, James Daniel
• Holzer, Siegfried M.

• standardized panel-deck pallets

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08232007-112543

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39208