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Virginia Tech

Failure Prediction of Adhesively Bonded Hardboard Doorskin Joints

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Wood and wood based composites such as hardboard have become very common materials for use in non-structural applications, which include pre-finished paneling, siding, exterior trim, furniture, and door skins. This thesis describes the results of a study of the failure of hardboard door skins. Forces applied during manufacture load the door skins in bending, and in some cases cause a split at the edge of the hardboard. A finite element model as well as a closed form solution based on mechanics of materials were developed to analyze the stresses and deformations of the door skin/stile assembly so that stresses could be predicted for various stile widths and loading conditions. The wood members that make up the frame along the perimeter of the doors, or stiles, were modeled as orthotropic and their properties were selected from available literature. The hardboard was modeled as transversely isotropic, and its properties were determined experimentally. The closed form solution developed can be used to determine the critical geometry for different combinations of hardboard thickness and adhesive joint stiffness. It predicts that as the stile width decreases, the point of maximum deflection, and greatest stresses, moves toward the outside edge of the panel. The ability to predict the critical stile width, or the stile width below which the maximum deflection and stress occurs at the outside edge of the panel, allows one to design the joint to be able to withstand specific loadings and prevent unwanted delamination of the hardboard during manufacture.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Department dc:contributor.department
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2005

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Mosher, Bryan C.
Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Thangjitham, Surot
  • Loferski, Joseph R.
Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Dowling, Norman E.

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-06062005-120333
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42867

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Mosher, Bryan C.. Failure Prediction of Adhesively Bonded Hardboard Doorskin Joints. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42867